Astro's Playroom Gacha machine has a hidden DualSense mechanic

Astro's Playroom
(Image credit: Sony)

Astro's Playroom has a hidden DualSense mechanic. A player recently discovered the secret tool, and posted their findings to Reddit.

PS5's adorable launch title, Astro's Playroom, is a game which takes full advantage of the new DualSense controller. The DualSense uses haptic feedback technology, adaptive triggers, as well as motion controls throughout the platforming experience, and the bundled-in title is an excellent showcase of what the next-gen controller can do.

In Astro's Playroom, one of the main goals is to complete a series of levels and collect coins along the way. The coins you collect are a currency you can later use for a Gacha machine in the home base, where you can test your luck in buying a capsule for 100 coins which, in return, has a chance to include a collectible item. It's a fun activity that rewards you for all the time you put in collecting your coins, but something the game doesn't tell you is that the Gacha machine has a secret motion control mechanic.

A player discovered the mechanic and posted a video demonstration of it to the PS5 subreddit. The video shows that if you have an item in the Gacha machine hand's, you're able to flick your DualSense controller to throw and catch items. It's a surprising nice touch that few people seem to know about. So next time you're testing your luck on the Gacha machine, maybe give it a go.

Astros Playroom, flick your controller to throw and catch items from the Gacha machine! Not sure if people know about this but it’s cool! from r/PS5

The Gacha machine also has some pretty impressive adaptive trigger technology; by pressing L2 you can pull the lever and a random capsule will drop out, it can be a common, silver, gold or even a useless drink can, and with R2 you can smash it open to reveal your prize. 

Here's where to find all jigsaw pieces in Astro's Playroom.

Freelance Writer

Demi is a freelance video games journalist with a particular love for Final Fantasy. She's written for GamesRadar, NME, TheGamer, and Gamespot in recent years.

Latest in Platformer
Super Mario 64
Blindfolded Super Mario 64 speedrunner declares "70 Star is DEAD" after he "absolutely obliterated" his old record
Spyro the Dragon
With a run "12 years in the making," Spyro the Dragon speedrunner reaches a legendary world record milestone: "They said it couldn't be done!"
Mario odyssey screenshot showing mario standing with sentient forks
8 years later, Super Mario Odyssey players are still getting awed by the discovery that you can destroy metal crates by turning into a bird and pecking them 200 times
Ori director says Microsoft thought the beloved Metroidvania was too hard, but he's "on the Miyazaki side" and believes "you have to overcome challenge"
Sonic and the Flash racing over water
We'll finally learn if Sonic is faster than the Flash as Sega's famous hedgehog and pals team up with the Justice League in a new mash-up comic
Limbo
"You can't rewrite the past just because of a bad breakup": Legendary indie devs' feud is going public
Latest in News
New History of the DC Universe #1
Almost 90 years of DC history will be refined into an official timeline in New History of the DC Universe: "It's a chance to realign all of DC's sprawling continuity into one master timeline"
Super Mario 64
Blindfolded Super Mario 64 speedrunner declares "70 Star is DEAD" after he "absolutely obliterated" his old record
Dungeon Fighter Online
One of the oldest action MMOs around gets its first level cap update in years: "The main focus of this update is to emphasize the core RPG experience - the fun of farming"
Ghost Rider facing down Galactus
Ghost Rider takes on Galactus in the Marvel Universe's most one-sided fist fight this summer
Balatro Joker card
Balatro's first big update is still on track for 2025, but it'll be "done when it's done, because it's got to be good before it's fast"
Among Us
"Don’t tell Valve I told you this": Industry expert warns devs that Steam "is an engine that turns magic into money," and you can't break into "Real Steam" until you have the magic