Panic presents Playdate, a $ 149 pocket device

The Playdate is a highly portable device that will sell for $ 150. He plays games, but for now, Panic is very confident about his upcoming titles. The games will arrive on the console in the seasons, season 1 having twelve different titles. The website describes these games as a mix of long, short, experiential and traditional. These are delivered once a week "over the air". Players will be notified of the broadcast of a new game by a flashing light on their device. At the moment, Panic's plan is to leave most games unannounced and let the players discover them when they show up each week.

The panic allowed consumers to know some of the developers they used. Keita Takahashi, known for her work on Katamari; Zach Gage, a mobile game developer; Bennett Foddy from the eponym Finish with Bennett Foddy; and Shaun Inman, developer of The last rocket. The only game announced by Panic so far is Crankin'S Time Travel Adventuredeveloped by Keita Takahashi and uses Playdate's unique pedal control to control time.

While the Playdate has a traditional D-pad and two buttons to control the games, it also features something quite unusual for a gaming device: a crank. This crank turns over to the Playdate side and can be used to control certain games. An example on the official website of the product is the Takahashi game, and the crank is moving a character forward or backward. The crank is not used to charge the device.

The display is in black and white and does not use any backlighting. Other items included in the Playdate include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C and a headphone jack.

The Playdate is expected to be available by 2020. Preorders are not yet complete, but you can subscribe to the Panic mailing list on the official Playdate website, where pre-orders will be available later this year. It will be available at a price of $ 149 with Season 1 included in the cost.

Fast setting

Personally, I do not see the Playdate take off, but I must congratulate Panic's moxy. It sounds very special and, frankly, it reminds me of Ouya. One thing that could keep people away is the very simplistic graphics and the limited control scheme of the games. I hope the designers they have on board, like Takahashi, make up for it and find a unique way to use the crank with its other controls.

Are you going to have the Playdate? What are your thoughts on this device? Let us know in the comments below!

Austin Suther

I like to write and I like to play. So, I've combined these two hobbies into one! Some of my favorite games include Fire Emblem, Halo, The Elder Scrolls and World of Warcraft. Sometimes I also like to read fantastic novels!