Earlier this year, Sony announced a surprise new first-party game for its PlayStation 5 console as part of its State of Play event in May. It"s called Astro Bot, and it will basically take the PS5"s unofficial mascot from the mini-game Astro"s Playroom, into a full third-person action-arcade game.
Both Astro"s Playroom and the upcoming Astro Bot from developer Team Asobi take full advantage of the features in the PS5"s DualSense wireless controller, so it certainly makes sense that Sony would release a new version of that controller for Astro Bot"s release.
In a post on the official PlayStation blog, Sony describes the upcoming Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense wireless controller:
The controller’s design features Astro’s signature blue accents on the handles and buttons, carved-in, sci-fi lines as well as the trademark playful pair of eyes on the touch pad. It is a true work of art, and we could not be happier with the end-result at Team Asobi.
The blog also describes how the DualSense controller will be used by Astro Bot players. The game will increase the number of textures that players can feel with the haptic effects of the controller compared to the previous Astro"s PlayRoom.
Astro Bot also puts in some new effects for the DualSense"s adaptive triggers:
For example, when using Barkster, the bulldog Jetpack, you can feel the thruster ratting against your finger in synch with the animation, giving a very dynamic and immersive feeling. Every new power up has been given that same special treatment so you will be able to experience various expressions through your fingers.
The Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense wireless controller will be available for preorder on the PlayStation store site and from other retailers on August 9 for $79.99. It will begin shipping on September 6, which is also when Astro Bot itself will go on sale for the PS5.