PS5 Exclusive Has the Best Christmas Level in Gaming History

Over the past couple of years, the PlayStation 5 has begun to hit its stride with its exclusive first-party games. This year was a strong point for the current gen console, as the PlayStation 5 boasted Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei. Last year, the best PS5 exclusive was undoubtedly Astro Bot, which just so happens to feature one of the best Christmas levels in gaming history.

There were plenty of great games last year, but Astro Bot felt like a call back to classic platforming while featuring slick, modern controls and mechanics. The adorable Astro has quickly become the mascot for the PS5 era, and the game’s fun-loving spirit and thrilling levels helped it win the title of Game of the Year at the 2024 Game Awards. After the platformer launched exclusively for the PS5, it received a series of free post-launch updates, and its Christmas-inspired level, Winter Wonder, remains one of the game’s best additions.

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Astro Bot’s Winter Wonder Level Brings a Fun-Filled Touch of Christmas to the PS5 Platformer

Astro Bot was released on September 6, 2024.
Winter Wonder was added to the game on December 12, 2024.

Astro Bot‘s Winter Wonder level is packed to the brim with wonderful Christmas vibes, and the fact that it was a completely free update makes it an even greater addition to the game. Developer Team Asobi has continued to bring free updates to Astro Bot, expanding not only the game’s levels, but the variety of Bots, too. Astro Bot updates have kept each piece of fresh content unique, and Winter Wonder is a highlight. Between Christmas trees, a Santa-fied Astro, snow-covered platforms, reindeer-antler-wearing enemies, and delightful music, Winter Wonder is packed with classic Christmas cheer. Even though the level was added in a free update, players still have to beat the whole game before unlocking it, but once that’s done, Astro Bot quickly turns into a massive Christmas celebration.

Winter Wonder Isn’t the Only Free Update to Come to Astro Bot

October – November 2024: Five speedrun levels were added through a series of weekly updates, plus several new Bots.
July 2025: The Vicious Void Galaxy DLC added five more brand-new levels and Bot cameos.

Astro Bot‘s speedrun levels were one of the first free updates to the game, and with it came fun Bot cameos from franchises like Helldivers, Stellar Blade, Guilty Gears, Resident Evil, Heavenly Sword, and Destiny. Earlier this year, Team Asobi brought forth Astro Bot‘s biggest update yet with Vicious Void Galaxy. The five different sections of the galaxy added a substantial amount of free content, including cameos from Bot versions of Final Fantasy‘s Cloud and Sephiroth and Assassin’s Creed‘s Ezio Auditore.

Last year, Astro Bot joined the ranks of PlayStation royalty, being the highest-rated PS5 first-party exclusive. What makes Astro Bot a special game is that it offers fun for everyone, regardless of age. Whether it’s the platformer’s satisfyingly smooth gameplay or the various exciting cameo Bots, the game embraces the fun-loving mechanics and features that helped define the early days of PlayStation exclusives. Now that Astro Bot has featured several free post-launch updates, it will be exciting to see if Team Asobi plans to add more in the near future.

As the wait for more content continues to grow and the Christmas season goes into full swing, gamers wishing to get into the spirit of the holiday have the perfect way to celebrate with Astro Bot. With its fantastic level design, incredibly fun gameplay, and wholesome homage to the holiday, Astro Bot‘s Winter Wonder is a standout Christmas level that is hard to top.