Playdate pre-orders open on July 29
Panic has announced that the Playdate, their unique video game handheld system (with a crank), will be available for pre-orders on July 29. The Playdate Cover will also be available for pre-order on the Playdate site. Additionally, a bundle with the Playdate and the Playdate Cover will be available for pre-order.
Playdate pre-orders will not “sell out” — everyone will get a virtual place in line. The first batch of Playdate units (roughly 20,000) will begin shipping towards the end of this year. Subsequent orders after selling through the initial allotment will ship in 2022, with production adjusted based on demand. Pre-orders require full payment up front, but can be cancelled at any time for a full refund. Units will be limited to two per person, and any additional orders will be cancelled.
Also debuting next week on pre-order day will be a new episode of the Panic podcast. It will be focused around the Playdate and the decade-long saga of twists, turns, and mini-boss battles that led to the creation of a surprising handheld gaming console. The episode will also be the first of a brand new Podcast feed, the Playdate Podcast from Panic, that will feature behind-the-scenes stories and interviews with Playdate game developers.
About Playdate
Playdate is a brand-new, unique gaming handheld system that is a celebration of video games. It’s yellow, fits in your pocket, and includes brand new games from amazing creators. It has a beautiful black and white screen. And yes, it also has a crank.
Playdate hopes to capture the spirit of endless possibility and excitement that games have given us since the beginning. And in addition to introducing players to brand new games, Playdate also encourages people to create their own imaginative games and interactive software using a suite of easy development tools. In short, Playdate was made just for fun.
Playdate will be available for pre-order on July 29 at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET / 5 pm GMT.
