Cranking in downtown Seattle. [credit: Sam Machkovech ] The cute, portable, and banana yellow $179 Playdate console is now shipping to its first batch of preorder customers, so we’re now free to review the quirkiest gaming system in years. Thanks to chip shortages and general manufacturing chaos, buying Playdate is much less fun than using […]
Enlarge / This is your last chance to turn back before finding out what all these Playdate game icons mean. (credit: Panic / Sam Machkovech) If you’re reading this article before perusing my full Playdate hardware review , stop right now. Click that link, read today’s hardware-specific review, and get the context for why this […]
Enlarge / Next week, we can show you way more of Playdate’s final retail version. For now, settle on this capture from the system’s setup process, along with a look at its unboxing. (credit: Sam Machkovech) Nine months ago, the team responsible for the portable Playdate game system sent us the device’s “near-final” edition for […]
Enlarge / The Playdate’s shipping box, modified to reflect today’s news. The global chip shortage has put a serious pinch on upcoming portable gaming device production this week. Barely a day after Valve announced that its upcoming handheld PC would be delayed “two months, ” the quirky, indie-minded Playdate console , initially slated to arrive […]
The Playdate on iFixit’s operating table. [credit: iFixit ] The teardown artists at iFixit have gotten their hands on the banana-yellow plastic Playdate, the be-cranked retro throwback handheld gaming system we previewed last month ahead of its launch later this year. And just as Game Boys of yore are simple to take apart, fix, and […]
Enlarge / On Thursday, July 29, you will be able to preorder the $179 Playdate game system. It is very, very yellow—and actually quite fun! (credit: Sam Machkovech) Lately, I find myself reminiscing about the era when digital playthings looked like toys. You may rightfully question my nostalgia about Tamagotchis, handheld LCD games, and the […]
Now, Playdate has an optional “stereo dock” attachment, which charges your hardware and props it up for storage or display. And, sure, it comes with a pen, too. [credit: Panic ] On Tuesday, Playdate, the portable, one-bit gaming system with an analog crank as a primary control option, took one more step toward being a […]