The news from PlayStation Japan will surely go down in history as the definitive launch date for the DualSense Astro Bot edition: October 30! The smily face of Astro Bot adorns the touchpad with shades of bright blue and white now shining and piercing right from it. If the online backlash is any indication, gamers are already distracted halfway between swooning and gasping.
So what does one truly call a ‘controller’? Consider it more of a celebration for the release of Astro Bot finally blossoming into one of the mightier platformers landing on PS5. It preserves every single feature of the original DualSense: haptics, adaptive triggers, all the good stuff. But that cute innocent face on the robot might darn well stare at you the whole time you play! Officially, this sucker is $79.99, which is par for the course for any limited edition controller.
It was a stirring pot in social media! Pre-order is being discussed like it was available tomorrow! One user @TheTdsDuck went all caps with, “HE LOOKS SO HAPPY I NEED IT,” pretty much the general consensus in one line! Then came another golden moment all gamers have experienced from user @aimi_xyz: “me: i don’t need another controller… also me: preorders instantly.” It’s a genuine struggle when Sony brings out something this cute.
Some joke about it becoming a new way for the controller to judge how good or bad you are. @zeroXhope joked, “The Astro Bot controller would display disappointed faces when you suck – when even your accessories start questioning your life choices.” Actually, it would be a good feature for Sony to put in: Imagine playing Elden Ring and every single time you suck or triumph for the 50th time on the same boss, Astro-Bot starts giving you “that” look.
There is some argument on whether this is a new controller or a re-release. Some seemed conflicted wondering if this had ever released. There were old Astro Bot controllers, but supposedly according to @TheTdsDuck, “the design differs slightly” from the old one. For any collector, this is an absolute must-have.
Some may yet hold onto reservations. @aryangupta1411 asked, “Who approved this ugly controller? My grandma could design better!” Well, I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion. But overwhelmingly, the same consensus is positive. Most are describing it as adorable, happy, and with a little personality thrown into the batch of PS5 accessories.
One of the funniest things was people saying that they don’t even own a PS5. @BibsTheExplorer said, “bro I don’t even got a PS5 but I NEED this 😔 That’s the highest praise a console accessory can get: when people want your hardware merch without even owning the hardware, well, you just know you’ve hit on something special.
Sinking into these waves of excitement are practical concerns. @iam_Lecumberri points out the real issue many DualSense owners face: “Hope it actually lasts longer than my last DualSense” and “Another fancy controller for collectors but normal players still stuck with drift issues.” Which, fair point, right? Sony has been putting out all these beautiful special edition controllers while some players are still stuck with stick drift issues on their normal ones.
The timing is almost perfect, though: October 30 gives enough time for purchase before the holiday hype of Astro Bot. @AndrewF_Writes stated that “Astro Bot finally getting the love it deserves,” which is true: this little robot has become something of an unofficial mascot for PlayStation, particularly since Astro’s Playroom was such a hit as a launch title for PlayStation 5.
Some players are already thinking about using it. @x0neji said they’ll “enjoy fifa with this joyful console,” which honestly sounds like a better experience than getting angry at FIFA with a regular controller. Maybe Astro Bot’s happy face will keep some controllers from being thrown across the room.
The design is triggering some flashbacks. @NBAndChill says it’s “Giving first iMac vibes” with those bright colors and cheerful aesthetic. It does have that late 90s/early 2k colorful tech vibe that a lot of people secretly adore.
One thing is clear: PlayStation may have another hit accessory on its hands in the form of a limited edition controller. Limited edition controllers sell well, but this one is hitting pretty hard with the cute factor. Considering how popular Astro Bot is and how nice this actually looks, it probably won’t be around for long anyway-plus, with the holidays coming.
So, in case you are worried about this slipping through your fingers, many of the clear answers agree that pre-orders will start on September 12, so, get your calendar ready. Because believe me, you will want to have one of these in your possession before the scalpers manage to buy up all the stock and sell it at three times the price.
For a simple controller design to add that much personality to a gaming experience speaks volumes. As @Marvis_Quin put it, “astro bot out here being the mascot sony pretends they don’t have,” which is sort of true! Sony doesn’t really have a consistent mascot the way Nintendo has Mario, but Astro Bot is definitely filling in for that role whether they want to admit it or not.
Therefore, to conclude, this is simply the more colorful version of a controller design. But sometimes that’s all gamers want-something capable of showing off their own personality or one that expresses the player’s adoration for a particular game. The Astro Bot Joyful DualSense might not make you good at games (in the words of @debayo_xx, “controller so joyful it still won’t make me good at bloodborne”), but for sure it’s going to look great on the gaming setup.
Some of the more practical concerns have been born from this excitement. @iam_Lecumberri states that this is an issue a lot of DualSense owners face: “Hope it actually lasts longer than my last DualSense” and “Another fancy controller for collectors but normal players still stuck with drift issues.” Fair point, though, right? Sony has been putting out all these beautiful special edition controllers while some players are still stuck with stick drift issues on their normal ones.
The timing is almost perfect, though: October 30 is giving some good time for people to get it before the holidays hype for the Astro Bot. And, @AndrewF_Writes stated, “Astro Bot finally getting the love it deserves,” which is true-the little robot has become somewhat of an unofficial mascot for PlayStation, especially since Astro’s Playroom landed as the PS5 launch title.
Some players are contemplating usage already. @x0neji said they’ll “enjoy fifa with this joyful console,” which honestly, sounds like more fun than getting mad at FIFA with an ordinary controller. Maybe Astro Bot’s smiling face will save some homes from flying controllers.
The design brings out some flashbacks. @NBAndChill said it was “Giving first iMac vibes” with bright colors and cheerful aesthetics. It does have that late 90s/early 2k colorful tech vibe that a lot of people secretly adore.
One thing is clear: PlayStation may have another hit accessory on its hands with the limited edition controller. Limited edition controllers have never failed to sell, but this one is being especially hurtin’ by the adorable vibe. In that regard, Astro Bot will make sure to sell out ASAP coupled with the gifting season.
If you think this will slip through your fingers, they claim pre-orders will commence from September 12, so get your calendars all set. Believe me when I say you will want to get your hands on one before the scalpers manage to snatch up all of them, only to resell them for thrice the amount.
Interesting that such a simple controller design can inject so much personality into the gaming experience. As @Marvis_Quin suggested, “astro bot out here being the mascot sony pretends they don’t have” which is kind of true! Sony doesn’t really have a consistent mascot the way Nintendo has Mario, but Astro Bot is definitely filling in for that role whether they want to admit it or not.
End of the day, this is just a controller in a different color scheme and design. But sometimes that’s all gamers want-something to evoke their own personality or express their love for a particular game. The Astro Bot Joyful DualSense might not make you good at games (in the words of @debayo_xx, “controller so joyful it still won’t make me good at bloodborne”), but for sure it’s going to look great on the gaming setup.
October 30 might just come any day now for quite a few PlayStation fans. This can be the happiest gaming hardware ever birthed in the year 2020. Well, sometimes we need such a thing with all of the seriously dark games that are coming out these days. A little robot smile to brighten those lonely game sessions.
