EA says its Sports division plans to release "multiple new franchises in the years ahead", adding to its existing portfolio. In the latest EA financials, CEO Andrew Wilson discussed the continuing growth of its FIFA, NHL, Madden and UFC franchises, but added a brief mention of new series, saying, "We also have plans to add to our core EA SPORTS portfolio with multiple new franchises in the years ahead." Wilson didn't go into more detail about those mooted franchises. It may be that he means brand new sports games, more diverse versions of existing EA sports (college football or street soccer, for example), or returns to abandoned franchises –EA Sports has previously made golf, boxing, cricket, and snowboarding games, among others. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/fifa-21-review"] EA clearly has big plans for EA Sports in general, with Wilson explaining that the division will see a "significant expansion that will span new games, more geographies and more ways to engage." He adds that the compamny has "six new soccer mobile games in development for new genres and new markets," and points out that Ultimate Team modes have grown by 25% this year. While the division is clearly working for its parent company, EA Sports' approach to monetization and development iteration have become increasingly controversial in recent years. This year, we've bemoaned Madden 21's stagnant Franchise mode, and seen EA fined potentially millions of dollars for its loot box-like Ultimate Team packs in Europe. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

EA says its Sports division plans to release "multiple new franchises in the years ahead", adding to its existing portfolio. In the latest EA financials, CEO Andrew Wilson discussed the continuing growth of its FIFA, NHL, Madden and UFC franchises, but added a brief mention of new series, saying, "We also have plans to add to our core EA SPORTS portfolio with multiple new franchises in the years ahead." Wilson didn't go into more detail about those mooted franchises. It may be that he means brand new sports games, more diverse versions of existing EA sports (college football or street soccer, for example), or returns to abandoned franchises –EA Sports has previously made golf, boxing, cricket, and snowboarding games, among others. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/fifa-21-review"] EA clearly has big plans for EA Sports in general, with Wilson explaining that the division will see a "significant expansion that will span new games, more geographies and more ways to engage." He adds that the compamny has "six new soccer mobile games in development for new genres and new markets," and points out that Ultimate Team modes have grown by 25% this year. While the division is clearly working for its parent company, EA Sports' approach to monetization and development iteration have become increasingly controversial in recent years. This year, we've bemoaned Madden 21's stagnant Franchise mode, and seen EA fined potentially millions of dollars for its loot box-like Ultimate Team packs in Europe. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

One of PS5’s new UI features comes in the form of Activity Cards, a series of game-specific and more general panels available in the PS5’s Control Center. While we saw some specific-use cases in the PS5 UI reveal, we’ve now had a bit more hands-on time with them in multiple games, and can better explain how they work. Specifically, we can speak about using them in conjunction with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Astro’s Playroom. And of course, you can see more of the PS5’s UI in our full PS5 review. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/playstation-5-review"]

PS5 Overall Use

No matter what game we’ve played on PS5, some Activity Cards are a constant. A newsfeed card has been apparent whenever pulling up this feature. It has changed somewhat in our pre-launch experience - when Insomniac revealed new videos for Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, for example, that took the prominent featured spot on the newsfeed card. As of right now, it’s unclear what other console-wide cards may be added in the future, but they do offer Sony a platform to directly flag any major updates to players, no matter what game they’re playing. Additionally, a recent media capture card has been present for me while using the PS5, letting me quickly access my previous screenshots and clips captured via the Share button. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-ui-screenshots&captions=true"]

Astro’s Playroom Activities Cards

Diving into game-specific uses, Astro’s Playroom offers a bit more of a clear use case for future games. A host of game-specific cards will pop up while playing, based on recent use of Playroom, and I’ve seen both Trophy-specific cards and Level-focused ones featured most often. Playroom is split into four main worlds, each with four levels apiece. Cards allowed me to immediately jump into a level from the Control Center, rather than going through any in-game menu. Playroom makes this feature a little redundant, because the game’s pause menu is a world map that lets you instantly hop into any level. But its benefits for future games with many more levels or more points to jump to is immediately clear. There’s no additional loads and no hopping out of the game - if I want to head back to a level, I can see my percentage completion for it when it comes to artifacts and collectibles, and click right into it. And for completionists/Platinum trophy hunters like myself, that is a wonderful, direct, and easy use. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/astros-playroom-review"]

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Activities Cards

Miles Morales may also be a good test case for where more narrative, as well as open world, games take us on the PS5 when it comes to these cards. At first. When starting up Miles Morales, the Cards feed is relatively non-existent. But as I got deeper into the story, if I pulled the cards up with a new narrative mission to go to, it would be an option as a card. And Miles’ collectibles open up as you progress later into its story, so cards served as a reminder for my progress on collectible tech stashes, or time capsules that were akin to Peter Parker’s collectible backpacks in the first Spider-Man. And as I gained access to more one-off side missions, some of those would come up as options, too. As with Astro’s Playroom, because Miles Morales’ collectibles often pop up as you’re exploring the city, it may be easier for some players to just keep swinging around and stumble across them. But it’s an obvious primer for how developers can use these cards in other upcoming open-world games, which we haven’t gotten to test yet. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/marvels-spider-man-miles-morales-review"] Of course, we've only gotten to see these cards be used in a pre-launch capacity with some of the PS5's launch lineup, and we'll continue to test them as we gain access to more games. In the meantime, we also have news on how the PS5 has 667GB of usable storage space, why it doesn't seem to have custom themes, how the Create button differs from the PS4 Share button, and you can read our full PS5 console review. And if you're interested in the PS5's launch lineup, check out our Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales review and our Astro's Playroom review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

One of PS5’s new UI features comes in the form of Activity Cards, a series of game-specific and more general panels available in the PS5’s Control Center. While we saw some specific-use cases in the PS5 UI reveal, we’ve now had a bit more hands-on time with them in multiple games, and can better explain how they work. Specifically, we can speak about using them in conjunction with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Astro’s Playroom. And of course, you can see more of the PS5’s UI in our full PS5 review. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/playstation-5-review"]

PS5 Overall Use

No matter what game we’ve played on PS5, some Activity Cards are a constant. A newsfeed card has been apparent whenever pulling up this feature. It has changed somewhat in our pre-launch experience - when Insomniac revealed new videos for Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, for example, that took the prominent featured spot on the newsfeed card. As of right now, it’s unclear what other console-wide cards may be added in the future, but they do offer Sony a platform to directly flag any major updates to players, no matter what game they’re playing. Additionally, a recent media capture card has been present for me while using the PS5, letting me quickly access my previous screenshots and clips captured via the Share button. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-ui-screenshots&captions=true"]

Astro’s Playroom Activities Cards

Diving into game-specific uses, Astro’s Playroom offers a bit more of a clear use case for future games. A host of game-specific cards will pop up while playing, based on recent use of Playroom, and I’ve seen both Trophy-specific cards and Level-focused ones featured most often. Playroom is split into four main worlds, each with four levels apiece. Cards allowed me to immediately jump into a level from the Control Center, rather than going through any in-game menu. Playroom makes this feature a little redundant, because the game’s pause menu is a world map that lets you instantly hop into any level. But its benefits for future games with many more levels or more points to jump to is immediately clear. There’s no additional loads and no hopping out of the game - if I want to head back to a level, I can see my percentage completion for it when it comes to artifacts and collectibles, and click right into it. And for completionists/Platinum trophy hunters like myself, that is a wonderful, direct, and easy use. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/astros-playroom-review"]

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Activities Cards

Miles Morales may also be a good test case for where more narrative, as well as open world, games take us on the PS5 when it comes to these cards. At first. When starting up Miles Morales, the Cards feed is relatively non-existent. But as I got deeper into the story, if I pulled the cards up with a new narrative mission to go to, it would be an option as a card. And Miles’ collectibles open up as you progress later into its story, so cards served as a reminder for my progress on collectible tech stashes, or time capsules that were akin to Peter Parker’s collectible backpacks in the first Spider-Man. And as I gained access to more one-off side missions, some of those would come up as options, too. As with Astro’s Playroom, because Miles Morales’ collectibles often pop up as you’re exploring the city, it may be easier for some players to just keep swinging around and stumble across them. But it’s an obvious primer for how developers can use these cards in other upcoming open-world games, which we haven’t gotten to test yet. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/marvels-spider-man-miles-morales-review"] Of course, we've only gotten to see these cards be used in a pre-launch capacity with some of the PS5's launch lineup, and we'll continue to test them as we gain access to more games. In the meantime, we also have news on how the PS5 has 667GB of usable storage space, why it doesn't seem to have custom themes, how the Create button differs from the PS4 Share button, and you can read our full PS5 console review. And if you're interested in the PS5's launch lineup, check out our Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales review and our Astro's Playroom review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Of the many changes Sony’s new PS5 controller, the DualSense, brings with it is an alteration to the Share button on the DualShock 4, which has let us post clips of Fall Guys wins and Spider-Man photo mode pics for years. But what, if anything, does the Create button actually bring differently to the PlayStation experience? Well, now that we have had time with the PS5, we can share a bit more about what the new button actually does differently, and what has stayed the same. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/first-look-at-the-ps5-ui"] For all its newness, the Create Button actually brings up a rather understated UI - as opposed to the PS4’s Share UI that came in from the side, the Create button temporarily fills the bottom of your screen with a minimal black bar and a few icons. Far more quickly – and with no lag compared to the slow-moving PS4 UI – you're able to share your current screen as a screenshot, capture recent gameplay, or start a recording for future play. With the capture recent gameplay option, the PS5 has temporarily saved the last few minutes of play, and lets you clip out the last 15 seconds, the last 30 seconds, and more increments of time – all the way up to the last hour of gameplay. And of course, with the start recording option, the PS5 will then capture any subsequent gameplay. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-ui-screenshots&captions=true"] When it comes to those capture options for video and photos, there are actually plenty of customization options directly available from the Create button share screen, which is arguably one of the best new features for the button. Players can adjust the screenshot file type (JPG or PNG), the video clip file type (WebM or MP4), manual recording resolution adjustments (1920 x 1080 or 3840 x 2160), and whether to include the audio from your microphone or party audio in any clips. These can be set as defaults, but can be adjusted at any time by hitting the Create button. And while you're in the Create Button's overlay, you can also bring up your past video and photo captures in a gallery, cycling through your past saved files as well as any photo or video captures from Trophy moments. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=76db97e3-8792-444f-ab52-72236a689eb2"] There’s also a button to start broadcasting gameplay, but as we’ve been playing pre-launch, we haven’t broadcast any gameplay – we’ll be sure to test that more after launch. For more on PS5, be sure to check out what the PS5 Activity Cards do, learn about the PS5's lack of custom themes, and read our full PS5 console review. And if you're interested in the PS5's launch lineup, check out our Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales review and our Astro's Playroom review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Of the many changes Sony’s new PS5 controller, the DualSense, brings with it is an alteration to the Share button on the DualShock 4, which has let us post clips of Fall Guys wins and Spider-Man photo mode pics for years. But what, if anything, does the Create button actually bring differently to the PlayStation experience? Well, now that we have had time with the PS5, we can share a bit more about what the new button actually does differently, and what has stayed the same. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/first-look-at-the-ps5-ui"] For all its newness, the Create Button actually brings up a rather understated UI - as opposed to the PS4’s Share UI that came in from the side, the Create button temporarily fills the bottom of your screen with a minimal black bar and a few icons. Far more quickly – and with no lag compared to the slow-moving PS4 UI – you're able to share your current screen as a screenshot, capture recent gameplay, or start a recording for future play. With the capture recent gameplay option, the PS5 has temporarily saved the last few minutes of play, and lets you clip out the last 15 seconds, the last 30 seconds, and more increments of time – all the way up to the last hour of gameplay. And of course, with the start recording option, the PS5 will then capture any subsequent gameplay. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-ui-screenshots&captions=true"] When it comes to those capture options for video and photos, there are actually plenty of customization options directly available from the Create button share screen, which is arguably one of the best new features for the button. Players can adjust the screenshot file type (JPG or PNG), the video clip file type (WebM or MP4), manual recording resolution adjustments (1920 x 1080 or 3840 x 2160), and whether to include the audio from your microphone or party audio in any clips. These can be set as defaults, but can be adjusted at any time by hitting the Create button. And while you're in the Create Button's overlay, you can also bring up your past video and photo captures in a gallery, cycling through your past saved files as well as any photo or video captures from Trophy moments. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=76db97e3-8792-444f-ab52-72236a689eb2"] There’s also a button to start broadcasting gameplay, but as we’ve been playing pre-launch, we haven’t broadcast any gameplay – we’ll be sure to test that more after launch. For more on PS5, be sure to check out what the PS5 Activity Cards do, learn about the PS5's lack of custom themes, and read our full PS5 console review. And if you're interested in the PS5's launch lineup, check out our Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales review and our Astro's Playroom review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

The PlayStation 5’s UI brings with it a host of changes that evolve what players experienced on the PS4, and while things like Trophies, Account Avatars photos, and more have made the transition, one notable piece of the PS4 UI has not made the next-gen leap - themes. Themes have played a big role in the life of the PS4 as a way of customizing the console’s UI. Both static and dynamic themes have been available by the hundreds for players to purchase or grab for free, some reskinning the icons to a game-specific look, or adding music from your favorite games to your PS4 hub. Other, more static themes just change the look, but still let players add an additional personal touch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/ps5s-ui-the-5-biggest-gamechangers"] The PS5, as of our pre-launch experience, has no themes. IGN has reached out to Sony about the decision to not have themes for PS5, and whether it’s a feature the company is considering adding back in. We’ll update this story should they respond, but there’s at least one likely reason we aren’t seeing themes. For the most part, PS5’s UI takes an inverse approach to the PS4’s. Sony’s soon-to-be last-gen system largely put all its icons on display at once and made them the focal point of the UI. A host of games, apps, and settings icons are often shown all prominently on screen simultaneously. The PS5’s UI moves many of those features to the top of the screen, or even more directly in the pop-up Control Center menu, which acts as an overlay to the PS5. Instead, each PS5 game we’ve seen so far comes with its own mini-theme of sorts. Take Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which showcases a big piece of art for Miles in his Spidey suit while one of the game’s themes plays in the background. But if you switch over to Astro’s Playroom, a new piece of Astro art dominates the screen, with music from that game playing. While not as much of an overhaul to the UI as a dynamic theme could be, it seems each PS5 game will offer a bit of specialization to your PS5 dashboard as you hover over it. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] And given the PS5’s Control Center now letting you quickly switch between games, check downloads, check in with your friends list, and more all without actually leaving a currently active game, it’s quite possible players will spend much less time in the PS5 dashboard than they did the PS4’s. Of course, should we get any official word from Sony on the decision, we’ll be sure to update this story, but in the meantime, you can check out plenty more on the PS5, including our PS5 console review. We also have news on how the PS5 has 667GB of usable storage space, what its new Activity Cards are for, and how the Create button differs from the PS4 Share button. And if you're interested in the PS5's launch lineup, check out our Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales review and our Astro's Playroom review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

The PlayStation 5’s UI brings with it a host of changes that evolve what players experienced on the PS4, and while things like Trophies, Account Avatars photos, and more have made the transition, one notable piece of the PS4 UI has not made the next-gen leap - themes. Themes have played a big role in the life of the PS4 as a way of customizing the console’s UI. Both static and dynamic themes have been available by the hundreds for players to purchase or grab for free, some reskinning the icons to a game-specific look, or adding music from your favorite games to your PS4 hub. Other, more static themes just change the look, but still let players add an additional personal touch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/ps5s-ui-the-5-biggest-gamechangers"] The PS5, as of our pre-launch experience, has no themes. IGN has reached out to Sony about the decision to not have themes for PS5, and whether it’s a feature the company is considering adding back in. We’ll update this story should they respond, but there’s at least one likely reason we aren’t seeing themes. For the most part, PS5’s UI takes an inverse approach to the PS4’s. Sony’s soon-to-be last-gen system largely put all its icons on display at once and made them the focal point of the UI. A host of games, apps, and settings icons are often shown all prominently on screen simultaneously. The PS5’s UI moves many of those features to the top of the screen, or even more directly in the pop-up Control Center menu, which acts as an overlay to the PS5. Instead, each PS5 game we’ve seen so far comes with its own mini-theme of sorts. Take Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which showcases a big piece of art for Miles in his Spidey suit while one of the game’s themes plays in the background. But if you switch over to Astro’s Playroom, a new piece of Astro art dominates the screen, with music from that game playing. While not as much of an overhaul to the UI as a dynamic theme could be, it seems each PS5 game will offer a bit of specialization to your PS5 dashboard as you hover over it. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] And given the PS5’s Control Center now letting you quickly switch between games, check downloads, check in with your friends list, and more all without actually leaving a currently active game, it’s quite possible players will spend much less time in the PS5 dashboard than they did the PS4’s. Of course, should we get any official word from Sony on the decision, we’ll be sure to update this story, but in the meantime, you can check out plenty more on the PS5, including our PS5 console review. We also have news on how the PS5 has 667GB of usable storage space, what its new Activity Cards are for, and how the Create button differs from the PS4 Share button. And if you're interested in the PS5's launch lineup, check out our Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales review and our Astro's Playroom review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Astro’s Playroom will be a free pack-in for PS5 owners, a chance to test out all the new functionality of the DualSense controller - and have something to play while bigger games and install and download. But given its pack-in nature, and PlayStation not really having as much of a precedent (PS4’s The Playroom was arguably more of a showcase for the additional PS4 camera, and was basically a collection of virtual toys), many may be wondering if Astro’s Playroom is a full game, a minigame suite, or something else. To help answer these questions, here is the experience of some of IGN’s staff about their time with Astro’s Playroom. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/astros-playroom-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush, Reviewer and Senior News Editor First off, I’m happy to confirm Astro’s Playroom is a full game, particularly because of one notable inclusion - a Platinum trophy. But whether you’re a trophy hunter, Astro’s Playroom is structured very much like a full game, albeit a relatively short one. I’ve 100%’d Astro’s Playroom, collecting everything in its four worlds, including hidden artifacts and more, and the experience took me roughly about 6 - 7 hours. That’s largely due to some challenging-to-find collectibles, and some very obvious ones I got hung up on, and I probably beat all four worlds in 3 - 4 hours. There are some fun opportunities to increase your time with Astro’s, including a host of time trials to try to improve your time on, as well as a literal playroom that acts as an homage to PlayStation history based on what you’ve collected. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=astros-playroom-ps5-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Simon Cardy, Video Producer Having completed all 4 of its main worlds in around 3 hours, I had such a good time with Astro’s Playroom that I decided to make it my first PS5 Platinum trophy. So with that in mind I then spent around another 3 hours racing through the speedruns, picking up every collectible and completing the odd level-based challenge to hit that 100%. As far as Platinum trophies go, it’s a very obtainable one without really requiring a higher level of skill than the core of the game demands at all. The new activity cards go a long way to making this as smooth an experience as possible, easily providing checklists for you with the touch of a button. All in all, it took me just north of 6 hours to polish off everything in Astro’s Playroom, with maybe an extra half an hour tacked on due to the amount of time I spent hitting every object on show in the fantastic bubble of nostalgia that is the PlayStation Labo showroom (yes, it does have the same name as Nintendo's cardboard-controlled games and, no, I don't know why). [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20new%20activity%20cards%20go%20a%20long%20way%20to%20making%20trophy%20hunting%20as%20smooth%20an%20experience%20as%20possible."] Lucy O’Brien, Exec Ed of Features I’ve mostly completed Astro’s. I’m not close to the Platinum trophy, but I’ve played through all the worlds and collected around three quarters of its puzzle pieces. I’m still tinkering around in there - while you can technically ‘finish’ Astro’s, so much of the joy to be found comes from all the various secrets lovingly peppered throughout it. As others have said, playing through each world without 100% completion takes roughly 3-4 hours. I didn’t expect that longevity for a game that comes bundled with the machine, nor did I expect Astro’s to be such a clever showcase for the DualSense and a delightful love letter to the history of the PlayStation. [ignvideo url="[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/27/astros-playroom-16-minutes-of-playstation-5-gameplay-in-4k"]"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Janet Garcia, Associate Guides Editor I completed Astro’s Playroom at a leisurely pace, exploring every corner and soaking in every reference that I could find. Completing all 4 of its worlds took me 3-4 hours and by the end I had grabbed about 75% of the collectibles. Astro’s Playroom can definitely be finished a lot faster if you’re beelining for the end, but the joy of this game comes from exploring the sights and sounds each world has to offer. I recommend taking your time with this one, especially since the collectibles turn into rewarding decorations that celebrate PlayStation history. I intend to go back and Platinum Astro’s Playroom and see how well PS5’s game help system can guide a guides writer. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20joy%20of%20this%20game%20comes%20from%20exploring%20the%20sights%20and%20sounds%20each%20world%20has%20to%20offer%20so%20I%20recommend%20taking%20your%20time%20with%20this%20one."] Mitchell Saltzman, Editorial Producer I took my time through Astro’s Playroom and finished up with it in around 4 hours on my first playthrough. While I didn’t collect all of the artifacts and puzzle pieces, my puzzle wall in the PlayStation Labo is looking pretty complete and full of fun toys to play around with. What I found most enjoyable about scouring the levels, however, was finding all of the fun Easter eggs and references strewn throughout each level that pay homage games that helped build the PlayStation’s enduring legacy. I don’t want to spoil any of the games here, but rest assured, if there’s a game you fondly remember playing that could only be found on PlayStation, if you look hard enough you’re almost guaranteed to find some sort of nod to it as you look through every nook and cranny of Astro’s Playroom. I’ll probably go back in and go for the 100%, and I’m even more encouraged to do so thanks to how easy the PS5’s built in tips system makes hunting down those last few collectibles. We awarded Astro's Playroom an 8/10 review, calling it "a great showcase for the varied, impressive ways the DualSense can immerse you in next-gen games." We've also reviewed the PS5 as a whole. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Astro’s Playroom will be a free pack-in for PS5 owners, a chance to test out all the new functionality of the DualSense controller - and have something to play while bigger games and install and download. But given its pack-in nature, and PlayStation not really having as much of a precedent (PS4’s The Playroom was arguably more of a showcase for the additional PS4 camera, and was basically a collection of virtual toys), many may be wondering if Astro’s Playroom is a full game, a minigame suite, or something else. To help answer these questions, here is the experience of some of IGN’s staff about their time with Astro’s Playroom. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/astros-playroom-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush, Reviewer and Senior News Editor First off, I’m happy to confirm Astro’s Playroom is a full game, particularly because of one notable inclusion - a Platinum trophy. But whether you’re a trophy hunter, Astro’s Playroom is structured very much like a full game, albeit a relatively short one. I’ve 100%’d Astro’s Playroom, collecting everything in its four worlds, including hidden artifacts and more, and the experience took me roughly about 6 - 7 hours. That’s largely due to some challenging-to-find collectibles, and some very obvious ones I got hung up on, and I probably beat all four worlds in 3 - 4 hours. There are some fun opportunities to increase your time with Astro’s, including a host of time trials to try to improve your time on, as well as a literal playroom that acts as an homage to PlayStation history based on what you’ve collected. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=astros-playroom-ps5-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Simon Cardy, Video Producer Having completed all 4 of its main worlds in around 3 hours, I had such a good time with Astro’s Playroom that I decided to make it my first PS5 Platinum trophy. So with that in mind I then spent around another 3 hours racing through the speedruns, picking up every collectible and completing the odd level-based challenge to hit that 100%. As far as Platinum trophies go, it’s a very obtainable one without really requiring a higher level of skill than the core of the game demands at all. The new activity cards go a long way to making this as smooth an experience as possible, easily providing checklists for you with the touch of a button. All in all, it took me just north of 6 hours to polish off everything in Astro’s Playroom, with maybe an extra half an hour tacked on due to the amount of time I spent hitting every object on show in the fantastic bubble of nostalgia that is the PlayStation Labo showroom (yes, it does have the same name as Nintendo's cardboard-controlled games and, no, I don't know why). [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20new%20activity%20cards%20go%20a%20long%20way%20to%20making%20trophy%20hunting%20as%20smooth%20an%20experience%20as%20possible."] Lucy O’Brien, Exec Ed of Features I’ve mostly completed Astro’s. I’m not close to the Platinum trophy, but I’ve played through all the worlds and collected around three quarters of its puzzle pieces. I’m still tinkering around in there - while you can technically ‘finish’ Astro’s, so much of the joy to be found comes from all the various secrets lovingly peppered throughout it. As others have said, playing through each world without 100% completion takes roughly 3-4 hours. I didn’t expect that longevity for a game that comes bundled with the machine, nor did I expect Astro’s to be such a clever showcase for the DualSense and a delightful love letter to the history of the PlayStation. [ignvideo url="[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/27/astros-playroom-16-minutes-of-playstation-5-gameplay-in-4k"]"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Janet Garcia, Associate Guides Editor I completed Astro’s Playroom at a leisurely pace, exploring every corner and soaking in every reference that I could find. Completing all 4 of its worlds took me 3-4 hours and by the end I had grabbed about 75% of the collectibles. Astro’s Playroom can definitely be finished a lot faster if you’re beelining for the end, but the joy of this game comes from exploring the sights and sounds each world has to offer. I recommend taking your time with this one, especially since the collectibles turn into rewarding decorations that celebrate PlayStation history. I intend to go back and Platinum Astro’s Playroom and see how well PS5’s game help system can guide a guides writer. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20joy%20of%20this%20game%20comes%20from%20exploring%20the%20sights%20and%20sounds%20each%20world%20has%20to%20offer%20so%20I%20recommend%20taking%20your%20time%20with%20this%20one."] Mitchell Saltzman, Editorial Producer I took my time through Astro’s Playroom and finished up with it in around 4 hours on my first playthrough. While I didn’t collect all of the artifacts and puzzle pieces, my puzzle wall in the PlayStation Labo is looking pretty complete and full of fun toys to play around with. What I found most enjoyable about scouring the levels, however, was finding all of the fun Easter eggs and references strewn throughout each level that pay homage games that helped build the PlayStation’s enduring legacy. I don’t want to spoil any of the games here, but rest assured, if there’s a game you fondly remember playing that could only be found on PlayStation, if you look hard enough you’re almost guaranteed to find some sort of nod to it as you look through every nook and cranny of Astro’s Playroom. I’ll probably go back in and go for the 100%, and I’m even more encouraged to do so thanks to how easy the PS5’s built in tips system makes hunting down those last few collectibles. We awarded Astro's Playroom an 8/10 review, calling it "a great showcase for the varied, impressive ways the DualSense can immerse you in next-gen games." We've also reviewed the PS5 as a whole. [poilib element="accentDivider"]