Dreams
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| Dreams | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Developer | Media Molecule |
| Publisher | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Platform | PlayStation VR |
| Device | PlayStation VR |
| Operating System | PlayStation 4 |
| Type | Game |
| Genre | Sandbox, Adventure |
| Input Device | PlayStation Move, DualShock 4 |
| Game Mode | Single-player, Multiplayer |
| Release Date | February 14, 2020 (PS4); July 22, 2020 (PlayStation VR update) |
| Price | US$19.99 (PlayStation Store, October 2026) |
| App Store | PlayStation Store |
| Website | https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/dreams/ |
Dreams is a game creation and sharing game developed by Media Molecule and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Players use its tools to make games, art, animation, music and films, and play what other players have made.[1][2] It entered early access on 16 April 2019 and was fully released on 14 February 2020.[3][4]
Support for the PlayStation VR headset was not part of the early access release. It arrived in a free update on 22 July 2020, which added VR play, VR sculpting and creation tools, comfort settings and new content from Media Molecule.[3][5] Media Molecule ended live support for the game after 1 September 2023. Dreams and its community creations remain available to play, and players can still create and share.[6][7]
Gameplay
Dreams has two main parts. DreamSurfing is a browsable collection of creations made by players around the world, and DreamShaping is the creation workshop, where players build characters and environments and compose music.[2] The creation tools cover sculpting, painting, animation, music composition and game logic.[2] Players interact with menus and objects through the imp, a cursor that is moved by tilting the controller instead of with a thumbstick.[2] At early access the game required motion control for the cursor, using either the DualShock 4's built-in sensors or PlayStation Move controllers; in April 2019 Media Molecule said it was looking into controls that do not depend on motion, for accessibility reasons.[8]
The full release added Art's Dream, a feature-length game that Media Molecule made inside Dreams to show what the tools can do.[4][2] The PlayStation game page lists Dreams as supporting one to four players.[9] Media Molecule's April 2023 support update stated that multiplayer support was not among the game's planned releases.[6]
Virtual reality
With the July 2020 update, Dreams creations can be played in VR on PlayStation VR, and players can also create in VR.[5] Media Molecule described sculpting in VR with PlayStation Move controllers as a one-to-one experience, while noting that a headset is not needed to make content for VR.[5][10] The update included:[5][11]
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| All Aboard VR | Introduction to the VR controls and to moving around the Dreamiverse[5] |
| How-To tutorials | New DreamShaping tutorials on VR controls and the new gadgets[5] |
| Comfort settings | Comfort mode, vignette strength and a static sky option[5][11] |
| Box Blaster | A shooting game made by Media Molecule[5][11] |
| Inside the Box Gallery | A gallery of sculptures and artwork by members of the Media Molecule team[5][11] |
Creators can mark whether a creation is playable in VR and give it a comfort rating, so players can find content suited to the headset.[5] Road to VR reported that the labeling system lets content be marked as VR-only or VR-compatible, and that new gadgets let creators attach objects to the player's view (for example for a custom HUD) or bind sculpted items to the position of a PlayStation Move controller or DualShock 4.[12] The PlayStation Store states that PlayStation VR and the PlayStation Camera are required for the VR features.[9]
Development
Media Molecule, the studio behind LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway, announced Dreams during Sony's press conference at E3 on 15 June 2015.[1][13][14] In the announcement post, David Smith of Media Molecule described Dreams as "the space you go to where you go to play and experience the dreams of Media Molecule and our community", and also as a space in which players could create their own games, art, films or music.[1] Early access also gave access to the creations the community had made during the earlier Dreams Creator Beta.[3]
Early access content included the full set of creation tools, interactive tutorials, arcade games, templates and content made by Media Molecule. The story mode and VR support were left out; the studio wrote that "Dreams VR is not included in the initial Early Access offering. It's still planned for Dreams and we're super excited for it."[3] In February 2020, UploadVR reported that Media Molecule said PSVR support was nearly finished, and that Sony's Shuhei Yoshida had been photographed playing Dreams in PSVR with a DualShock 4; Yoshida said the sense of scale was "as great as any VR game."[15] According to UploadVR, the last public update before the June 2020 announcement had placed VR support in its final QA and bug fixing phase in late April 2020, followed by VR user testing in May.[10]
End of live support
On 11 April 2023, Media Molecule announced that it would discontinue live support for Dreams after 1 September 2023 to focus on a new project, which it said was "not Dreams 2, or the Dreams IP."[6] The remaining planned releases were the game Tren and an update to animation and Create mode. The studio also said that its planned releases did not include multiplayer or support for PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2 or 3D printing.[6][16]
The game moved to new servers on 22 May 2023. The move introduced limits of 5 GB of online storage, 256 creations online and 512 versions per creation, and removed features including prize bubbles, Community Jams, archiving, Twitch integration and activity feeds; the audio importer was removed temporarily.[6] In September 2023, Media Molecule said the Animation Update (June 2023) and Tren (August 2023) had completed the roadmap and that the audio importer had been reinstated on the indreams.me website. The studio said that Dreams and all of its content would remain available on PlayStation, and that its community team would continue to curate and promote creations.[7]
Release
| Date | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 15 June 2015 | Announcement | Revealed at Sony's E3 2015 press conference[1] |
| 16 April 2019 | Dreams Creator Early Access on PlayStation 4 | £24.99, €29.99, US$29.99, CA$39.99; US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and all European territories; no VR support[3] |
| 14 February 2020 | Full release on PlayStation 4 | £34.99 / €39.99; free upgrade for early access owners; added Art's Dream[4] |
| 22 July 2020 | PlayStation VR update | Free update[5] |
| 1 August - 4 September 2023 | PlayStation Plus monthly game | Released with Tren[14] |
| 1 September 2023 | End of live support | Game remains playable; creating and sharing continue[6][7] |
In Southeast Asia, Sony's PlayStation Blog listed the game as Dreams Universe.[17] As of October 2026, the US PlayStation Store lists Dreams as a PS4 game at a base price of US$19.99, also included in the PlayStation Plus Extra Game Catalog. The store notes that the game is playable on PS5 but that "some features available on PS4 may be absent."[9]
Reception
On Metacritic, the PlayStation 4 version has a Metascore of 89 based on 80 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[18] OpenCritic lists a Top Critic Average of 90 with 96% of critics recommending the game, and a "Mighty" rating.[19] Dreams won the Technical Achievement award at the 2021 BAFTA Games Awards.[20]
UploadVR reviewed the PlayStation VR mode separately and gave it 4 out of 5 stars, under the headline "A Messy, Unmissable VR Playground In Need Of An Overhaul".[21] The review called the community's VR creations "a hugely compelling hub of VR intrigue". It criticized the creation mode as "an awkward halfway house" because most tutorials and instructions were not reworked for VR, found the PlayStation Move button layout confusing and preferred the DualShock 4. It also noted that many non-VR creations with VR support added were "strangely scaled", and that performance limits on the PS4 caused blur from dynamic rendering.[21]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 David Smith (2015-06-15). "Dreams for PS4, Announced at E3". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://blog.playstation.com/2015/06/15/dreams-for-ps4-announced-at-e3/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "A beginner's guide to Dreams". PlayStation. Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://www.playstation.com/en-us/editorial/dreams-beginners-guide/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Siobhan Reddy (2019-03-28). "Dreams Early Access starts on 16th April". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://blog.playstation.com/archive/2019/03/28/dreams-early-access-starts-on-16th-april/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Abbie Heppe (2019-12-10). "The full version of Dreams will launch on PS4 next February". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://blog.playstation.com/archive/2019/12/10/the-full-version-of-dreams-will-launch-on-ps4-next-february. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Abbie Heppe (2020-06-30). "PS VR support comes to Dreams on July 22". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://blog.playstation.com/2020/06/30/ps-vr-support-comes-to-dreams-on-july-22/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 "An update on server changes and live service support for Dreams". indreams.me. Media Molecule. 2023-04-11. https://docs.indreams.me/en/whats-happening/news/dreams-support-update. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "What happens to Dreams now that live support has ended?". indreams.me. Media Molecule. 2023-09-13. https://docs.indreams.me/en/whats-happening/news/dreams-live-support. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ Javy Gwaltney (2019-04-30). "Media Molecule Is Looking Into Non-Motion Controls For Dreams". Game Informer. https://gameinformer.com/2019/04/30/media-molecule-is-looking-into-non-motion-controls-for-dreams. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Dreams". PlayStation. Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/dreams/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 David Jagneaux (2020-06-30). "Dreams PSVR Support Becomes A Reality This July With Free Update". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/dreams-psvr-free-update-july/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Scott Hayden (2020-07-01). "'Dreams' is Finally Getting PSVR Support, Free Update Coming This Month". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/dreams-vr-release-date-psvr-july-22/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ Scott Hayden (2020-07-21). "Watch 'Dreams' Upcoming VR Mode in Action Before It Releases Tomorrow". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/dreams-vr-create-mode-media-molecule/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ Josh Hawkins (2015-06-15). "E3 2015: Media Molecule announces Dreams". Shacknews. https://www.shacknews.com/article/90036/e3-2015-media-molecule-announces-dreams. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for August: PGA Tour 2K23, Dreams, Death's Door". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. 2023-07-26. https://blog.playstation.com/2023/07/26/playstation-plus-monthly-games-for-august-pga-tour-2k23-dreams-deaths-door/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ Jamie Feltham (2020-02-16). "Here's Sony's Shuhei Yoshida Playing Dreams In PSVR". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/dreams-psvr-shuhei-yoshida. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ Stefan L (2023-04-11). "Media Molecule is ending live support for Dreams to work on a new project". TheSixthAxis. https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2023/04/11/media-molecule-is-ending-live-support-for-dreams-to-work-on-a-new-project/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ Adam Michel (2023-07-31). "(For Southeast Asia) PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for August: PGA Tour 2K23, Dreams Universe, Death's Door". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://blog.playstation.com/2023/07/31/20230731-psplus/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ "Dreams". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/dreams/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ "Dreams Reviews". OpenCritic. https://opencritic.com/game/8786/dreams. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ "BAFTA winners dominated by Hades and Sony exclusive titles". MCV/Develop. 2021-03-26. https://www.mcvuk.com/business-news/bafta-winners-dominated-by-hades-and-sony-exclusive-titles/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Jamie Feltham (2020-08-04). "Dreams PSVR Review: A Messy, Unmissable VR Playground In Need Of An Overhaul". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/dreams-psvr-review/. Retrieved 2026-10-07.