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Platform reviewed: PlayStation 5
Available on: PlayStation 5
Release date: September 6, 2024 

Sony surprised players with the genre-defining Astro Bot Rescue Mission back in 2018. Japan Studio’s PSVR captured our hearts with fun platforming and brilliant use of the DualShock 4 controller. While 2020’s Astro’s Playroom was a glorified tech demo for the PlayStation 5, it still had the charm and soul of its predecessor and left me wanting more.

And more has finally come. With Astro Bot, Asobi Studio has created one of the best modern platformers in history, and definitely one of the best PS5 games going. Now with no virtual headset required! Platform mascot giants like Mario and Sonic really need to watch out for Astro, as he can stand toe to toe with them. Astro Bot is also a celebration of PlayStation’s history, and the game brings plenty of nostalgic memories to the fore. The game makes me feel excited about Astro’s future but also makes me appreciate the past.

Astro Bot starts off with our adorable and lovely mascot Astro as he flies in a PS5-inspired spaceship but gets caught by a giant green alien that rips it apart. Crash landing on a desert planet, Astro now has to scour different galaxies to find all the missing parts and put the spaceship back together again. While Astro Bot isn’t a story-heavy game, the setup is simple enough for a family-friendly adventure that lets the most important aspect do the talking: the action and gameplay. 

(Image credit: Team Asobi/SIE) A journey across the universe

Astro’s unique abilities are built to complement the game’s colorful and astounding level design. From a chicken jetpack to clapping monkey cymbals, there’s always a sense of awe and wonder about how you’re going to progress through the levels or find a collectible with them. For example, there’s a level completely dedicated to a mouse ability that makes Astro small, and Asobi designed some really clever ways to hide collectibles. 

There are a few instances where you have to crawl under something while in Astro’s small form, then switch to being normal-sized again to uncover the secret underneath. Another ability has Astro curl up into an indestructible ball like Samus and cross dangerous areas that he normally couldn’t like an entire path filled with spikes. Astro Bot constantly rewards you for thinking outside the box and keeps you engaged throughout each level.

Best bit

(Image credit: Team Asobi/SIE)

Astro Bot’s ingenious level design makes every planet feel distinct and memorable. The sheer creativity in designing Astro’s abilities around each of the levels continually keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting.

The main collectibles in Astro Bot consist of Astro finding other bots scattered throughout the universe’s levels. Some are plain, but many others are cameos from PlayStation’s first-party franchises and also quite a few third-party ones. There’s nothing more exciting than finding a cameo bot and discovering which franchise it's from. Astro can also find map pieces that help unlock new features, such as camera mode and a gacha machine. Don’t worry though, no real-world currency is involved. Instead, in-game coins are commonly spread around levels and can be spent on the gacha machine to purchase new cosmetics like costumes for Astro and skins for his ship.

One type of collectible I found annoying was the portals to Lost Galaxy levels, which act as a type of bonus level. In a few of the normal levels, you can find a portal that leads to a brand-new level in a separate galaxy. When this happens, the game treats the current level as complete, meaning you have to start it over even if you didn’t get to the intended normal end. It detracts from the game’s pacing a bit, especially if you’re trying to find as many collectibles as you can the first time around on a new level.

(Image credit: Team Asobi/SIE) A little help

Astro Bot also takes advantage of the DualSense Wireless Controller to a huge degree. The haptic feedback feels lifelike as Astro jumps onto platforms with a thud. It doubles as an indicator of whether you’ve landed correctly, which is helpful for a platformer because you need to be as precise as possible. Elsewhere, every time Astro punches an enemy or shoots laser beams from his tiny legs, there’s a particular vibration that matches the action that runs through the DualSense, making the experience feel more immersive.

The adaptive triggers are put to good use too. For example, when Astro descends into a level riding his PS5 DualSense-shaped ship, you can hold down on the L2 and R2 triggers to fire off thrusters to move faster. Some of the collectibles can actually only be found this way, making it a compelling reason to start the level even earlier. A few of Astro’s new abilities, such as the frog-shaped boxing gloves, get a feeling of springy tension with the adaptive triggers when he’s punching enemies from a distance, too.

Fortunately, after completing a level at least once, on subsequent attempts you can spend a few coins that you’ve accumulated to summon a bird that puts out a signal when an undiscovered collectible is nearby. It’s a convenient way to mop up any remaining collectibles you missed the first time around and makes finding collectibles much less of a headache.

Astro Bot’s main campaign can be completed in between 10-15 hours. Completionists, however, might be looking at 20 or a little bit more hours to conquer everything the game has to offer, including finding all its collectibles. The game isn’t difficult by any means, but there are a few surprises at the end that might make you want to pull your hair out. So in rare instances, player skill is involved.

The relatively short run time for Astro Bot might leave some wanting more, especially since it’s a full-priced game, but those hours are filled with some of the best modern platforming gameplay ever. You won’t regret a single hour or penny. 

(Image credit: Team Asobi/SIE) Accessibility

Astro Bot has a good amount of accessibility options, such as the ability to change all the gyro controls to stick, in order to accommodate those who can’t perform motions. There are also plenty of visual aids like aiming reticles that can help players perform specific actions easier. Camera options allow you to do things such as recenter the camera.

Should you play Astro Bot? Play it if...

You love platforming games and nostalgia
Astro Bot’s level design is unparalleled and surpasses its predecessors. It also expertly blends PlayStation’s legacy into a fun and family-friendly game. You won't find another game like this. 

You enjoy games that embrace the DualSense's features
While some games implement the bare minimum with DualSense features, Astro Bot was made with them in mind. Asobi Studio went all out in trying to make the game as immersive as possible right down to the smallest details, and the results are a huge success.

You’re looking for a short and sweet adventure
Astro Bot bucks the trend of many developers and publishers wanting their games to last forever. Astro Bot only stays around for a few hours, but it’s an unforgettable experience. 

Don't play it if...

You don’t want to feel joy
This might sound like a joke but I’m not really kidding: Astro Bot brings unbridled joy to anyone who plays it, so if you're after more serious affairs, you'll have to move on.

How I reviewed Astro Bot

I played about 22 hours of Astro Bot on PlayStation 5 with a DualSense Wireless Controller, and I’m currently on my way to earning the Platinum trophy. I played it through my PlayStation Portal as well when I was cleaning up the rest of the collectibles after beating the main campaign.

I played the game on an Insignia 50" Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD TV, using the Razer Leviathan V2 X Bluetooth gaming speaker. I also recently revisited Astro’s Playroom to check out the new content updates Sony added in, mainly finding the new collectible bots. Astro Bot takes all of Rescue Mission and Playroom’s ideas up a notch. 

First reviewed August/September 2024

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One of the main upgrades we’re expecting on the iPhone 16 line is a Capture button, which could be used to snap photos and record videos. But this is reportedly a smarter button than most, with a capacitive design that also allows you to swipe across it to zoom the camera in or out.

It’s a design that could present a problem for case makers, since you’d assume it wouldn’t register swipes if covered. An obvious if inelegant solution is to have a cut-out for this key, so that it’s not covered (and therefore not protected) by the case, but Apple might have a better solution.

According to leaker DuanRui posting on X (via 9to5Mac), Apple’s official cases for the iPhone 16 series will have an “integrated design” rather than a cut-out. It’s not clear exactly what this design will be or how the capacitive functions of the Capture button will work through it, but they claim that these functions won’t be affected.

据说，苹果 iPhone 16 系列官方保护壳，没有这个开孔，会做成一体式设计，还不会影响这颗电容式按键正常使用。 pic.twitter.com/uSkaQqwXFeSeptember 4, 2024

Third-party cases might not be so lucky

However, whatever this solution is it might not be offered by third parties, with early case leaks all showing a cut-out for the Capture button.

Then again, once the iPhone 16 series has launched and Apple has shown how its case design works, perhaps other brands will imitate it.

This assumes of course that DuanRui is right, and as ever with leaks we’d take this with a pinch of salt. But we’ll find out very soon, as the iPhone 16 series – including the iPhone 16 itself, the iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max – is very likely launching on Monday, September 9.

We’ll be reporting live from the event, so head back to TechRadar then to learn everything there is to know about the iPhones 16 series – and its official cases.

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Mark your calendars, because the annual Golden Joystick Awards (GJAs) will return for its 42nd incarnation this year. The awards ceremony, which will now feature four new award categories, is set to take place on November 21, 2024.

The full shortlist for this year’s awards will be announced on October 4, with public voting set to go live on the same day. If you’re unfamiliar with the Golden Joystick Awards, also known as the “People’s Gaming Awards”, categories are decided by either public voting or a panel of judges.

This year’s show will include four new categories: Best Soundtrack, Still Playing Award (Mobile), Best Indie Game (Small Studio), and Best Game Adaptation. Best Soundtrack is intended as an evolution of the Best Audio category, which has now been split into Best Soundtrack and Best Audio Design. The Still Playing Award (Mobile) recognizes the most successful long-running mobile titles.

Best Indie Game (Small Team) is a new alternative to the Best Indie Game category which will highlight games from especially small development teams. Finally, Best Game Adaptation will cover the best movies, TV shows, comic books, and other media-inspired by video games.

Regarding the introduction of the new categories, Daniel Dawkins, Content Director of Games Video & Events at Future, said that “as we enter our 42nd year, the GJAs is proud to adapt to the changing landscape of video games. To that end, we’ve reintroduced the Best Early Access Game award, split the Best Audio category into Best Soundtrack and Best Audio Design, and launched the Best Game Adaptation award, which celebrates the best movies, TV, comics and more inspired by our industry. Oh, and we’ve redefined the Still Playing award into Still Playing (Mobile) and Still Playing (Console and PC).”

“We’ve also reviewed our Best Indie Game category. Defining an indie game is hard,” he explained. “Wherever you draw the line, 2024 forged a new path between indie titles and AAA games. Balatro, the poker-inspired deck builder from a solo developer, sold over a million copies. Helldivers 2 hit a AA, mid-price, sweet spot that outperformed a number of blockbuster ‘sure bets’. However you define indie games, the Golden Joystick Awards needed to adapt. The new Best Indie Game - Small Team award recognizes developers with less than 10 people, while Best Indie Game covers titles from larger independent teams, operating with more flexible budgets.”

A full list of this year’s publicly chosen categories has also been released, which you can browse below.

• Best Soundtrack
• Best Audio Design
• Best Game Trailer
• Best Game Expansion
• Best Early Access Game
• Still Playing Award - Mobile
• Still Playing Award - Console & PC
• Best Indie Game
• Best Indie Game - Small Team
• Best Multiplayer Game
• Best Lead Performer
• Best Supporting Performer
• Best Storytelling
• Best Visual Design
• Breakthrough Award
• Most Wanted Game
• Best Gaming Hardware
• Studio of the Year
• Ultimate Game of the Year

Some of the categories chosen by judges will also include:

• Streamers' Choice
• Best Game Adaptation
• Critics’ Choice Award

The ceremony will take place in London and will be live-streamed globally on all major streaming platforms. 

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Two-minute review

As the name would suggest, the Backbone One 2nd Gen is the second version of the Backbone One mobile controller. It’s available in two distinct flavors, a plain Black and the white PlayStation Edition. Which of these you choose will ultimately boil down to your personal aesthetic preferences, though I think the PlayStation Edition edges ahead thanks to the smooth DualSense Wireless Controller style clear plastic used for its buttons, which feels slightly more premium than the rougher plastic of the Black and is reminiscent of some of the best PC controllers.

Both the Black and PlayStation Editions can be purchased with either a USB-C, which will work with most Android phones and the iPhone 15 series, or a Lightning connector for older iPhone models. While it may be tempting to pick up the Lightning model if it's the connector found on your phone, I would suggest that you hold off on your purchase until you have upgraded to a more recent iPhone if you already have any plans to do so. As USB-C is now the dominant standard across iOS and Android, you run the risk of splashing out on a Lightning controller that you can't use with your next device.

The Backbone One 2nd Gen offers all of the same features as the original Backbone One, which is to say that it’s a capable mobile controller. There have been some choice upgrades this time around, though, including improvements to its d-pad and buttons. The buttons are just as tactile as the original, but feel a little firmer and less fragile to the touch. Although it looks largely unchanged, the d-pad is also a vast improvement. It’s much less stiff and is absolutely butter-smooth in its motion. It allows for much faster, more accurate inputs that are absolutely perfect for fast-paced mobile games like Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile or Dead Cells.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

There have also been improvements to how the controller fits around your phone. The Backbone One 2nd Gen can extend a little further, letting it comfortably clasp my iPhone 15 Plus. The fiddly rubber adapters that were included with the original Backbone One have been replaced with slick magnetic ones that are remarkably quick to change once you get the hang of it. The included large adapters even allow the controller to be used with most phone cases - completely eliminating one of my biggest complaints with the original model.

The only problem with the Backbone One 2nd Gen is less the fault of the controller and more reflects changes in the mobile controller market. There wasn’t much competition when the Backbone One first launched in 2020. Now, however, there are loads of compelling alternatives to choose from, some of which offer comparable features at a fraction of the price. Even within its price range, it’s still facing stiff competition from similarly designed Bluetooth alternatives such as the Scuf Nomad. While the Backbone One 2nd Gen still comes out ahead thanks to its quality build, a small price cut would have made this revision much more competitive

(Image credit: Future) Backbone One 2nd Gen: Price and availability

•  $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.99 
• Black and PlayStation Edition available 
• Discount for original owners 

Every model of the Backbone One 2nd Gen costs $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.99 and is easy to find at retailers like Amazon. This includes the licensed PlayStation Edition, not to mention the Lightning and USB-C variants of each. Existing Backbone One owners with an active Backbone+ subscription, which costs $3.99 / £3.99 a month, can claim a 30% discount from the official store when they upgrade to the 2nd Gen model without needing to trade in their controller.

Even without that offer, the controller is frequently available on sale. You can often find it for $69.99 / £69.99, which is an absolutely killer price for what you’re getting. Given the rise of cheaper alternatives like the GameSir X2s Type-C, which costs only $45.99 / £49 / AU$69, it’s a shame that this discounted rate is not the standard rate.

Backbone One 2nd Gen: Specs

(Image credit: Future) Backbone One 2nd Gen: Design and features

• Same great design as the Backbone One
• Improved d-pad and buttons 
• Now fits a phone case 

On the surface, very little has changed between the Backbone One and the Backbone One 2nd Gen. The Backbone One 2nd Gen maintains the same overall design, with two halves of a regular controller separated by an extending mechanism where your phone rests. The biggest changes here are in the buttons which are extremely tactile and have a pleasant, audible click. The same was true of the original model, but they are now a little firmer and more consistent.

The d-pad has also received an overhaul and is vastly improved. It’s less stiff and has quite a bouncy feel to it. The closest point of comparison is the d-pad of the Nintendo 2DS, minus all of the sponginess. The little adapters, located on either side of the extending back, have been upgraded too. They are now attached magnetically, rather than weakly slotting in, and are therefore much easier to swap out. A pair of large adapters is included in the box, which fit perfectly around my iPhone 15 Plus in its official silicone case. You can even use the controller without any adapters fitted at all, which could come in handy for those with a particularly thick phone.

Like the original Backbone One, the Backbone One 2nd Gen features charging passthrough via a USB-C port on its right-hand grip. The left-hand grip has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is perfect if you have a wired pair of any of the best gaming earbuds. 

The Backbone One 2nd Gen is also compatible with the Backbone app. It allows you to tweak your controller settings and can be accessed at any time by hitting the orange Backbone button on the controller. It’s a decent hub, but the optional Backbone+ subscription leaves a sour taste. It costs $3.99 / £3.99 a month and unlocks some additional features such as video capture, in-app voice chat, and some in-game perks. 

Thankfully, no integral features are paywalled but that just leaves this subscription feeling like a bit of a waste of money overall. Luckily, a free trial is available so you can at least see if it is for you before committing to a payment plan.

(Image credit: Future) Backbone One 2nd Gen: Performance

• New d-pad and buttons are great
• Great for mobile games and game streaming 
• Compatible with lots of games and apps

If you’ve ever used the original Backbone One, then you’ll know pretty much exactly what to expect from the performance of the Backbone One 2nd Gen. The only real differences come from the improved buttons and d-pad, which do make games that require extensive use of the d-pad or rapid button inputs more satisfying and responsive. The controller is compatible with a wide range of games and apps, including some game streaming services such as Amazon Luna and GeForce Now, and offers a much more console-quality experience than relying on on-screen touch controls - though it’s still a little behind the incredible comfort offered by more premium alternatives like the Razer Kishi Ultra.

I tried a wide variety of games including Zenless Zone Zero, Genshin Impact, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, Minecraft, Diablo Immortal, and much more, and was very satisfied with the performance. While perfectly compact, the Backbone One 2nd Gen sits comfortably in the hands and never feels too cramped even over periods of extended use.

Being able to use the controller with a phone case attached is also a bit of a game changer. One of the biggest issues with the original Backbone One was the fact that you needed to constantly take off your phone case in order to use it - leaving your precious device unprotected and giving you one more thing to keep track of on the move. I would say that this difference alone makes the Backbone One 2nd Gen a worthwhile upgrade if you are a phone case user, especially if you have access to the 30% discount or find it on sale. If you don’t own a Backbone One but are currently shopping for one, then this is definitely the model to go for.

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Backbone One 2nd Gen? Buy it if... Don't buy it if... Also consider

If you’re not interested in what the Backbone One 2nd Gen brings to the table, then seriously consider these two other excellent mobile controllers. 

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the Backbone One 2nd Gen

• Tested over a week
• Compared to other mobile controllers 
• Tested against the original Backbone One model 

I tested the Backbone One 2nd Gen mobile controller over the course of a week. During that time I played with both the regular Black version and the PlayStation Edition using my iPhone 15 Plus. I tried a wide variety of compatible mobile games, sourcing suggestions from the Backbone App. This included plenty of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile and Zenless Zone Zero, in addition to a few hours in Dead Cells, Diablo Immortal, Minecraft, and some streamed games via Amazon Luna.

Throughout my time with the controller, I compared its performance to other mobile controllers such as the Razer Kishi Ultra, Scuf Nomad, GameSir X2s Type-C, Rog Tessen, and, of course, the original Backbone One. For my audio, I relied on the wired Final VR500 earbuds and a pair of Beats Solo 4 headphones.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2024