'Playdate' Handheld Game System Now Available for Pre-Order

[MacRumors]

Panic, a company known for its range of apps designed for Apple's iPhones, iPads, and Macs, today announced the launch of pre-orders for its Playdate handheld gaming system.

Panic had 20,000 Playdate systems available for preorder for shipping in late 2021, but those quickly sold out and orders placed now will ship out in 2022.

Priced at $179, the Playdate is a pocket-sized gaming system that has a unique design. It features a black and white display, bright yellow chassis, a d-pad, A+B buttons, and a crank on the side that serves as a flip-out rotational controller.

The pocketable gaming system will feature pre-installed games from developers like Zach Gage, Shaun Inman, Bennett Foddy, and Keita Takahashi.

There will be several games available at launch, and an additional game will be delivered each week for a few months. The Playdate comes equipped with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a USB-C port for charging, and a headphone jack.

Those interested in the Playdate can pre-order it today it from the Play.date website.

Article Link: 'Playdate' Handheld Game System Now Available for Pre-Order

 

[NARadyk]

Have we travelled back to 1989?

 

[macsplusmacs]

After the Steam Deck has been shown (and ordered by myself), there is NO interest in this from me. This is just a gimmick. (a too highly priced gimmick)

Feel free to differ in opinion of course.

 

[iapplelove]

Because the world is screaming for a portable gaming system with pre installed games and a black and white screen.

 

[HiVolt]

Requires WiFi? For initial setup or for continuous use? if that's the case than its an utter failure.

Also requires external power source? LOL...

 

[apparatchik]

If we can get 10% of people reading this to pre-order, hopefully Panic doesn't go down with this write-off and can stay in business so those of us invested in their apps can keep receiving updates and support, so, please, MR readers, act now.

 

[boss.king]

Requires WiFi? For initial setup or for continuous use? if that's the case than its an utter failure.

Also requires external power source? LOL...

Where did you see that? It has a USB C port for charging, why would it have that if it needed to be plugged in?

Also, I think the Wifi is for setup and future games.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

I’m still asking myself: Why…?

 

[macsplusmacs]

Requires USB power source

what the heck? this needs to be plugged in or one just needs a USB cable / power adapter? probably the latter but they need to make that more clear.

 

[Starscape]

Cute design with an interesting rotary controller, but its very basic basic controls hints at the more simplistic games this device will run. It’s also way, way too expensive. With mobile gaming approaching console fidelity now, the PlayDate device faces a really difficult sell, and there’s no idea what future software support will be. I wouldn’t invest in that thing.

 

[Geoff12889]

I like Panic, I’ve used Coda, Transmit (remember CandyBar?!) for almost 15 years, but this is going to flop big time. With the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, there is no market for this.

 

[macsplusmacs]

This is what happens when owners of a successful business get bored. What a waste of company dollars.

Owners should have started their own company and done this with their own money.

 

[Intergalactic_Turkey]

Design reminds of Teenage Engineering hardware.

 

[nutmac]

Requires WiFi? For initial setup or for continuous use? if that's the case than its an utter failure.

Also requires external power source? LOL...

According to their help page:

Connect your Playdate to the internet to automatically receive new games and system updates.

I don't think Wi-Fi is required for actual game playing, such as on the airplane.

As for the power source, from their specs page:

BATTERY

14 days standby clock
8 hours active

 

[nosnhojm]

I don't understand all the hate for this (not just here, but other comments/forums). This device is not meant to compete with the switch or stream deck. For me this is a nostalgia machine that puts a modern spin on the original game boy (which I grew up with). The debate on pricing I understand, but not whether it should exist.

 

[Googlyhead]

After the Steam Deck has been shown (and ordered by myself), there is NO interest in this from me. This is just a gimmick. (a too highly priced gimmick)

Feel free to differ in opinion of course.

Because the world is screaming for a portable gaming system with pre installed games and a black and white screen.

I like Panic, I’ve used Coda, Transmit (remember CandyBar?!) for almost 15 years, but this is going to flop big time. With the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, there is no market for this.

I’m not disinterested
I quite like the prospect of a small and simple system, as there’s elegance in games programmed within constraints.
However; it is a little highly priced for a toy that could probably be outperformed by a handful of RPi components at a quarter of the price.

 

[bwb]

Design reminds of Teenage Engineering hardware.

Teenage Engineering collaborated on the design actually.

Pre-ordered one myself. Yes, I have a Switch too... but I see this as a pretty cool creative niche product, not a gimmick.

 

[nutmac]

To me, the biggest problem is that Panic is not yet disclosing what "over 20 games" Playdate will include. For all I know, there are some great games in there, but that's a huge leap of faith.

 

[cyberdogl2]

Design reminds of Teenage Engineering hardware.

It was designed by Teenage Engineering

 

[6787872]

$179 for that crap?

 

[Internet Enzyme]

Lots of cynicism here, but I think it’s a breath of fresh air. Playdate was never positioned and should not be considered as a new entrant in the competitive handheld console market: rather, it is a nifty, kind of charismatic curiosity that promises 24 free games.

Good graphics and gameplay don’t strictly come in the form of expensive 3D games replete with modern rendering embellishments and cutting-edge technical implementations: instead, what the Playdate is posing is a more halcyon, minimalist view of gaming, one that understandably appears kind of alien to people who are ensconced within their own, limited, predefined concept of the medium. I feel like people have a narrow view of what gaming can be in the modern day, and have forgotten that the medium of gaming is, well, simply a medium, and that it can be wider than just console wars and PC gaming. And I don’t think anyone, including Panic, expects Playdate to be at all competitive in that market.

Perhaps it is a bit of a hipster product, but the price is not bad at all given the quality of the design and the number of free exclusive games it will get. Looking forward to receiving my pre-order later this year.

 

[neoelectronaut]

I was in and out before the clock hit 12:03PM.

New games from Lucas Pope, Bennett Foddy, and Keita Takahashi games plus 21 more?

Yeah that's an immediate buy from me.

Once the dev tools are out in the wild the homebrew community for this should be interesting.

 

[ArPe]

Have we travelled back to 1989?

1989 had better consoles than this.

 

[djlythium]

DOA.

 

[ArPe]

I’m still asking myself: Why…?

There is a big DIY retro scene who are making new consoles that play retro games

But this sucks

This is just electronic waste because it is too limited

If you make a retro device give it 4 to 6 buttons and longevity by making it emulate many systems. Then it won’t be electronic waste in 2 months.