Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense
Pre-orders for the limited edition Astro Bot DualSense went live on a bunch of different retailer websites this morning, and for the most part, the peripheral is already sold out. As of this writing, the gamepad is gone at Target, Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop and Amazon, leaving only Sony’s Direct online store to serve up any remaining stock.
Who knew a modern 3D-platformer tie-in product would prove so popular? I doubt the Concord DualSense is experiencing this sort of demand, and maybe that’s because the Astro Bot controller looks so much cooler. It basically mimics our eponymous hero, complete with white and blue colorway and touchpad eyes, which definitely don’t blink, as far as I can tell. I’m not sure where IGN learned that they do, but the static eyes seem like part of the overall custom paint job to me. Bummer.
If you can find one, the Astro Bot DualSense retails for $79.99, and ships alongside the new game on September 6. I haven’t hidden my childlike excitement for Team ASOBI’s latest project, as this time around, we’re getting a fully-fledged ‘90s-esque platforming adventure. No clunky virtual reality headset to speak of, and it’s not a limited pack-in title, either.
This feels like the real deal, and judging from trailer footage, it’s appearing to take everything players loved about Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Astro’s Playroom and expanding it into what could turn into a 3D platforming revival of sorts. One may have thought Crash Bandicoot 4 would have served this purpose, having sold a respectable 5 million copies, but Crash Bandicoot 5 still got canceled. The abject horror.
Seeing as Astro Bot’s accompanying DualSense is being snatched up like hotcakes as I type this, though, I’m guessing there’s way more hunger for family-friendly games on PS5 than anyone might have anticipated. On a personal level, this isn’t surprising, because so many of us older gamers grew up playing 3D platformers, and the genre has—sadly—fizzled considerably in recent years, at least in the AAA space. It’s almost as if people still get hyped about fun, creative, finished games, even if they’re not live-service. Weird, I know.
Time will tell if this particular DualSense gets restocked at the usual retailers, but if you have your heart set on playing the new Astro Bot with a matching (non-blinking) controller, I’d recommend you scoot over to PlayStation’s online store and snatch one before they’re gone for good.