Sony Japan Studio interview: How Astro Bot’s VR changes 3D platforming

When virtual reality is at its absolute best, it’s magical — a chance to put on glasses that instantly transport you to another world. That’s why so many VR games use a first-person perspective to let you look through your character’s eyes. But some developers are instead using VR to make third-person games more compelling.

That’s what Sony’s Japan Studio is doing with Astro Bot: Rescue Mission for PlayStation VR, which brings all of Sony’s VR experience to bear on a Super Mario Odyssey-style 3D platforming experience. Displayed on a TV screen, Astro Bot looks like a more charming version of Pixar’s WALL-E, but through the PSVR headset, it’s like being inside a living diorama, complete with the ability to tilt your head and view the action in stereoscopic 3D.