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.