Is the Playdate Too Expensive??

[@coentertainer]

This is the unfortunate truth. It's too expensive for the consumer, and too cheap for Panic. As you said at the end, it's a labour of love, and also great PR for Panic, but I can't see them making any significant profit out of this.

[@asimplethievingbat5978]

I just don't have the disposable income. If I did I would totally get a playdate, cause I love weird stuff like this

[@asimplethievingbat5978]

My first project on it would probably be a mini project trying to replicate the battle system from pokemon or something of the like

[@SquidGodDev]

Yeah that's totally understandable

[@demonbread2276]

Me too I am a teen so I cant get this kind of money

[@emisorano]

Me three, I'm from a thrid world country so I can't get that kind of money

[@asimplethievingbat5978]

@Tyrone Ward I don't have 180 I can just randomly drop on something like this. I have plenty of money, just responsibilities to worry about before fun

[@OfficialScottR]

Its one of those annoying situations, where you completely understand why its priced as high as it is, yet for most people (who would otherwise be incredibly interested in the product) it is just far too high to justify.

[@SquidGodDev]

Totally. I wish it was way cheaper so more people would get to enjoy it.

[@obvious_giraffe8386]

There is a way

[@domedin9894]

@@obvious_giraffe8386 ???

[@tristanl124]

I’m hoping to get this when my birthday comes around

[@WyattoonsComics]

I don’t even have mine yet and I love how passionate and creative the community is. I can’t wait to fully be a part of it! For me this is definitely worth the price.

[@Pichuscute]

Yup, your conclusion on the price is what I've been saying to. My developer friends and I just can't at all figure out how they are genuinely making money on this thing. I assume they must be and I'm very impressed if so, but it's clearly as low of a price as they could have possibly gone imo.

[@SquidGodDev]

My guess is that the guest developers of the season games did it mostly out of passion and didn't take a large paycheck, and maybe the Panic made season games aren't priced in at all and are basically free. Even then, it still feels like it would be in the red.

[@HelloMisterJAMWAH]

I've figured out why I love the Playdate so much, besides the design. It reminds me of the early days of bedroom coding, and I mean the early early days, ZX Spectrum and C64. When folks made games under severe restrictions but usually with a fast turnaround, and the community developed into a cottage industry here in the UK (we didn't even experience the legendary industry crash). The accessibility (if you own a device) and community around Playdate seems to recall those days, and in those terms it feels like value for money, even with the recent price increase. Also, while it's not the ideal scenario I just learned you can make and publish games without a console?! Amazing.

[@SquidGodDev]

Ooh - I don't know much about what it was like around that time, but that's really cool to hear that what we're experiencing now is similar. And yes! The ease and ability to develop for the Playdate, even without owning one, is one of the best things about it. Unfortunately, it's simulation, not emulation, so you can't test performance accurately, but behavior-wise it's pretty much the exact same.

[@PlaydatePlayer]

100% this! It feels wonderfully reminiscent of that but with plenty of modern twists and turns :)

[@theober555]

I'd absolutely love one, I love creative little indie games and unique handhelds and if it was just $179 I could probably justify it. But with tax and international shipping it's more like $270 which I just can't afford :(

[@gungu]

I ordered one in october, but they didn't deliver to Hungary, so contacted my friend in the UK, and he will deliver it to me, rasing the price to 220$. I already know it is worth it

[@0.leo_]

They don't ship to Hungary?

[@gungu]

@@0.leo_ they don't

[@lovemadeinjapan]

Isn't it better to ship to a EU country, to make sure you pay the correct VAT and not twice? Here in the Netherlands you can order it with Dutch VAT, from there it will be tax free to Hungary.

[@none_hitwonder]

The short answer is no. The slightly less short answer is that we should all get paid more.

[@SquidGodDev]

Haha I like that answer

[@Jarek.]

I wanted to buy Playdate a lot... But the price to simply too high - I'm not referring even to price-to-value ratio but in absolute terms: 199 USD turns into 282.90 with shipping and taxes. For 135 USD I bought a retro console RG353v which brought me back into a nostalgic adventure across systems and computers of my childhood (Commodore +4 / C64 / Amiga / Dos games / Point-and-click games such as Secret of Monkey Island etc).

[@Jakepearl13]

I appreciate how you make your passion for the play date clear,but you’re honest in the fact that yes,it’s pretty expensive (although well built)

[@huleothehedgedoge]

I'm very excited to get mine here soon. Been following this thing closely since it was first announced, and I have to say, finding your channel and seeing all the game dev videos you've been making on it has me that much more hyped to finally jump in!

[@kingforkings]

You make me buy this device too. I already ordered the Clockwork uConsole because I want some stable platform for day to day internet stuff. Why? Pico-8 and Playdate try to focus on fun and simplicity. I hate every DRM-poisoned game nowadays. Most games suffer from the same issues plus projections of the devs and publishers believes and issues... like God of War reflecting on Devs who turned father, it seems (not meant seriously, but somehow it feels like a forced topic). I only enjoy PS1-PS3 games, original Xbox and Wii too. I never had so much fun in a walking simulator called REM and also Bouncys winter solstice ride.

[@mikekrow]

I'm definitely on the developer side of those interested. I really like the quirkiness and the fact of how developer friendly it is. Seeing your games on an actual console is a great feeling. That being said, still on the fence about picking one up for the price. But after your video I'm certainly feeling a lot closer to the other side. Just gotta finish my current project lol.

[@SmokeandSteel]

Came here from your Tamagotchi game video. Your content is awesome! Subscribed!

[@army103]

The Playdate seems like the dictionary definition of a luxury novelty item.

[@domedin9894]

In my opinion there are some really good games and I will continue to play games for a long time however I am also a developer.

[@stolenshortsword]

luxury items usually make their creators lots of money. your assumptions are wrong.

[@army103]

@@stolenshortsword No, you made up that criteria; literally no one else on earth defines luxury items by how much the producer makes on the sale. A luxury item is defined by how non-essential it is and how much it costs, especially when compared to comparable products. A thousand-dollar watch could be sold at a loss and would still be considered a luxury item.

[@MultiStormywaters]

Teenage Engineering designed the hardware. In my experience with them, the higher price is indicative of a higher quality and brand aesthetic. It's kind of like the apple tax for weird indie tech. This is, at some level, a prestige piece. Anyone who insists the same result can be had for for so much cheaper doesn't understand the value of quality in a product. Yeah, you could probably crank these out (sorry) for cheap and sell them for $50 a pop, but they would be garbage.

[@laptoprelaks]

yes exactly... its more to the quality and UX... it can be seen in the development side as well... Apple makes it a cake(on the technical side) to develop for their platform

[@MultiStormywaters]

@@rockapartie Build quality. You'd be using the cheapest parts assembled by the cheapest labor to make that price, so you're looking at cheap, thin, easily breakable plastic, squishy buttons, screens with ghosting issues, etc.

[@jamessoth1479]

I'm a game design student and a retro handheld collector so it just made sense for me to get one. I got one before the recent price bump. Can't wait to start making some games and playing them on the go.

[@zeugundso]

At every point of the playdate experience one can feel the time and care taken by everyone involved. Personally I preordered it mostly for the display since other than Obra Dinn there have been very little 1 bit games around (also there is no other display working as well in stark sunlight). Now after a couple of months of use I really appreciate the other elements of the Playdate that make it a whole own "system", I have not yet seen another handheld that could provide anything similar.

[@fredericmanson441]

If it was sold at $149.99, it would have been perfect because I would only have to pay the VAT (21%), not the import fees (15%) which are addedon the retail price AND the VAT. BUT, if Panic signed a deal with an European importer (located in the EC), I will only have to pay the VAT on the import retail price.

[@chrislawler5938]

THERE'S NO FUCKING BACKLIGHT!!!!!!!!

[@jakecarlstad6192]

I'm excited for when I finally get my playdate! Hopefully soon. I've been slowly learning Lua to get ready for it!

[@dogeplayz.]

You should learn love2D, it reflects how the playdate works much better . (Love2D is a lua framework)

[@SeanStClair-cr9jl]

Your videos, in so many ways, are always so honest! I know the subject matter is a bit niche, but I really hope this channel goes far. Wow, I commented this before even watching to the end. Really stellar work, as always 👍

[@livesinalazywonderland4021]

People think they’re too expensive yet the console itself is impossible to even buy. I want one so bad because I want to play unique games designed to be played outside isolated gaming caves… the screen and “game distribution idea” are justifying the price to me.

[@traincation5715]

Worth it due to it being an open platform with good dev tools. Also premium quality and design. Not just physical design, even the timed release game season is whimsical and good design. No other portable console has S-tier design and dev. Nothing even comes close, especially not for under $200.

[@pizzafuel]

Love your new setup Squid! Now all you need is a life-size cutout of Cabel in the background ;)

[@SquidGodDev]

You're right. I knew I was missing something...

[@Youtoobonly]

Try to order from Canada, it gets up to $300+ :O

[@SquidGodDev]

Yeah the international shipping stuff is definitely a big con

[@zanthiablue5254]

I never questioned the price of the playdate tbh. Its a niche product that is high quality being made by a small company. I cant really afford it at the moment myself but I hope I can get the chance to while it is still being produced. I love the unique hardware, I love the 1 bit pixel art and I love little indie games.

[@Irnbruist]

you are such a nice dude, thank you for this thoughtful analysis. Will def. buy some of your games when I'll finally get my playdate #wave4

[@HiBunnyGames]

199 now

[@stolenshortsword]

you summed up all my thoughts and feelings regarding this matter. I really resonate with your last point: even with the 20 dollar price increase; even with the $20 accessory play in the case - this product communicates a deep love and respect for the games industry from the consumer to the developer in ways that don't exist in games hardware. I don't "need" a playdate. I could probably get more value out of many other products. but I also believe in voting with your wallet and I want to support a company that has a proven track record of not being evil.

[@relo999]

The short answer is yes. Specification wise it's nothing even remotely special, under the hood it's a rather underpowered machine. The things that make it expensive are the battery, crank and screen. If during development they gave it a more standard backlit screen, replaceable batteries and potentiometer they'd still have the "ohh cool factor" with arguably a more versatile and resilient gimmick. It just screams "I've been developed by a niche audio-engineering company!" with expensive niche components, that there are easy and much cheaper but similarly high quality alternative components for. With Audio engineering that make sense for the extreme audiophile types as analogue electronics need to avoid noise and such things, but in an all digital system like a game console that doesn't make sense it just increases cost and increases complexity of manufacturing without increasing the value to the consumer. Which is probably also the reason why many people complain about the price, as it's ostensibly a 50~80 dollar premium device sold for more than double that cost (and a 10~20 dollar device if they used low end components). It's a platform with amazing dev tools that really killed it's more widespread success (and smooth manufacturing) by making an extremely expensive little machine that those tools are locked behind. Giving it somewhat a chicken and the egg problem, making it a console for developers rather than a console for consumers that is easy to develop for. It's a system with amazing potential but is killed by it's price due to poor engineering choices. (and all the pricing is assuming you are in the US, outside the US you'd be looking at a 250 to 350 dollar device due to Panic's poor distribution, which is probably a knock-on effect of their manufacturing issues which create scaling issues in distribution, which is in all likelihood a result of their engineering choices)

[@SquidGodDev]

This is a pretty good argument. I would totally be on board with another company that made a device with cheaper components and a similar developer experience, but I think there's sort of a big overlap between the types of people/company who would put in this amount of effort into making a quriky handheld device with dev tools like these and also the type of people/company who would also want to use niche, expensive parts. If they cared about min/maxing the part cost then I don't think they would've ever made the product, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong by another handheld. Since there's sort of a handheld console revival in the last few years, maybe something will come out soon that matches those criteria.

[@relo999]

@@SquidGodDev Ohh certainly, I think there is a lot of overlap between those 2 groups but in business there doesn't need to be overlap. Even something simple as some business minded engineers in the room could have fixed that. Clearly there is a lot of intrest in a console similar to the playdate that's simply lots cheaper (and has a better distribution and manufacturing system. The waiting list and the price outside the US are big killers for intrest even if they'd accept the initial price of 180). And in all honestly it wouldn't be that hard to create a system that fit those specifications, only the dev tools might be an issue. It'd would be quite easy for a competitor to outcompete Panic with what essentially would be a "playdate lite". Even if Panic themselves would make a "playdate lite" with their existing dev tools, the "playdate lite" would probably make a killing. Though that'd be a PR nightmare and result in a lot of cancelations of regular playdates. Simply because people send more than double (and internationally sometimes more than quadruple) the cost of the new device that does the same thing. I'd certainly be mad if I spend the 280 dollars to get one here and a month or 2 later I could have gotten something very similar for ~80.

[@dogeplayz.]

i love developing games, but no videos showed me if it was well priced for developers. Thank you so much!!!

[@TheGogeta222]

Delivery too Germany is Close to 300€

[@Thebigskullman]

I legit bought a playdate because of you and your channel. I’ve been trying (self taught) to get into making iOS and Unreal Engine/Unity games (and actually my main/ultimate purpose is to create apps for the Cybiko) for a few years now- and have been good on progress, but spending time making real games, is something 99% of tutorials and “how to make” videos are just so bad at. Either it’s series of 15 videos to build a really unappealing game, or it’s concepts (not real-world useful examples) that are so burned into your brain already that it’s all redundant. You make real games, and show us directly and concisely and that’s why I love this enough to invest in. And honestly i’m a gigantic display technology nerd and the Memory display is the coolest feature of the Playdate

[@SquidGodDev]

Cybiko looks pretty fun. Glad that you're enjoying the videos - put a lot of working into growing my game dev skills so I'm glad it's bearing some fruit. The display is super cool for sure

[@Spykedjadedragon]

Dude... I love the Cybiko.. I have an unhealthy obsession with it... even 20+ years later🤣

[@rx97_mc]

I def agree with your points here, esp. coming from a similar niche community -- minecraft mapmaking and data packs. We have a large set of dedicated artists and developers making a ton of free content which really was a huge part of the waves of the game's popularity. Still to this day, we get several dev focused updates. There's also the entire modding community which has some overlaps with us. The price def makes sense for this product, but unfortuntely, it still doesn't make sense for many people who I think would enjoy this device. I agree with how you've categorized the audience markets, especially clarifying that folks looking for AAA-type games obviously aren't in the market for this, but I think there's a couple of things missed here. a) modern consoles have only been able to become loss leaders and rely on game sales because of the last 2 decades of insane success in the industry i) many games like COD have expected sales simply due to their branding, this system doesn't benefit from that b) modern systems have a large collection of accessories which help bring in more profits as they are much cheaper to produce yet have much wider margins c) modern systems have a various array of products (such as a lite, middle, and pro model) which can target the audience better basically implementing price discrimination. I see the Playdate as a success even if it's seen as expensive and doesn't produce many margins for the parent company. The community derived from this product is very heartwarming and lovely and is a huge part of why they should double down or others should invest in it. The Playdate v2 or whatever they call it could really expand on the idea but actually become profitable and cheaper at the same time: -> Playdate v2 is backwards compatible with existing library of games -> The unique input device -- the crank -- becomes a modular attachment. -> The playdate has a magnetic, attachable accessory which provides unique and fun input methods for developers to play with -> These input devices are dropped every other month (or some cadence) and become a fun way to incentives developers to stay creative -> They don't need to be expensive but could have higher profit margins than the actual device -> The playdate having it's own store (as other commenters have pointed out) would be nice esp if hosted on the device itself With other ways for monetization, it provides enough abilities for the company to reduce the price a bit and gain back profits from other sales. It incentivizes the community to grow with more folks leading to more games, etc. I'm very excited to see where the playdate goes, and in the future, I definitely will consider grabbing one (especially thanks to your content). Great video!

[@SquidGodDev]

Wow great to get some insight into the community that you're a part of! I have many fond memories of playing custom minecraft adventure, puzzle, and parkour maps in the past. You bring up great points :)

[@LingsKazemiro]

Especially now that it will be 199, I think a lot of people on the fence will pass on it...

[@OriginalGrasshopper]

They just raised the price to $199 (as of May 2024). That means to get one sent to me in Europe (Sweden) it’ll cost $274 all in with the shipping and taxes. And that is, unfortunately, out of my budget.

[@augustodeleon4358]

I am a developer and I am considering buying one and start developing games for it. What I fear is that this turns out to be a console basically for game developers and without a true market. Let's face it, if you are watching this channel you are probably a developer, not a consumer. SquidGod certainly has made some income, but he must be one of the top developers for the Playdate, he has a successful channel too which helps. That being said, I'd love this device to be successful, the idea of a 1bit opaque display with decent battery life, fast boot times ... and a crank looks great to me.

[@SquidGodDev]

Yeah you definitely can't go into it thinking that it's going to make you a lot of money - your time is better spent making a steam game or something else. But for me it's just fun, so I can't really put a price on that. And it's very realistic to at least recuperate the cost of the Playdate itself if you release a decent game, so in that sense that's not bad as a hobby. I will be trying to see where I can get to financially and share my journey, and I'm interested in seeing how catalog and more units being shipped out will affect the market.

[@augustodeleon4358]

@@SquidGodDev you are absolutely right, and thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@erik19borgnia]

Short answer: yes. Long answer: yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees.

[@lovemadeinjapan]

During the wait for a real Playdate, I just started experimenting with game making on my Fakedate: Teensy 4 + Adafruit Memory Display.

[@SquidGodDev]

Fakedate - I like that. That definitely would've been something I considered doing if I was in a later shipping group.

[@augustodeleon4358]

Hello there, Your comment caught my attention, the Teensy 4 looks actually very promising, if you can, could you please give me more details about your build? what do you use as input? I'd really like to develop a game using low level tools like C language and maybe use it to learn some ARM assembly too. The Teensy board is not too expensive and has a relatively powerful CPU, 600MHz for a Cortex M7 is a lot. That's 3 times the power of the Playdate.

I agree with almost everything. But the price is high. I think if it got to 99 the sales would be multiples higher.

[@jackpaice]

One important thing to keep in mind is these are made by Teenage Engineering. All their hardware is expensive as heck, but it's also built really well and with good parts

[@amj.composer]

As a musician let me add that their shit is memed on a lot too because it's so unbelievably gimmicky (like the OP-1).

[@jackpaice]

​@@amj.composerSame boat here. I once borrowed the OP-1 from a friend and couldnt do anything with it as it would require weeks of learning the super complicated UI. Also, it's like $1.2k 🙃

[@bentayman]

I bought one and I can't wait to play your stuff!!!

[@PokeBurnPlease]

Looking at the playdate and what it can do. I would conisder 50€ already expnsive but still acceptable. There are just way to many other cheaper devices providing way more software (games) with way better graphics. If you go used even a 10€ Cellphone will manage to do more.

[@tonywtyt]

I've not listened to our point of view on the price yet, but I'd like to put forth my idea of its overall open source approach. Most consoles require you to pass some kind of barrier to entry. And if the barrier isn't created by the console creator and having access to the SDK, it may be difficult to install the game or burn it to some cartridge. Playdate development and distribution is as easy as it gets and you don't have to search the "black market" to trade and install games... No Homebrew hacks. I didn't realize the Teenage Engineering had their finger print on this device!

[@whycantwebefriends9178]

200$*

[@segsfault]

it's not only about the value it provides... i can get a Raspberry Pi + Few Other Required Components in Less than a 100 Bucks or Even 50 Bucks and make a handheld almost twice as powerful as PlayDate.

[@vertujoe2886]

too expensive? no. it's way too expensive

[@Peremptor]

The playdate would be a good candidate for emulation. Might even push for hardware sales since it's such a unique device.

[@MrScottyTay]

I'm a big retro handheld gamer with aspirations to make my own games but still think it's slightly too expensive, I'd have jumped on it if not. I love 1 bit art styles too, but the price is still too big a bullet to bite with today's cost of living crisis. I'll stick with a retro handheld and making a gameboy game or something to scratch that itch

[@SquidGodDev]

I think that's a good compromise. You should look into GB Studio to make gameboy games. I've heard good things about it, and it looks easier to develop for than the Playdate.

[@MrScottyTay]

@@SquidGodDev GBStudio is a bit too drag and droppy for me. I prefer a more hands-on approach with code, I've kept my eyes on it but will probably go with GBDK2020, but I'm not that used to programming in C so that's the main hurdle with that as I'm primarily a C# dev for work.

[@augustodeleon4358]

@@MrScottyTay GBDK2020 sounds good, thanks for the heads up.

[@MrMalibublues]

Just saying, but I had to pay 270 EUR to get it to arrive in Belgium somewhere end of this year (hopefully?), including taxes (around 40 EUR) and shipping (also around 40 EUR). It didn't matter that much to me. It is and will be a device made by and for enthusiasts. I still think it's crazy these guys created such a mature product + dev environment around it out of nothing!

[@davidlecompte9467]

The thing is for me, the playdate cost almost 250$ because it's only US $. So yeah, the playdate is too expensive just because of this for me.

[@xAlexZifko]

this thing would need to be like $50 at most to be truly reasonable for the consumer

[@MizuhoChan]

Very much so, yes. I can't afford one.

[@dannyfinesse6614]

Great vid, loved how you explained each point clearly👌🏽

[@wyattwustrau]

interestingly enough they just announced needing to raise teh price because of component price increases...and also mentioned in the recent playdate update that they had been shouldering the costs associated with it as a result previously. all that considered they only raised the price 20$ so far. considering what you have said it's still a question of how are they making this so cheaply? it's for sure not a thing everyone should buy, it's to niche. though it is a thing i am personally interested in.

[@SquidGodDev]

I saw that - was interesting to see that outcome after investigating into their costs

[@stringedassassin]

It's not meant to be a Switch or Steamdeck and that's what I love about it. I have played your CODs, Battlefields, Fallouts, etc. for years. I work a lot and sometimes I just want something more relaxing, and that's what I get out of it. Many of the games are very creative and unique, and the device itself has been designed by/with Teenage Engineering (if you don't know, ask somebody). I think it's solid and I am enjoying it.

[@NeptuneSega]

Said the same thing about the Analogue Pocket. People think they have Microsoft levels of deep pockets and connections...

[@Thegetitguy]

I'd love to see someone compare why the community for the playdate is how it is, compared to similar ones like thumby, makecode, and arduboy. The last one being the only one with a decent community.

[@gamagama69]

10:49 this makes so much sense. it does have that apple feel of form over function and costing a bit extra

[@elizabethbarwise9966]

Very insightful info, some things I hadn't even considered about the price

[@Michael-Archonaeus]

1:38 Funny, I don't consider the drum of oil expensive, because that is the price of oil, and you can produce a lot using that oil, whereas the iPhone offers very little that a smartphone a quarter of the price doesn't provide, and there are plenty of other options, so that iPhone is incredibly expensive imo.

[@johngalt200]

Great points on the realities of the price. I'd just like to ask though that you turn off autofocus on your camera the next time you record something. It's distracting that the focus keeps shifting and I started getting a headache about halfway through.

[@SquidGodDev]

Yeah that's my bad with the autofocus. I'll definitely make sure to turn it off next time!

[@fewstr]

the crank isnt really that novel of an idea. Its just an analog stick that keeps its position when you let go, and doesn't have depth.

[@SquidGodDev]

I personally think that the crank is one of the least interesting aspects of the Playdate - the most interesting aspect is how easy it is for developers to make games for the device which is a huge unlock. Also, in theory it may seem similar to an analog stick, but in person it feels very different than any other input device I've used.

[@patchnotesforlife]

the marketing campaign for this thing gave me cancer

[@Pandan3D]

It's too expensive. I would have loved to make games for this thing, but for who? The 100 people who have one?

[@EngineerKappa]

I feel like a lot of people so far aren't really even getting the point of this video. The device is more of a niche hobbyist toy for developers, and it being a niche means they really can't make the drastic price cuts larger companies can. It won't be for everybody, but it's made to suit those small amounts of people it really is for. I personally wouldn't buy one, but I do respect the goal they're going for.

[@nogosari3596]

i'll just wait for chinese version

[@Fredomnom]

14:23 yes. The games are yours and panic can’t get any provision from this but there is a new feature coming called catalog. I think they will get some provision there

[@SquidGodDev]

Yeah I think so too. They haven't confirmed any details about that, but I hope they take a cut cause it seems warranted.

[@hannibalkim]

It's still too overpriced and quality of the games are lackluster. Gimmicks in console doesn't aways apeal for better games. Retro gamers do buy bit overpriced recreation of older generation of consoles but this thing does not have killer games nor atractive games for the public audience. 25 games in hardware does not make the price right. It's harsh to say but 20 bucks priced chinese console has similar exprience as included games. Arduboy seems much more interesting then this.

[@thecastiel69]

I want to purchase, but they don't ship.

[@Sarge92]

i would say its a little pricey if not for how they handle homebrew devs if we look at Nintendo there products are relatively cheap compared to there hardware however they'll take a cut on all sales of games playdate on the other hand wont touch any of that your free to make games and sell them forwhatever you please and you owe them nothing you don't even need to pay for the dev tools infact owning a playdate at all is a optional thing you could 100% become a developer making a decent earning off of there ecosystem and have never given them so much as a cent as such playdate need to make all there profit on the front in the hardware sales reality is people if you hate DLC if you hate the way Nintendo and others profit off of small devs this is how you solve this the hardware company makes its money off the hardware by not doing loss leader sale prices and the dev gets everything from the sale of there game and the 2 remain seperate

[@brittanywinston9227]

all points very well said

[@ozmond]

I’m having a lot of fun with mine just got it finally

[@artyomtop1gg739]

This is cool, but I live in Russia and there is playdate cost $750(

[@Anonchik29]

Понимаю

[@SquidGodDev]

Sheesh that's crazy....... Yeah not sure about that then

[@Kavukamari]

The point is not for it to compete on the market, it's to be a fun console that is a new way to experience the same feeling as something like a commodore 64 where you program your own project and watch it come to life

[@Kavukamari]

I love bizarre Input methods too, I mean, a crank? Really? That's crazy and fun, I wanna mess with that Input

[@NeoTechni]

I have one, and and I collect this exact sort of thing, and I say it's too expensive. Other devices like it cost half as much, or have color. The only reason I caved is cause I made games for it that paid for it. Even PSP from over a decade ago had twice the RAM. 4 times if you use anything but the launch model.

[@SquidGodDev]

There's definitely some more affordable options from companies who have optimized their manufacturing process to drive their costs down. For me it's worth it simply from a developer experience and community standpoint - I wouldn't have nearly as much fun making games for any other platform.

[@nirgunawish]

i wish i could afford it

[@Kwazioo]

Well its 199$ now xD

[@Deniz-XO]

If I was rich I would buy 2-3 of them ahaha I love everything about this device and I understand that it is a special machine but yes It is overpriced if it was between $50-$100 it would sell like hot cakes.

[@patatopeeler3005]

Sadly i would not be able to buy the playdate even if it was half the price, currently it's 2k in my countries currency :(

[@STR82DVD]

Weirdly, I agree. Solid logic.

[@tico481]

I think it's going to be very very expensive for collectors in 10-20 years

[@immortalsun]

I haven’t finished this video yet, but my guess is that it’s actually not that expensive in terms of how much it costs to make it. I’d imagine a device like this isn’t super easy to produce, especially for a small company. $179 doesn’t seem like an unreasonable price to me. It’d be too expensive if it were $300 or more, but even $200 would be a completely fair price, IMO.

[@midosyt]

eh I still think getting a moddable switch provides everything the playdate has to offer and more and a steam deck is a step above that with more power to work with and both have bigger communities around them

[@chafacorpTV]

I came here to get lectured on how to make games and get sold on buying the OBJECTIVELY best sdk combo ever, no to be told what everybody with more than 2 braincells working would figure out. Great video btw, no intend to disrespect.

[@SquidGodDev]

No offense taken. I thought this stuff was pretty self explanatory as well, but from the comments I've seen it's not as common knowledge as I expected. If you're already sold on the Playdate you're not the target audience.

[@joseanhp]

As a software engineer not working in the game industry, I'm interested in the Playdate to refresh my game/maths coding skills and have fun coding. Yes, I could create games for other platforms (PC, smartphones) as I did in the early years of my career, but nowadays, it requires months/years to deliver a game with enough quality to make people play it. Playdate seems to be a fun way to create and share games due to the device limitations and creativity. Anyways I still think the Playdate is too expensive for what it offers, even for developers. Fortunately, I can afford to buy although the purchase is hard to justify. Also, for people living outside the US, the shipping cost/taxes are around 1/3 of the price of the console... My main critic is that the screen has no backlight. Even if they wanted a retro experience, it makes no sense at all, in my opinion.

[@SquidGodDev]

Yeah good points for sure. And on the topic of the screen, from the Playdate Podcast, they said they were specifically inspired by the screen so they built the whole device around it, not the other way around, so that was interesting to learn about.

for that money i'd take 2 miyoo minis anyday

[@urielalbertosanchezm]

When the playdate emulator be ready the creators will be screaming

[@psaiko666]

Well made and informative video, but what`s going on with your autofocus?

[@SquidGodDev]

Ahh yeah I only caught it after I finished recording, but didn't think it was worth it to rerecord everything. It was just a configuration issue - next time I do something like this should be fixed.

[@ShadowDrakken]

I see systems like this and Pico-8 and etc and I always get these lofty ideas of making my own games. But then I buy the thing and can never figure out what I'm doing :( I need to just stick to my PowerShell and GUI coding. I don't have the brain for games :(

[@SquidGodDev]

The lofty ideas might be holding you back? If you just start with very simple games I think you can do it, and then you can slowly build your skills over time - that's what I did. I think anyone can make games

[@ShadowDrakken]

@@SquidGodDev I mainly have issues with how to design game objects intelligently and manage them quickly. Like, I can easily populate a grid of tiles and the associated sprites. But I can't get anything resembling a framerate out of it XD

[@SquidGodDev]

@@ShadowDrakken Interesting. I might have to make a video talking about performance at some point to go over stuff like that.

[@polocatfan]

100% too expensive. should have been priced at the original announced price. stop defending it.

[@xXSummonNightXx]

Hi! How are you now? You haven’t been posting videos since 9 months ago and I’m wondering if you still make games on play date?

[@SquidGodDev]

Hi! I'm still around :) I'll be back before you know it 🦑

[@fallyn2920]

it's expensive as a device, but as an experience with all the games that are out there it seems to be fairly priced. Probably cheaper then getting into gameboy advance now.

[@delldell21]

Playdate have game? PLAYDATE HAVE GAME!

[@matg3802]

I would not get it if it was 20$

[@DarkChaosMC]

Even as a person in the 3rd/4th demographic, comparing this to other consoles, handhelds as well, I’d feel like getting a 2DS would be worth more of your money, higher res, more colors, and better hardware. That being said modding the DS is pretty difficult but still worth more your money if you want to put effort in.

[@jimmerseiber]

when would I get it if i preordered?

[@SquidGodDev]

Maybe late summer early fall. No one knows for sure.

[@Charmunk3d]

Great Vid!