After its initial reveal in 2019, Playdate, the upcoming handheld console from software developers Panic!, is available to pre-order later today at 10:00 PST/18:00 BST. The device will cost $179, with 2 games released every week over 12 weeks, totalling 24 different games to play in total.
Pre-orders today will include the Playdate and the Playdate cover, with the speaker dock going live at a later date. Payment is taken at the time of pre-order, but Panic! has promised that you can cancel your order at any time before shipment.
The initial stock is around 20,000, which Panic! will ship in Q4 2021, though the device won’t sell out like typical pre-orders. Panic has promised to keep taking orders, and adjust the production schedule to meet demand with subsequent orders hopefully being met in early 2022. So everyone who wants one today can order one, and eventually, receive it.
The Playdate is a small handheld system that features many brand new interesting games from indie developers, including Hyper Meteor by Vertex Pop (developers of Graceful Explosion Machine and Super Crush KO), Whitewater Wipeout from Chuhai Labs, and many more.
Importantly the device also has an open-source development system, that allows anyone to access tools from a web browser and make their own games. So while 24 games is already an impressive amount, the number is likely to grow significantly as more users get their hands on the device and experiment with its unique features.