Sci-Tech
Best iPhone Deals 2024: Trade-In Offers, Discounts and More for iPhone 15, 14, 13 and SE
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When it comes to iPhones it’s hard to go wrong. They make some of the top models on the market, consistently earning spots on our list of the best phones overall, and a large part of that is due to a reputation for being reliable, fast and user-friendly. Apple iPhones also take great photos, which is an important feature for a lot of us. But all those great features come at a price, which is why any time there are offers or deals, we want you to know.
With the latest iPhone 15 series is widely available, you’ll find a variety of deals on a number of different models and configurations ranging from the budget-friendly iPhone SE to the newest powerful iPhone 15 Pro Max. We’ve gathered the best iPhone deals available across multiple generations to help you save some cash. Be sure to check back often, because we’ll keep this post updated with the latest offers.
![An iPhone 14 Pro against a blue background.](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/39e7c1e03c4c65b07cc93398a6a5e6b877c617af/hub/2022/09/14/95be651b-65cf-4d6f-b84b-d5dac1404bf6/apple-iphone-14-pro-8264.jpg?auto=webp&width=1200)
Best iPhone deals available now
Below you’ll find the best deals on the iPhone 15, iPhone 14, iPhone 13 and iPhone SE 2022, grouped by generation.
iPhone 15 deals
We first learned about the iPhone 15 at the Wonderlust event in the fall of 2023, with the new flagship from Apple hitting shelves on Sept. 22 of that year. It’s been several months now since its release, and you can find quite a few ways to get your hands on one for less right now.
Buying your iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro directly from Apple can score you a deal. Various financing options are available, including up to $630 off unlocked models with a qualifying trade-in. Or you can opt for a carrier deal via Apple and save as much as $1,000 when you trade in your old phone.
AT&T is offering up to $700 off the iPhone 15, and if you’re hoping for the iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, you can get up to $1,000 off. You’ll need a qualifying trade-in and an eligible unlimited plan to get the discount. If it’s the iPhone 15 Plus you’re after, you can currently score that for $11 per month with no trade-in required.
AT&T offers bill credit trade-in on phones valued as little as $35, with phones valued between $35 and $129 netting you $350 in savings, so it’s worth bringing in that older phone you never upgraded.
Right now at Verizon, if you purchase an iPhone 15 and add a new line with the Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plan, you will get a promotional credit of $830, which essentially nets you the phone for free. The promotional credit is applied to the account as bill credits over 36 months. You can also trade in a phone to get up to $830 in promo credits, which gets you the iPhone 15 for free. You’ll need the Unlimited Ultimate plan to get this price. In a similar deal, you can get up to $570 off the iPhone 15 Plus with a new line or up to $930 off with trade-in.
If you want the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, you can add a new line under the Unlimited Ultimate plan and get up to $1,000 off with a trade in. If you’re an existing customer, you can upgrade to the 15 Pro or Pro Max and save up to $830.
Plus, when you buy the iPhone 15 you can get up to $460 off the Apple iPad 9th Gen, which is paid in bill credits over 36 months. This gets you the iPad for free, but you’ll have to add a new line for the iPad to qualify.
T-Mobile is offering quite a few different ways to save on the iPhone 15 series at the moment. If you’ve got an old phone to trade in, you can save up to $1,000 if you’re on a Go5G Next plan or $830 if you’re on a Go5G Plus plan.
Or you can save up to $830 with both a trade-in and a new line of service. Those with Go5G, Magenta, or One rate plan can get up to $300 off with trade-in. And any customer already on any other existing T-Mobile plan can trade in for up to $200 off. You can also get a BOGO: buy one iPhone 15 series and get the second for $700 when you activate two new qualifying lines.
Walmart’s carrier offers are among the best deals right now. Snag a trade-in discount through Walmart, with as much as $1,100 off the Pro and Pro Max models and up to $900 off the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. You’ll have to buy on a qualifying installment plan through either AT&T or Verizon and trade in an eligible device to get the savings. Keep in mind that Walmart’s list prices of the iPhone 15 models are $50 higher than Apple’s.
MintMobile doesn’t have any straightforward discounts or trade-in offers on the iPhone 15 series, however, when you purchase the 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max you get six months of free service. You’ll have to sign up for a one-year plan to get the discount.
iPhone 14 deals
The iPhone 14 series is still a popular line of phones and comprises the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and top-spec iPhone 14 Pro Max. Being some of Apple’s latest models, these phones won’t sport the cheapest price tag, but with the iPhone 15 series readily available, the iPhone 14 is seeing some deals that should reduce the sticker shock.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are available to buy directly from Apple, with delivery and in-store pickup options. You can trade in your old device for up to $630 off your new one and use an Apple Card to get 3% back on your purchase.
T-Mobile has a few different offers on the iPhone 14, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. If you’ve got an old phone to trade in, you can save up to $1,000 if you’re on the Go5G Next plan, $830 if you’re on the Go5G Plus plan or up to $300 with most other service plans. And if you need a new line, you can save up to $730 with an eligible plan and trade-in. Right now you can also buy one iPhone 14 series device and get a second for $700 when you activate two new qualifying lines.
You can get an iPhone 14 for $6 per month on a qualifying unlimited plan, which will get you up to $514 in bill credits. Or you can get the iPhone 14 Pro for $15 per month or the Pro Max for $20 per month with up to $360 back in bill credits for either device (on an eligible unlimited plan). However the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max were currently out of stock.
There is currently no deal for the iPhone 14 Plus however you may qualify for trade-in credit.
Add a new line on a 5G unlimited plan and you’ll get the iPhone 14 for free. The discount comes in bill credits over 36 months and there’s no trade-in required. You can get up to $830 off the iPhone 14 Plus, which nets you the 128GB variant for free. Like the regular 14, you’ll need to add a new line on a qualifying unlimited plant.
New Verizon customers can also score a couple of big bonuses with their purchase. Between now and March 31, if you buy an iPhone 14 or 14 Plus on an Unlimited Ultimate or Unlimited Plus plan you can get a free Amazon Fire TV 65-inch Omni Series 4K. There’s also an offer of up to $460 off the new 9th gen iPad.
Note that Verizon is not carrying the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max.
iPhone 13 deals
The iPhone 13 may not be Apple’s flagship series anymore, but these are still solid phones worth considering. And with the new iPhone 15 out now, there are some great iPhone 13 deals to be found.
You can trade in your current iPhone and get as much as $630 off the iPhone 13. Though if you’re handing over a base iPhone 12, the value is likely to be closer to $300. You can check what an older model will get you on the site. You can also choose to finance your phone and Apple will apply the value as credit, or you can pay the full amount for the phone and Apple will credit your payment method after receiving the old phone. Also, you’ll get 3% back if you pay with an Apple card.
T-Mobile customers adding a new line of service on a qualifying service plan can snag an iPhone 13 for free with either an eligible trade-in or when porting their existing number over from another carrier. Folks only adding a new line can still save 50%, which saves them $315 via bill credits over a 24-month period. If you’re shopping for two lines, you can buy one, get one for up to $700 off.
When you buy the Apple iPhone 13 device and add a new line on the Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plans you will get $630 in promotional credit, which gets you the iPhone 13 128GB for free.
You can also get up to $460 off the iPad 9th Gen with the purchase of the iPhone 13.
iPhone SE (2022) deals
The budget option in Apple’s lineup, the iPhone SE was updated in 2022 but was still targeted squarely at people who wanted a no-frills iPhone experience. From $429, it’s an affordable device for anyone who wants to stick with a familiar experience.
If you want an unlocked model of the 2022 iPhone SE, you can pick it up for as much as $120 off the list price with an eligible trade-in at Best Buy.
If you prefer to buy your iPhone right from the source, you can do that with the iPhone SE. Apple has all the carrier models, along with the unlocked one. And if you’re already an iPhone owner looking to switch to the SE, Apple is offering up to $630 when you trade in an iPhone 7 or newer. With a base price of $429, that means you could theoretically get the SE totally free, though you’re probably going to be trading a phone that gets you $40 to $100 off. If your trade-in doesn’t cover the full cost, you can pay the remaining cost in full, or split it into 24 months of interest-free payments when you use an Apple Card during checkout.
When you buy an iPhone SE on a new line with any 5G unlimited plan, you can save $430, which gets you the 64GB model for free. Just note that the discount will be applied in the form of monthly credits over a 36-month period, even if you buy the phone outright.
Verizon is also up to $460 off the Apple iPad 9th Gen, paid in bill credits, netting you the iPad for free. You will need to add a new line to qualify for this deal, though.
T-Mobile is offering up to $1,000 off for people on the Go5G Next plan and up to $830 for folks on the Go5G Plus plan, which means you could get the SE for free if you have the right phone to exchange. But because you’re likely trading in an older model, you may not net that much. Those on another qualifying plan can save up to $300 with a trade-in. Another option is a 50% discount when you add a new line.
Right now Mint Mobile isn’t offering a straightforward discount on the iPhone SE itself, but you can get six months of free wireless when you purchase the phone and add a 12-month data plan with a new line.
Which iPhone deal is the best?
While it appears a simple question at first, the best iPhone deal for you might be different from the best iPhone deal for someone else. Apple currently sells eight different iPhone models, so choosing the right one for you means assessing your needs and preferences when it comes to things like design, features, cameras and price.
If you want Apple’s latest and greatest, you’ll want to take advantage of the offers available on the new iPhone 15 series. But for the time being, the iPhone 14 is going to be the best previous-gen iPhone for most people as it balances top-tier features with a relatively affordable price (especially with the above deals). It has a bright and clear OLED display, 5G support and cameras that are more than good enough for day-to-day use, and the A15 Bionic chip powering it is a portable powerhouse.
Take the step up to the iPhone 14 Pro line and you’ll get an additional camera lens for macro photography, a more powerful A16 Bionic chip, a brighter display with the new Dynamic Island feature plus a heftier feeling stainless steel construction.
![iPhone 13 Pro Max compared to other iPhone models](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/98642ff5c57e9ce75aae03ea1738178c93a342c5/hub/2021/09/21/77b061f8-8a5d-43b3-af3e-343740e14ac2/iphone-13-pro-max-cnet-review-2021-126.jpg?auto=webp&width=1200)
The older iPhone 13 models are still solid phones, though, and you can pick up the iPhone 13 from Apple for a while longer. Just because these are previous-gen devices, that doesn’t mean they might not be the best iPhone for you with their great displays, cameras and speedy performance making them great value for money. Plus, Apple is great at supporting its older devices with software updates for many years after they are released.
If you want the most affordable iPhone, you’re going to be looking at the iPhone SE (at least when it comes to brand-new phones, that is). Updated in 2022, the third-generation iPhone SE maintains the overall design of the iPhone 8 which will be familiar to a lot of iPhone buyers. Don’t be fooled by its classic appearance, though, as inside it is powered by the beefy A15 Bionic chip found in the current flagship iPhone models. It also offers 5G connectivity and a 12-megapixel camera. For $429, it’s a lot of iPhone for not a lot of money.
What is the cheapest iPhone deal?
To buy outright in new condition, the iPhone SE is going to offer the cheapest iPhone deal. It starts at $429 contract-free and you can find carriers offering iPhone SE deals from as little as $0 per month making it a free or super affordable choice.
When is the best time to snag an iPhone deal?
There are a few points in the year that make the most sense to buy an iPhone. The first is when a new model launches, usually in September each year. If you’re an early adopter and want the best device as soon as possible, that’s when you’ll get it. It’s also a great time of year to buy if you’re looking for an iPhone deal as prices on older models drop to make room for the new devices.
Other times of year that make the most sense are during major sale seasons, including annual events like Labor Day sales, Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Apple tends not to participate in these events, at least not directly, but you can bet third-party retailers and carriers will be offering some of their best iPhone deals of the year at these times.
Sci-Tech
Thieves snatched his phone in London
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![Akara Etteh Akara Etteh](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/5439/live/60980cd0-6abf-11ef-8c32-f3c2bc7494c6.jpg.webp)
Early on a Saturday morning in April, Akara Etteh was checking his phone as he came out of Holborn tube station, in central London.
A moment later, it was in the hand of a thief on the back of an electric bike – Akara gave chase, but they got away.
He is just one victim of an estimated 78,000 “snatch thefts” in England and Wales in the year to March, a big increase on the previous 12 months.
The prosecution rate for this offence is very low – the police say they are targeting the criminals responsible but cannot “arrest their way out of the problem”. They also say manufacturers and tech firms have a bigger role to play.
Victims of the crime have been telling the BBC of the impact it has had on them – ranging from losing irreplaceable photos to having tens of thousands of pounds stolen.
And for Akara, like many other people who have their phone taken, there was another frustration: he was able to track where his device went, but was powerless to get it back.
Phone pings around London
He put his iPhone 13 into lost mode when he got home an hour or so later – meaning the thieves couldn’t access its contents – and turned on the Find My iPhone feature using his laptop.
This allowed Akara to track his phone’s rough location and almost immediately he received a notification to say it was in Islington. Eight days later, the phone was pinging in different locations around north London again.
In a move says he “wouldn’t recommend” with hindsight, he went to two of the locations his phone had been in to “look around”.
“It was pretty risky,” he said. “I was fuelled by adrenaline and anger.”
![A map showing the phone's locations popping up across London, before appearing in China.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/4db3/live/76fc0b20-6ba5-11ef-8c32-f3c2bc7494c6.png.webp)
He didn’t speak to anyone, but he felt he was being watched and went home.
“I am really angry,” he said. “The phone is expensive. We work hard to earn that money, to be able to buy the handset, and someone else says ‘screw that’.”
Then, in May, just over a month after the theft, Akara checked Find My iPhone again – his prized possession was now on the other side of the world – in Shenzhen, China.
Akara gave up.
It is not uncommon for stolen phones to end up in Shenzhen – where if devices can’t be unlocked and used again, they are disassembled for parts.
The city is home to 17.6 million people and is a big tech hub, sometimes referred to as China’s Silicon Valley.
Police could not help
In the moments after Akara’s phone was stolen, he saw police officers on the street and he told them what had happened. Officers, he said, were aware of thieves doing a “loop of the area” to steal phones, and he was encouraged to report the offence online, which he did.
A few days later, he was told by the Metropolitan Police via email the case was closed as “it is unlikely that we will be able to identify those responsible”.
Akara subsequently submitted the pictures and information he had gathered from the locations where his stolen phone had been. The police acknowledged receipt but took no further action.
The Metropolitan Police had no comment to make on Akara’s specific case, but said it was “targeting resources to hotspot areas, such as Westminster, Lambeth and Newham, with increased patrols and plain clothes officers which deter criminals and make officers more visibly available to members of the community”.
Lost photos of mum
Many other people have contacted the BBC with their experiences of having their phones taken. One, James O’Sullivan, 44, from Surrey, says he lost more than £25,000 when thieves used his stolen device’s Apple Pay service.
Meanwhile, Katie Ashworth, from Newcastle, explained her phone was snatched in a park along with her watch, and a debit card in the phone case.
“The saddest thing was that the phone contained the last photos I had of my mum on a walk before she got too unwell to really do anything – I would do anything to get those photos back,” the 36-year-old says.
Again, she says, there was a lack of action from the police.
“The police never even followed it up with me, despite my bank transactions showing exactly where the thieves went,” she said.
“The police just told me to check Facebook Marketplace and local second-hand shops like Cex.”
‘Battle against the clock’ for police
So why are the police seemingly unable to combat this offence – or recover stolen devices?
PC Mat Evans, who has led a team working on this kind of crime for over a decade within West Midlands Police, admitted that only “quite a low number” of phones that are stolen actually get recovered.
He says the problem is the speed with which criminals move.
“Phones will be offloaded to known fences within a couple of hours,” he said.
“It’s always a battle against the clock immediately following any of these crimes, but people should always report these things to the police, because if we don’t know that these crimes are taking place, we can’t investigate them.”
And sometimes just one arrest can make a difference.
“When we do catch these criminals, either in the act or after the fact, our crime rates tank,” he said.
“Quite often that individual has been responsible for a huge swathe of crime.”
But the problem is not just about policing.
In a statement, Commander Richard Smith from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which brings together senior officers to help develop policing strategy, said it would “continue to target” the most prolific criminals.
“We know that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem,” he said.
“Manufacturers and the tech industry have an important role in reducing opportunities for criminals to benefit from the resale of stolen handsets.”
Tracking and disabling
![PC Mat Evans PC Mat Evans](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/2e51/live/021200a0-6c5c-11ef-bb13-858254fd6d28.png.webp)
Stolen phones can already be tracked and have their data erased through services such as “Find My iPhone” and “Find My Device”, from Android.
But policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said this week the government wanted manufacturers to ensure that any stolen phone could be permanently disabled to prevent it being sold second-hand.
Police chiefs will also be tasked with gathering more intelligence on who is stealing phones and where stolen devices end up.
A growing demand for second-hand phones, both in the UK and abroad, is believed to be a major driver behind the recent rise in thefts, the government said.
The Home Office is to host a summit at which tech companies and phone manufacturers will be asked to consider innovations that could help stop phones being traded illegally.
PC Evans said there was “no magic bullet”, but he said there was one thing manufacturers could do which would be “enormously helpful” to the police – more accurate tracking.
“At this moment in time, phone tracking is okay,” he said.
“But it’s not that scene in Total Recall yet, where you’re able to run around with a tracking device in your hand, sprinting down the road after a little bleeping dot.
“I appreciate it’s a big ask from the phone companies to make that a thing, but that would be enormously helpful from a policing perspective.”
Apple and Android did not provide the BBC with a statement, but Samsung said it was “working closely with key stakeholders and authorities on the issue of mobile phone theft and related crimes”.
Additional reporting by Tom Singleton
Sci-Tech
Google abusing ad tech dominance, UK competition watchdog finds
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Google uses anti-competitive practices to dominate the market for online advertising technology, a UK watchdog has provisionally found.
The potentially unlawful behaviour could be harming thousands of UK publishers and advertisers, an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned.
It accuses Google of preventing rivals from “competing on a level playing field” with its own tech for the billions of pounds spent by UK businesses on online advertising.
Google said the watchdog’s findings were “flawed” and said it would respond.
According to the CMA, the vast majority of businesses use Google’s services when placing digital ads on websites.
Google maintains it has a strong business incentive to help UK firms thrive, and argues that advertisers choose to use Google because its products work well and help their businesses grow.
The watchdog will now consider representations from Google before deciding what action to take.
If Google is found to have broken competition law, the watchdog could impose a financial penalty of up to 10% of annual worldwide group turnover and issue legally binding directions to the firm.
“We’ve provisionally found that Google is using its market power to hinder competition when it comes to the ads people see on websites,” Juliette Enser, the CMA’s interim executive director of enforcement, said in a statement.
She pointed out that many businesses were able to keep their digital content free by using revenue from digital adverts, which reach millions of people across the UK.
“That’s why it’s so important that publishers and advertisers – who enable this free content – can benefit from effective competition and get a fair deal when buying or selling digital advertising space,” she wrote.
But Google’s vice president of global ads, Dan Taylor argued the search giant’s advertising technology helped websites and apps fund their content, and effectively reach new customers.
“The core of this case rests on flawed interpretations of the ad tech sector. We disagree with the CMA’s view and we will respond accordingly,” he wrote.
Google’s activities in ad tech are also subject to continuing probes by the US Department of Justice and the European Commission.
Competition economist Dr Cristina Caffarra, told the BBC that while the CMA’s statement of objections certainly presented “another headache” for Google, the regulator was merely “joining the club” of those who have already taken action.
“The UK is by no means some sort of pathfinder here,” she said.
The Department of Justice, state of Texas – which along with nine other states sued Google over alleged abuse of its ad tech dominance in 2020 – and the EU are all far ahead, Dr Caffarra added.
In 2023, EU competition regulators told Google it might need to sell part of its ad-tech business to address their concerns.
But the tech-giant has argued this would be a “disproportionate” step.
Separately, Google is seeking to appeal a UK court decision in June to allow a £13.6bn collective-action lawsuit against it to proceed.
The case alleges the search giant behaved in an anti-competitive way which caused online publishers in the UK to lose money.
Google has vowed to oppose the claim “vigorously and on the facts”.
Additional reporting by Liv McMahon
Sci-Tech
Could PS5’s old-school adventure be a lesson for Sony?
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![Sony A screenshot of Astro Bot - a white, cute robot with light blue eyes - dressed to resemble Kratos, the protagonist from God of War. Astro has a beard, and wears a leather outfit with lots of buckles and a fur collar. Astro stands next to a chopping block, holding a large axe and is surrounded by logs.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/ef71/live/5914c600-6c28-11ef-b43e-6916dcba5cbf.png.webp)
It’s just a few hours before reviews of one of the year’s biggest PlayStation 5 releases arrive, and its director is talking about food.
Buffets, to be precise.
You might get a lot for your money, but how do you feel afterwards?
“Bloated, you’ve eaten too much and you just want to go and sleep,” says Nicolas Doucet, head of Sony-owned studio Team Asobi.
Gamers are fond of food metaphors. Developers don’t just make games, they “cook”. If you’re spoilt for choice with high quality new releases, you’re “eatin’ good”.
But Nicolas is referring to the sense that blockbuster publishers have tended to have an all-you-can-eat approach when it comes to making games.
For a while now, the industry’s biggest players have been focused on producing open-world titles offering dozens of hours of gameplay, or on attempts to muscle into the lucrative online market.
Both genres have produced some huge hits, but Nicolas wonders if there is an appetite for something more like “that two-course meal that is going to be just the right amount”.
Astro Bot could be just the recipe Sony has been looking for.
Earlier this week the Japanese company announced it was pulling Concord – one of its other recent big games – from sale after a tepid response from critics and players.
The online shooter is the latest high-profile bid to corner the so-called “live service” market dominated by the likes of Fortnite and Apex Legends that’s failed to attract a large audience.
But in a quiet year for first-party PlayStation releases, Astro Bot has received some of the highest review scores of 2024 and some critics say it’s one of Sony’s best in ages.
At its heart it’s an old-school 3D platformer that’s crammed full of references to PlayStation’s 30-year history.
The game’s main objective is to rescue 300 Astro Bots hidden around various themed levels, with about half of those decked out in cosplay to resemble characters from the console’s past.
But as much as it’s a nostalgic reminder of Sony’s great successes, could it also be a lesson for the company’s future?
![Team Asobi Five white, robotic cats with black screens for faces train their bright blue LED eyes on a board decorated to look like a piece of cheese with a mouse in the middle. A smaller robot peeks through a hole in the middle of the board, his blue eyes looking nervously to the side.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/feb4/live/e15803d0-6c2b-11ef-b970-9f202720b57a.png.webp)
If you’re one of the world’s 60 million PlayStation 5 owners, you’re almost certainly familiar with Astro Bot.
The cute mascot character appeared in 2020’s Astro’s Playroom, a short, three-hour adventure pre-installed on every machine.
It was designed to act as a tech demo for the hardware and its advanced controller, but people loved it.
“And it did highlight perhaps the fact that people are craving for these kind of games,” says Nicolas.
Releasing a 3D platformer in 2024 is, on paper, a daunting prospect. Nicolas admits the genre – a staple of the PlayStation 2 era – isn’t very common these days.
And, he says: “The ones that do exist are very, very high quality from people who’ve been making them for years and years.”
It’s also a genre Sony has moved away from recently, and its biggest releases have been more adult, cinematic titles such as God of War and The Last of Us.
Nicolas thinks this is a sign of audiences, and the developers making games for them, maturing.
But he admits that left a gap which Team Asobi – a relatively young studio – was eager to fill.
“I think there needs to be more games that are there just to relax, have a little bit of fun, that are not dramatic, that are not necessarily heavily story driven, where you can just mess around with a game and it’s fun,” says Nicolas.
“But, of course, it needs to be executed well.”
Astro Bot’s been widely praised for its polish, attention to detail and the way it plays, drawing comparisons with Mario – for many, the undisputed king of 3D platformers.
Nicolas considers descriptions of Astro Bot as “old school” a compliment and that going “back to basics” helped with the game’s development.
As concerns grow over spiralling budgets, Astro Bot was made in three-and-a-half years by a team of about 65 people – a relatively short time and small staff by modern standards.
Nicolas says the game’s bite-sized nature – it’s divided across 50 short, playable stages – helped to simplify development and made it easier to “swap things around”.
“Whereas when you’re tied to something that is one storyline, one timeline that is set, it’s very difficult,” he says.
“You have less flexibility.”
![Team Asobi A screenshot shows Astro Bot clinging to a flying PS5 controller as it swoops close to the surface of the sea, throwing spray up into the air. Rocky obstacles line the route to his destination - a distant island with a wrecked ship on its shore.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0c13/live/b383cef0-6c2e-11ef-b970-9f202720b57a.png.webp)
Sony will now be hoping that Astro Bot’s glowing reception translates into big sales, but comparisons with Concord’s swift fall have already begun.
It’s also shone a light on characters Sony could revive, and prompted some people to question whether the company will shift its recent focus on the live-service market.
Under previous PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, the company announced plans to launch 12 online-focused games. It’s since scaled that back to six.
As for single-player titles, some of Sony’s biggest in-house studios haven’t yet revealed PS5 projects.
Hermen Hulst, one of two new CEOs in charge of Sony’s gaming division, told the BBC in a statement it was “very important we offer a wide variety of titles to our community” and that “Astro Bot fills an important part of our portfolio”.
He praised Team Asobi for creating “something special that is light-hearted and delightful” with “incredibly fun gameplay”.
Astro Bot is also “a great opportunity for families to game together”, he said.
Nicolas opts not to comment on the Concord situation or bigger, strategic moves, but he does agree with his boss that Astro Bot has given PS5 a game that can “bridge generations”.
Many reviewers have remarked on how cameos from the past have reminded them of growing up with Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter or the cast of Ape Escape – characters that set them on the path to becoming gamers.
Nicolas says he often gets messages from parents who’ve played Astro’s Playroom with their children talking about their experiences, and he hopes that the new game will create more shared moments.
“I’m really happy that, besides the game itself, there’s a greater good, if you like, that we’re able to tell stories like that,” he says.
“And I really hope that we can brighten some people’s homes thanks to that experience.”
Additional reporting by Tom Gerken.
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