Panic’s Playdate is a retro handheld game console that may never run out of battery

Jed John Ikoba — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 05:30:40 +0000

Panic’s Playdate is a handheld game console that was announced by the company back in 2019. Pre-orders for the Playdate had commenced last year but the actual launch of the quirky-looking handheld game console was delayed. Now, Panic has announced that the first shipments of the Playdate have now begun.

The design of the Playdate includes a 2.7-inch black and white display and it may literally never run out of battery as it features a hand crank on the side. There are also a few functional buttons on the front.

The handheld game console looks like a blast from the past when compared with the high-octane and classy handhelds currently on the market. According to Panic, the first batch of Playdate consoles will begin shipping to the earliest pre-order customers, and the backlog will be gradually cleared. Currently, Panic is asking for patience from customers as the product is being manufactured in small batches. Therefore, it will take some time to meet up with all the pre-orders.

E-mails have been sent to the customers who will be receiving their consoles and new customers can still place their orders. However, new orders will not be delivered until 2023. The Playdate is priced at $179 and the package includes the console, a USB cable, and two weekly games for twelve weeks.

Panic is working on expanding the lineup of games available for users. It is encouraging developers and will soon unveil the Catalog app, similar to a games store. The new Playdate Mirror tool for Mac and PC has also been integrated into the device. It allows users to mirror their console’s screen on a PC and record videos, live stream, or use the bigger display to project an ongoing game.

The black and white display of the Playdate could be a major drawback among potential customers. However, the purpose of developing this console is to play different types of retro-inspired games that do not require color, analog sticks, and so on. Panic did not put any numbers on the level of demand for the Playdate, so it’s unclear what the demand looks like.

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Panic’s Playdate is a retro handheld game console that may never run out of battery