Is Astro’s Playroom PS5’s New Favourite Franchise?

When we look at all the big faces in the Sony sphere, we can't help but think of certain characters that paved the way for today's generation. Faces such as Sackboy in LittleBigPlanet, or perhaps even Knack, from no other than, well — Knack. But even with these big icons in the Sony world, there still needs to be space for potential rising stars. And, it turns out that the PlayStation 5 might've just submitted one.

Coming pre-installed on the PlayStation 5 is the adorable platformer, Astro's Playroom, with a new approach to hardware introduction. As the loveable android, players can navigate through several Sony-themed worlds in search of PlayStation memorabilia and exclusive collectables. With Sony easter eggs hidden between every nook and cranny of every world, Astro's Playroom gift wraps a whole era of gaming and packs it into one fun-fuelled experience. Oh, and the worlds are also in the shape of the inside of the PlayStation 5 console, too. So, if that doesn't convince you to pick it up then we don't really know what will.

Could we see a full release of Astro's Playroom in 2021?

As a way of letting players grow accustomed to the new DualSense controller, Astro's Playroom uses a variety of challenges to assist with the transition between console generations. But, even as a little introductory number on the PlayStation 5, Astro's Playroom has proven to be far more worthy of future releases. It's captured the attention of all ages and most definitely established itself as a franchise worth building on. But will Sony look to expand on this cute little bot? Well, speaking with Edge, Japan studio boss Nicolas Doucet elaborated on the fresh-faced android opener.

Speaking with Edge:

“At this moment in time, there’s no plan for an extension of Astro’s Playroom, but I think it’s going to come down to the popularity of the game. So far we’ve heard a lot from the media, and it’s been very positive, and we’re really, really happy,” Doucet said.

“If the character has popularity, and if it proves that people are really having fun, [an extension or sequel] could be one avenue to follow. But at the same time, in Team Asobi we’re always trying to come up with ideas from technology, and so there are lots of things we want to try and do around the controller,” he explained. “And as we make these prototypes, if one of them turns out to be a game idea in its own right, it could end up being a new direction that we take and we’ll run with it. So it could be one or the other, but at this moment in time I don’t really know.”

From God of War to Death Stranding, Resident Evil to Metal Gear; Astro's Playroom features some of the most recognisable franchises.

It's really only been a few weeks since the launch of the PlayStation 5 — so we can't really jump to any conclusions just yet. However, there does appear to be a rather large market behind the new toy, and Sony should look to explore that fact. In the meantime, we'll just have to see where the global publisher takes it and wait for the next big announcement.

Astro's Playroom is available as a pre-installed game on PlayStation 5.