Summary
TheAstro BotDualSense controller has already sold out across many U.S. retailers. The limited-editionPlayStation 5gamepad went up for pre-order on August 9.
Astro Botwas originally announcedin late May 2024 as part of Sony’s latest State of Play event. Two months later, the gaming giant unveiled a special DualSense model inspired by the upcoming PS5 exclusive.
Astro Bot DualSense Controller Is Already Sold Out in Most Places
TheAstro Bot-themed DualSense controllerwent up for pre-order at 7am PT / 10am ET on August 9. The gadget is already proving to be quite a hit among consumers, having sold out across multiple nationwide retailers within hours of becoming available for pre-purchase. E.g., GameStop, Target, and Walmart are all listing the gamepad as out of stock as of this writing, circa 5pm ET. Meanwhile, Amazon and Best Buy haven’t even started accepting pre-orders for the controller and ostensibly won’t stock the device until its release.
As of the late afternoon hours ET on August 9, the PlayStation Direct storefront is the only retailer that is still accepting pre-orders for the controller in the U.S. Based on Sony’s track record with handling such limited-edition gadgets, third-party distributors that have already sold out their pre-release stock are unlikely to accept any more advanced orders for the device. However, all should have more inventory available by September 6, when both the controller andAstro Botare set to be released. Target has already confirmed as much, with its product listing outright instructing customers to check back on release day.
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$79.99
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Walmart
Sony’s latest gadget with a comparable pre-release demand was the PlayStation Portal, which was also extremely difficult to order in the run-up to its November 2023 debut. The PS5 accessory proved to be so popular that even thePS Direct store limited PlayStation Portal pre-ordersto one per customer. The same limitation currently applies to theAstro BotDualSense controller. Over the pond, some European retailers like Game and MediaMarkt are still accepting advanced orders for the device but have also restricted them to one per customer.
Like most of Sony’s first-party PS5 games,Astro Botpromises to make the most of the DualSense controller’s features. Among other things, players will be able to discover buried secrets by feeling surface irregularities using haptic feedback and perform actions like squeezing water out of a sponge with the gamepad’s adaptive triggers. The upcoming platformer will also make use of the DualSense touchpad, although to a lesser extent than its predecessor,Astro’s Playroom, did.
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