Amid the buzz going on with the Nintendo Switch OLED model and the Steam Deck, there’s another handheld that might have slipped under your radar: the Panic Playdate.
The Playdate, with its 2.7-inch black-and-white display, 4-way D-pad, and two game buttons, won’t be replacing the dominant handhelds in the market anytime soon. If anything, this nifty little device wants to carve out a niche with its unique features and novelty. The most obvious is its cute little, mechanical crank on the side. Some games will use the crank as their control mechanism.
Speaking of games, the Playdate is bundled with 24 exclusive titles, but they won’t be all ready at launch. Panic aims to release two games every week over Wi-Fi. The games aren’t your typically epic adventures, as they’re rather meant as fun distractions while, say, you’re traveling by bus. Future titles may be announced depending on the consumer reception of the handheld.
The Playdate is the first-ever handheld (as well as the first hardware) of Panic, a company that’s more known for its games such as Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game.
Preorders for the Playdate start on July 29 in select countries. Unfortunately, the Philippines is not yet on the list. The official price is $179.