Feature: Going Platinum: Astro’s Playroom Was the Perfect PS5 Appetiser
Push Square’s retrospective celebrates Astro’s Playroom, the acclaimed platformer that launched as a free pack-in title with PlayStation 5. Featured in the outlet’s “Going Platinum” series—which highlights games the author has earned maximum trophy achievements in—the piece examines why the game became such a defining moment for the console’s launch.
Astro’s Playroom served as an ideal introduction to the PS5’s innovative capabilities, particularly the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The game built on the character’s earlier success in PlayStation VR’s Astro Bot Rescue Mission, bringing the charming robot mascot to a vastly broader audience. Its approachable design and clever demonstration of the console’s technical features made it an essential experience for both longtime PlayStation fans and newcomers discovering the system’s potential.
By combining engaging platforming gameplay with showcase moments that highlighted what made the PS5 special, Astro’s Playroom became a standout experience that justified the console’s investment and set a high bar for what pack-in software could achieve.