Playdate Review

The Playdate is a quirky little handheld with a monochrome screen, a hand crank on the side, and a library of funky, lo-fi indie games. But despite all that, or maybe because of it, the Playdate has charmed its way into our hearts.
#IGN

[@SickMatt]

You just know someone's going to program the entirety of Doom in it

[@faisalalk5796]

Fr 😂😂😂

[@patrickyeary]

Hold my beer

[@luisnuke8389]

@@patrickyeary I'm rooting for you

[@raph5906]

Someone tried porting it a year ago and got the crank to control the chain gun

[@mere8320]

A crankable BFG

[@bryce9596]

That would be perfect for a fishing game, reel in fish with the crank. Or a can opener simulator!

[@mitchjames9350]

Golf game would be awesome.

[@Amin2k]

Fishing would be amazing lol

[@Ur_N0.1_fan]

A horror game that circles the use of a defective generator/flash-light combo

[@andrewwinkenwerder5258]

@@Ur_N0.1_fan genius

[@AlexM-mz7rx]

😂😂😂

[@holdmeclosertonydanza22]

Fun fact I've just learned: This was developed by Teenage Engineering, who also do those little Pocket Operator drum machines, and the fabled OP-1 midi controller.

[@rud5101]

Really cute device, but a bit pricey for what it is. I'd love to see what games people make for it. Hoping to see some Wario Land, Metroid, or Kirby type games.

[@SS64DD]

just waiting for smb3 to be ported to it. we all know it's comming

[@yesnt5528]

do you know where to buy them?

[@teafourito]

@@yesnt5528on their official site

[@mmmtastyte]

A Wario ware type game would be perfect for it

[@peterkefalos7430]

This is awesome it reminds of one of those game systems that Wario would come up in warioware

[@als_pals]

There's a community-made warioware style game jam where each minigame was made by a different person

[@Ultravioletwave]

@@als_pals what is the name? That sounds awesome

[@zodajc]

@@als_pals sounds dope what's it called?

[@CoreZeroPH]

They beat Nintendo making a yellow handheld that plays a lot of (mini)games. Could have been the first real-world "WarioWare" console for all we know.

[@ohmygahdbilly]

“Rhythm heaven: Crank Concert”when?

[@aexlife]

No backlight kills it, cool idea though.

[@BobbyHo2022]

Wait til "Playdate Color". Lol

[@lima1384]

@@cmmartti this isn't E-ink, and like the reviewer said you need to look at the screen straight-on to see anything, you need decent lighting, and you need to hope that lighting isn't reflecting off the screen into your face. It's closer to a Gameboy pocket than an E-ink ereader.

[@firstreality3867]

@@cmmartti you can read books way easier than this thing lmao

[@firstreality3867]

@@cmmartti the fact that it needs to be “angled” at all proves I’m right. There’s already reviews about how bad the lack of a backlight is. And no I’m not wasting money on this thing to test it myself.

[@Aubue]

Seems like it delivers on what it promised.

[@STICKOMEDIA]

Indeed

[@tuf_dev]

Being too overpriced and not having a basic necessity, a backlight?

[@11th_defender51]

@@tuf_dev why does everyone forget that it comes with 24 games?

[@drumman22]

@@11th_defender51 still not backlit

[@soltcolt4506]

It gives you free carpal tunnel and hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, what's not to love?

[@zainmushtaq4347]

Those smooth and satisfying animations scream of quality, even in black-n-white colors. He's right, the device seems to be built with charm in mind for every aspect, which is why it looks and probably _feels_ great 😇

[@brandong3469]

It looks like a fidget toy. If you get bored or anxious, just click the buttons, turn the crank. You even get games for it.

[@thierrys85]

A $179 fidget toy.

[@TheLover20xx]

An extreemly expensive one

[@valent.]

@@TheLover20xx 179 is like a pair of jeans

[@Simbabweman]

Never heard of this and thought the crank was how you charge it up. Interesting to use it in games. Feel like it should also power it as back up at least lol

[@Monkixote]

physically not possible if you consider how thin the device is and how wind-up chargers function. (You need to be rotating a magnet around a coil of wires).

[@Chennaz1]

Size issues not withstanding, it'd have to be a crank with some major resistance to generate sufficient power, meaning it'd be a workout to play a game with

[@hassaanahmed97]

Pardon me if my science doesn't make sense but bike dynamos are also not very resistant, only two magnets?

[@exia41gundam]

@@Monkixote you haven't seen the thinnest hand wind watch yet

[@Monkixote]

@@exia41gundam you haven't learned the difference between electrical and mechanical energy yet.

[@samuentaga]

It is a bit pricey for what it is, but it definitely looks cool. If it was $70-100 it would be a bit more appealing, but my guess is that the price is to justify the free games that you get with it.

[@mauriceyoung5225]

yea 180 with no backlight in 2022 lol no thanks

[@unusualsuspect980]

​@@mauriceyoung5225Especially when you can get a switch light for 200 bucks.

[@43SunSon]

$180, this price almost killed everything.

[@jknifgijdfui]

the price is kinda reasonable cause it comes with 24 games and the console itself costs 90 to 100 dollars to produce its also a barrier to make sure only the people who fit into the niche that its aiming at will buy it cause everyone else wouldnt care that being said this thing should still get massive price cuts

[@UserAme99]

Used ps4 anyone?

[@SleepyPossums]

This is a nice indie device- Panic! can’t afford to make like millions of these like Nintendo makes switches, so this price makes sense to me especially since you also get 25 games.

[@duckmasterflex]

It’s because of its useless R&D

[@Benieg83]

@@jknifgijdfui Mini games. That on any other system or phone would be .99c each.

[@polaris911]

the screen and the 1-bit dithered aesthetic really looks cool. The price though..

[@baekseulhyun6762]

The price is not worth it. Better off buying original consoles second hand or third party consoles that can do much more much cheaper.

[@_huw_435]

This is definitely one of the consoles of all time

[@DR.DisInfect]

Yes it is a console in time

[@oceman5446]

@@DR.DisInfect of all time lol

[@Andrew-ww1hz]

Why would you say something so controversial?

[@olliepopAMV]

😂

[@bekucce]

@@Andrew-ww1hz lP

[@TheBlargMarg]

Love to see a interesting fishing game on this. The pixel graphics are so smooth

[@JaredConnell]

That's literally the only genre that works on the thing

[@access1992]

never heard of this until now but it looks pretty neat actually! for how small the screen is and how simple it looks, they games look like they run SUPER smoothly and it looks pretty clear

[@wesleyackerman8211]

Souja Boy really missed out by not putting a crank on his console...

[@majiankun23]

For 180 bucks I’ll take Nintendo switch lite any day of the week

[@feral4112]

Lmao ya my thoughts exactly! This thing is like a hipster version of a handheld gaming platform

[@fckSashka]

these two aren’t comparable in the slightest

[@timrogers6083]

Get both 😃

[@toooydoeur]

@@fckSashka they clearly are

[@AlexRodriguez0407]

@@fckSashka the price is With 200 dollars would you rather buy a tiny, simple system that is sold more as a novelty than a game console? Or a portable Nintendo console that can play breath of the wild, super mario odyssey, mario kart 8 and many others?

[@Kyotosomo]

Painfully hipster and painfully expensive but it does look like a lot of fun.

[@jepjep7373]

...yeah but it's still expensive lol

[@cole1714]

It’s cheaper than a console or a PC upgrade, lol

[@adamwasp2717]

Just remember that the price comes with 24 games

[@tabulaluden]

@@cole1714 isn’t it $20 cheaper than a Switch Lite? That’s really tough to argue that it’s “cheaper than a console” when it has less potential than a console that’s only $20 more. Just my take.

[@STICKOMEDIA]

@@jepjep7373 lol

[@panampace]

“Super reflective” advertised as a selling point when there’s no backlight. What in hell

[@KoolAidManOG]

A backlit screen is not reflective, it is transmissive. This is reflective in the same way that an Kindle ebook reader is reflective, except moreso because the finish of the Sharp Memory LCD display this uses is shiny silver instead of grey matte.

[@timondimare1976]

the community being able to make games for it sounds really promising

[@FutonJohn]

Backlight should be an essential at this point.

[@Rev8691]

No backlight is a dealbreaker, makes it way too hard to play especially for that price.

[@TheStop]

Cant wait to get mine, looks super cool

[@zackattack5414]

Wish you could also charge with the crank this seems like a fun little thing for traveling

[@danieldubrovin8813]

Do you mean hand cranking it to start Jesus just use solar panels at that point

[@frankc.531]

That price point is insane.

[@PMantis013]

Insanely expensive you mean, right?

[@frankc.531]

@@PMantis013 Most definitely. I’d consider it at $69.99.

[@schalitz1]

Its differently going to fail due to that price point. Its a shame it seems really cool, its just nowhere near worth $180.

[@deshigamer4967]

switch lite is only 20 dollars more and thousand times better.

[@SavageSenzu]

@@deshigamer4967 switch isn’t made by an indie company and can afford to be sold at a loss, not this. You guys are forgetting that.

[@LucieOne]

I'd be pretty nervous about that crank breaking off at some point.

[@nightman6349]

That's just an urban myth

[@btetschner]

Great review, thank you for showing all those different aspects of the console. Thank you for the video.

[@leoviper]

It feels like a portable console -IGN

[@tats_sacs]

You would think tech is cheaper now. This thing doesn’t even have a backlight on it. The GBA SP cost almost half and you can play it in the dark.

[@cryptocsguy9282]

@Tats Sacs It doesn't need a backlight because of the special screen type used of the 1bit colour images , sharp memory LCD

[@goldenmindcavity]

if the price was normal or more in line with the limitations of the system then sure, but jesus it's 20 bucks shy of a switch lite

[@CODE14464]

Niche product, high dev costs, small company = totally reasonable price

[@lukesoddlife]

Geez when you put it like that 💀

[@CODE14464]

@Privileged White Male so you dont want any new start ups lol? Support so they can grow so we can have more competition and fun products

[@narwhalgamingvariety]

@@CODE14464 Yeah ultimately this is why there are only 2-3 companies buying everything and barely anything else can break through. Them hitting a niche like this is basically all they can do.

[@baekseulhyun6762]

@@CODE14464 They're not a small company. And there are tons of other companies who have better consoles with better hardware libraries at a much cheaper price point. Plus let's be real nobody gives a damn about how the price point is determined. Overpriced is overpriced.

[@mkb285]

Me: Wow this thing looks just like a Gameboy Pocket! IGN: It has no backlight. Me: So, it IS a Gameboy Pocket

[@itznix6962]

Except it's a worser gameboy pocket.

[@raymondc7567]

Nah a Gameboy pocket is way better. This play date is not going to sell well. Definately not gonna last long lol.

[@Joe-gu8hg]

@@itznix6962 worser

[@TheTommyCraft]

@@raymondc7567 "Sell well" is relative. Not all products are intended for millions of consumers. Panic is currently sitting at 50k pre-orders which is more than they had expected. So while you may not think 50k units is selling well, Panic is quite pleased.

[@raymondc7567]

@@TheTommyCraft congratulations lol

[@aquelegf]

no backlight in 2022.......

[@tomhools1605]

wow, i've heard about this years ago and it's still in pre-order phase.

[@Nico-jc7zr]

started shipping out not long ago!

[@benwilliams5760]

Just too expensive. If it was £80/$100 then I'd be tempted. Also, if you ideally need a nice bright, sunny day to play it then that doesn't bode well for anyone buying it in the UK. 😄

[@Sonny1065LV]

Really looking forward to trying the playdate out!

[@Foxlum]

7:22 - 7:55 that's all you need to hear if you really don't understand why this exists, Panic isn't going for mass it's going for the niche gaming market, the "hyper" indie scene, stuff you useally don't see on modern platforms.

[@Badoopboop]

Speedruns with this will be wild!

[@_walruseater]

my hand hurts just looking at it. pre-ordered!

[@link-kun5974]

The way to solve some problem like form factor of the console is for third party to make additional accessories just luke they make for Switch. Like alternate grip etc.

[@Hansmusiclofi]

This is incredible for visual novels as well!

[@MrWolfchamp-xi3cu]

Has anyone been seeing ads for the Snapdragon G3X? It's a handheld gaming system. It looks cool. And I'm not someone who's ever interested in handheld gaming.

[@12thMandalorian]

Im struggling to work out who this is for exactly, who are they aiming to sell this too especially at that price?

[@baekseulhyun6762]

Shallow people who like status symbol stuff.

[@crotchsplotch]

Hipsters lol

[@miadietrich7347]

Developers who want to take on the challenge of its limiting and interesting hardware. Developers already make a ton of money, so the price isn't really a problem for them.

[@thebasketballhistorian3291]

The processor isn't "40x faster than the original Gameboy" from 1989... I'm guessing it's over 1,000x faster. Only its clock frequency is 40x the Gameboy's 4.2 MHz. But clock speed is almost a non-factor in determining processor speed. In fact, newer processors have been optimized to reduce clock frequencies as higher MHz creates more heat and uses more battery.

[@jackwilson5542]

This "console" belongs to 80s. Just a total grift to get hipster money. Costs under $10 to produce and sells for $180, it is as bad as the Daniel Wellington watches.

[@cammishu8004]

@@jackwilson5542 niche products cannot benefit from economies of scale and game devs cost money who knew,

[@ericsnewlink3]

There’s nothing “gimmicky” about the playdate it’s a genuinely fun experience and new experience

[@fullriver1234]

with Randy Home's song in that one game and Poolsuite FM, Playdate will truly be known as the vaporwave console. Maybe people will be able to mod in a backlight too

[@TreyWaylifestyle]

Back in the 90s

[@tasoganedude]

I'm surprised that there aren't any fishing games that utilizes the crank.

[@davidsgamingworld8935]

seriously it's only in black and white and it cost $180 and no thanks

[@casekocsk]

Playdate needs bigger screen and frontlight or backlight button (like one in GBA SP).

[@baekseulhyun6762]

They need to stop being ambitious with their price point and drop it to $50 before anything else😂

[@whycantifindanavailablehandle]

This would be amazing if it used a low-power display and also charged from the hand crank

[@blackktulu]

2 things: put a pop socket on the back and if they don't make a fishing game, thatsa huge missed opportunity

[@bretbranson7780]

No backlight is the nail for me

[@miguelshihto]

That surfing game "Whitewater Wipeout" looks *suspiciously* familiar to "California Games: Surfing" for the Atari Lynx

[@BrodyBaddis]

Is Retro City Rampage and Shakedown Hawaii on this yet?

[@TheGoodContent37]

A cool design idea would had been to put a circular dial on the back that could work like the lever. That design would had been safer, that lever looks like it will break sooner or later.

[@mr.k6148]

you'll play with it for a week, and then it will lost in a drawer or purse.

[@missingno2401]

how well does it play pong with that crank

[@dbmooo]

It worths a try. Looks great.

[@mreyeball3085]

With the price point and design it just seems like a novelty item.

[@gae_wead_dad_6914]

It is basically a novelty. 100%. It's an item for the guys who are basically a mirror image of the "CONSOOOOOMER" meme

[@felipetomaz1087]

Imagine if the crank could power up the console 🤯

[@fidelklckap1821]

@@Kayttaja1524 It doesn't.

[@thanatosor]

Kudos to Playdate for picking Lua/C combo for game developers

[@meziembamara4004]

Missed opportunity to use the crank for dynamo charging. That'll save cost on fuel of electric generator every now and then.

[@bancf3153]

Yeah someone is going to do a whole as movie with this

[@senister9726]

I’ll wait for the playdate sp for the backlight

[@nebulaneka8946]

Takes me back to my GBP

[@thomasperkins4895]

What's the background music in this? Anyone know? At the ~2:00 minute mark

[@TaylorFalk21]

Too high of a price, no backlight, and every reviewer has said they get hand cramps. Did this get play tested before release? I’ll wait for the next version of the console

[@Shrek-cs4be]

Great review Seth

[@NateFischer]

is mortal kombt 1 playing on the mortal kombat 2 arcade?

[@Boomatic206]

It comes with both games

[@asmrdestiny]

Can’t wait for mine! In group one 👍

[@infamousdood1696]

Next Console : PlayDate Color

[@justchill1617]

Then PlayDate Advance SP

[@Guitario666]

No backlight is a bummer.

[@Piizzachuu]

Looks cool but no backlight is a deal breaker for me.

[@jorgeehernandez6930]

The size of the gameboy pocket should be great.

[@neonswift]

Very informative review, and one with personality.

[@Farhankhan-oc9fb]

Consumers would still buy it!

[@shaneharrington3655]

Developers: *Please make a game called Crankenstien*

[@billy6464]

this would be a neat little thing you pick up for like $60 and play for a few days then forget about. at that price nah that's a pass.

[@invertedRR]

What about the startup

[@rocko7711]

This sounds really interesting

[@cheeto5899]

yay komasan in the background

[@tristanj7090]

Sounds like the crank is cool but adds to the uncomfortable feel in hand over time.

[@retrotechx2600]

Needs a pop socket on the back....

[@Sudstah]

The hotel dusk developer needs to get on this

[@deerlyXO]

This seems like it’s more for game developers than it is for consumers

[@HelmuthGerka]

Cool but for $179.99 it almost sounds like a joke, just get a Switch Lite at that point or play on your phone if you want tiny quirky games.

[@Mandude4200]

If it ever goes on sale I’ll consider picking it up, 170$ for a neat little console like this is not worth it in my opinion

[@michaelcorreia8288]

hopefully there will be fishing game for this.

[@MultiZelda13]

To people complaining about price: don't forget that the price tag includes the games!

[@gv2212]

Yup shitty 2007 java mobile games

[@MultiZelda13]

@@gv2212 if you don't like micro games that's fine. But some people do!

[@nickicrandle5212]

Surely a fishing game with the crank

[@helliboss]

Now if only someone ported doom to it, it would be perfect.

[@JMadLabs]

They did, and programmed the crank to fire the rail gun

[@deqalb]

Wonders if Return Of The Obra Dinn would be included.

[@shadchandler3503]

No back light, no go what were they thinking.🤔

[@gunraptor]

But you can't charge it with the crank? :P

[@smashingpumpkin1986]

Verne would love this

[@cherrybombcoffee]

So the crank isn't for charging . . .

[@randomland9088]

The power of marketing!

[@Zorlag]

Hey reviewer, what belt of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu are you? Those ears didn't get that way by themselves.

[@jonathancharles9862]

“Battery anxiety” that’s a new one for me