Artsy Handheld Playdate Available For Preorders In July

Recently an update video on the quirky handheld with a crank on the side, Playdate, was showcased. Releasing later this year, the handheld device will also have some accessories to go with it, as well as more games that were previously stated. The system is being developed by Panic in conjunction with Teenage Engineering.

The system will have a docking station that is available for purchase separately. While normally charging through USB-C (and not the crank as you might have thought) this will allow you to charge the system right through the base. The dock has Bluetooth audio as well, and through a partnership with Poolside FM, will allow for curated Soundcloud playlists to play music through it. However, the coolest part about the dock is its look, which is designed to simulate a retro television.

The console will also take a seasonal approach to game releases. 2 games will release each week for 12 weeks, this will constitute a season of games for the console. This number has doubled since the console was announced. People can expect the developers from such games as Return of The Obra Dinn and Papers Please to also be contributing games, to be announced at later dates.

In total, 21 games from the first season have been announced. These include Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure which, as the name implies, uses the crank to control your character as he runs. Not every game will use the crank to play, however many will place a heavy focus on it.

Don’t like those games, or played them to perfection? No problem! The console will allow you to easily develop your own games for it, which can be side-loaded onto the system. Panic has even created Pulp a fully browser-based game dev tool for coding, graphics, and music, which can be used for custom games.

Pre-orders for this system will go live in July though no timeframe for when they will go live. Playdate has also increased in price since the last time it was shown, going from $179 to $199. There is also no release window on the console, but hopefully, we can learn more come July.

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