Astro Bot is out today, and it’s already poised to be one of the biggest games of the holiday season. If you’re feeling Astro fever, you can grab a special edition DualSense controller inspired by the game. Is it worth shelling out for? We gave it a spin to find out. It might be if you’re a fan, but know that it doesn’t look exactly the way you may expect in person.
The Astro Bot PlayStation 5 controller is one of the more visually creative DualSenses you can buy. It doesn’t just have a decal plastered on it or a special color. It’s a bit more involved than that, with shiny blue stripes down its grips, some robotic detailing, and a big pair of eyes on the touch pad.
It’s the little touches that stand out for me here. The blue and white palette really pops here compared to the standard DualSense black and white look. The light-blue touches on its face button and D-pad look especially great under the translucent plastic.
I appreciate that there’s actually a bit of sculpting to it too. It doesn’t just feel like a color swap. The bottom of the controller has some engraved markings that make it look like a robot shell. The blue side grip pattern also breaks away from the typical DualSense design in a way that stands out on my shelf. And as an extra touch, the back features a cute little silhouette of Astro’s face.
It does look a bit different in person than it does in ads, though. The grips are much glossier than I expected, with a sparkly blue patterning that makes it look a little plasticky. I can see the smudge from my fingerprints on it, which isn’t usually the case with other DualSenses I’ve used.
The bigger catch is the eye decal on the touch pad. Images make it look like it’s a glowing set of eyes, but it’s actually just a flat decal that feels a touch cheap compared to the rest of the controller.
Even with some caveats, this is a charming special edition controller both for Astro Bot fans and PS5 collectors. It looks unique next to your average DualSense and goes the extra mile to pay tribute to what’s quickly becoming PlayStation’s best series.
Astro Bot is available now on PS5, as is the Astro Bot DualSense controller.