“PS5 ‘’Really Brought Something Special,” Says Astro Bot Director on DualSense & SSD Power

The Hidden Upgrades That Matter

In a recent interview, as reported by Eurogamer and other outlets, Nicolas Doucet — studio director at Team Asobi and creative lead on Astro Bot — praised the PlayStation 5 for bringing “something special” to the table. He explained that while many players expect big leaps in graphics or resolution, the real change lies in controller innovation and storage speed. 

“Between the DualSense and the SSD, the PS5 really brought something special.” 

“If you looked at a late-life PS4 game side by side with an early PS5 game, for an untrained player the difference might not be obvious.” 

DualSense: More Than Just Haptics

Doucet elaborated on how Team Asobi gained early access to DualSense prototypes and experimented heavily with features like the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. The studio explored sensations such as pulling, breaking, or squashing objects via the triggers — translating gameplay mechanics into tactile experiences. 

He remarked that these features required the player to feel the difference rather than just see it:

“You need to hold the controller yourself to understand what changed.”

SSD: Improving Gameplay, Not Just Load Times

Beyond visuals and controls, Doucet singled out the PS5’s SSD as a gameplay advantage:

“In games where you die a lot — like the Souls games — in the past, you’d wait a long time before you could try again. With the SSD, it becomes really, really fast.” 

He argued that the quicker restarts maintain immersion and fun, thus elevating the overall player experience.

Still Focused on PS5 Exclusivity

When asked about platform strategy, Doucet confirmed that Team Asobi remains committed to making PS5-first titles:

“We’re primarily targeting PS5 to fully utilize DualSense and SSD. We always have the option to do cross-platform as needed, but the core remains PlayStation.” 

He added that console development is preferred due to fixed hardware — simplifying development and ensuring predictability:

“What you see in our office is what players will experience at home. That’s why I love console development.”

Why This Matters

• The PS5’s hardware evolution isn’t just about graphics upgrades; Doucet shows us how feel and speed elevate the experience.
• With Astro Bot, Team Asobi demonstrates how first-party studios can fully leverage platform-specific features (DualSense, SSD) to offer something distinct.

• • For gamers wondering “is PS5 really worth it?” insights like these suggest so — especially if you value gameplay fluidity, fast re-loads, and immersive controls over just visual fidelity.