Playdate Review - Console and Games!

Today I'm reviewing a brand new handheld console called the Playdate from Panic Software! I will also be taking a look at some of the games included in Season One. This unit was sent to me for review purposes but I was not paid. Console and 24 games for $179 USD. You can preorder one here: shop.play.date/
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00:00 Intro
00:09 Console and Hardware
04:13 Games
Atari Breakout commercial from Retropolis Channel: • Atari Super Breakout V...
Background music is from Pilotwings 64
#Playdate #IndieGames #Gaming

[@Gadgetmawombo]

Thing is tho: you can get a switch lite for that price. It's really a niche item.

[@kri249]

That surfing game looked cool. The board seemed to have a mode 7 effect going on there. Also that crank would be perfect for a fishing sim.

[@AirknightTails]

0:37 That Animation is so cute I'll be passing on the Product as the price seems pretty steep for me

[@BIGMILKO]

Always nice to see a new upload from Erin!

[@gamergeekenator111]

Best review I have seen. Made me understand and buy one. Went online and found that over 300 games made for it by a great community. Thank you!

[@ErinPlays]

Thank you! I’m glad to hear it was helpful 😊

[@Nov-5062]

There's even more now! about 460 games

[@winterburden]

Very cool Erin, thanks for showing us! 🙆‍♀️

[@COOL-DROPS]

Will it now just gather dust in a draw for many moons though, that's the real question!

[@jason1656]

All depends on the support it receives an the quality of games it gets

[@JaredConnell]

Absolutely

[@omegamac10]

Yes

[@crism8868]

This is the first time I can actually see the playdate in action, and I gotta say I really enjoy its aesthetics. It's like an early black and white macintosh combined with a fantasy console like the pico-8. I think if marketed correctly this could be popular among the retro-computing / indie game crowd.

[@qqq1701]

They did a great job of coming up with something different and following through with it. However, I don't see myself getting one.

[@dan_evilrobot]

This is great review Erin, I've heard of this handheld and looks pretty cool.😉👍

[@ErinPlays]

Thank you! 😀

[@The-Flute-Wizard]

WHAT A GREAT REVIEW- and those new glasses are super awesome! Rock on Erin, nicely done as always

[@ErinPlays]

Thanks so much!

[@xenos_n.]

Can't say I was looking forward to a tiny black and white handheld with no backlight for $180.

[@lordjs9726]

I agree with ya.

[@kcadventures1454]

10 months later...it is forgotten.

[@xenos_n.]

@@kcadventures1454 no surprise

[@AntLeonardi01]

They even raised the price

[@thekradeht]

Thanks for all the great content!

[@steelcurtain187]

This was a fun one. Great review

[@zeliardforty-two4692]

Really dig the pixel quality there. Makes me want to try this out!

[@Edenwaith17]

Great review with a focus on a number of the games other reviewers haven’t talked about much.

[@ErinPlays]

Thank you! I wasn't planning to go that in depth but it just kind of happened, haha.

[@ty_the_RetoVideo_guy5543r]

Another excellent video Erin!!

[@Mekazas]

When you mentioned Gyrus, I fell in love with you! Such a cool game that I remember well and the music in it rocked! Thanks!

[@jonathanjollimore4794]

Nice review I had the original old grey brick Gameboy with the light attachment so you could play in the dark so this hits right in the nostalgia

[@h2oceann]

The crank is a cool gimmick and looks really solid. This thing was made for a fishing game!

[@rugxulo]

Quite impressive machine, nice review.

[@RachelDavis705]

I like that the background music for this video is from Pilotwings 64

[@zickykane5206]

Great review :)

[@racyagentmac]

Awesome content u got yourself a new follower ♥️

[@mrben6573]

I wonder if every game developer assumed every other game developer would be making a fishing game, so no one made a fishing game. It's a Game Boy with a FISHING REEL BUILT INTO IT. And there's NO FISHING GAMES? Imagine Legend Of The River King GB (incredible game btw) but with actual fishing reel controls. Different fish requiring different fishing reel strategies, etc. It would be amazing. NO FISHING GAMES AT ALL? Someone really dropped the ball.

[@ggary04]

There's already a game in development called Robot Fishing 👍

[@Kenny_khaos]

Looks fun, I’d like to play. Thanks for the review!

[@vaporwave2345]

Yaaay! You're the perfect person to review this cool little gadget!

[@crithon]

look neat, I like the way you set up this video. Lots of honesty.

[@billcook4768]

Not for me, but congrats to the developers for getting this to market. Hope it does well. And special praise for that Vectrex-looking game.

[@TeganCantEven]

The Playdate is soooooooo adorable!! I definitely want one!!!

[@edwardmarlowe7926]

That looks really awesome

[@djshaneb123]

Great review!

[@ErinPlays]

Thank you!!

[@Gamvid1]

Surf game looks fun, time travel adventures looks like the perfect match for this new crank control, like Omaze too

[@ix8750]

YEAH BOI Pilotwings64 is awesomely chill, and yo wtf the way the light hit your glasses is so trippy, also that crank tuck was legit im glad this handheld can do that.

[@chocolocojames213]

Even getting kicked in the robot nards look painful. Nice review Erin 😊😊😊

[@darthvader8094]

This imo seems like a tiger hand-held redesign for 2022. The games look pretty fun though, a pool, or fishing game would be perfect for the crank

[@Morbutt]

Yeah I was expecting a fishing game to be shown

[@videogameobsession]

Nice review, even though I think the product is hot garbage. :P A ONE color screen, with no backlight for nearly $200, is kind of a joke (It's 2022, for anyone reading this many centuries from now). For comparison, I bought a $199.99 Analogue Pocket, a while back, and received it in 12/2021.. I'm extremely happy with it. It plays GB/GBC/GBA carts, and will play GG/TG16/PCE/NGPC/LYNX carts/cards, with adapters. The screen the the best part. 1600dpi, and it almost perfectly replicates the original systems (original Game Boy, GBP, Game Boy Light, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance). The screen pixel replication is incredible.

[@ErinPlays]

Ah, I haven't tried out the Analogue Pocket yet myself but it does seem pretty nice. And for some reason I thought it was more expensive than $199, that's cool. Thanks for watching!

[@videogameobsession]

You're correct. The prices for the Analogue Pocket have gone up to $220, if you pre-order one now. The prices on they're sourced parts have gone up, so they had to raise it a bit. I pre-ordered in 2019, and got lucky to get one since they sold out in about 45 seconds! If you like playing original portable carts on a portable, with a beautiful screen, I'd recommend it. It also has a $99 dock, which allows you to get a perfect looking 1080p output, with options for many different Bluetooth and 2.4g controllers as well. I'm also looking forward to any ported console FPGA cores we may see in the future. Keep up the nice work on the show!

[@Cyberbrak]

I adore this idea, and the games look fun. My hesitation is how it just seems that when using the crank there isn't a very ergonomic grip to get on the overall device. That first game looks fun as heck but I can already feel my hands stinging when watching you do it. Maybe a case that adds some better grip points would be a solution? 🤔 Thanks for the review! I'm still on thr fence on this one.

[@ErinPlays]

I only had a problem with it when I was playing a game that required me to go kind of fast. But most of the games you don't need to crank that fast. Thanks for watching!

[@SegaSnatchers]

For something that doesn't have a backlight, it really is reflective to the ambient light, much better than original GB consoles.

[@xenos_n.]

Honestly I don't understand how a handheld doesn't have a backlight in 2022 even if the screen looks better than other nonbacklit games.

[@ggary04]

@@xenos_n. It was meant to conserve battery life, keep cost down and increase profits... what's so hard to understand 🤣

[@seruresto1386]

@@ggary04 No, the screen is really what started the whole project. The Panic guys really liked that type of screen once they found it, and that got the ball rolling. Panic is a software developer first and foremost. This is their first hardware, and was specifically made to be weird and niche. They aren't making much money on these. In reality choosing a small lcd screen would have increased their profits, not the opposite. Those are much easier to source and much, much higher volume so they would have been significantly cheaper than this niche screen they chose.

[@ggary04]

@@seruresto1386 What are you talking about Ips panels are way more expensive and drain the battery twice as fast 🤣. I never said they were making a killing but you're insane to think they would make more money with something like an ips panel inside. Yes they said they wanted it to feel like a game & watch but that does not mean that they also went this route to keep cost down.

[@boilerfan18]

Some of these games look pretty fun. I hope they have good support for it.

[@willman85]

The lack of backlight doesn't bother me at all. The display is sharp and clear. What does bother me is the high price for what it is; and the lack of games you get immediately combined with the slow rate of new releases.

[@MegamanStarforce2010]

the price is justified cause every game on it is free. in any other console you'd have to buy each game individually, and i'd guess they'd be 5-10 bucks each.

[@willman85]

@@MegamanStarforce2010 I think the review would have been less glowing if the decision hadn't been made to not account for how a regular customer (i.e. somebody who hadn't received all games available in one go) would experience the product. That's not to say Erin was dishonest or anything - just, to me, it was more a review of what the product would be like after waiting 3 months since having bought it rather than straight away.

[@JMFSpike]

Very interesting little console. It's mostly made to be retro, but there are just enough modern features thrown in to make it feel like something new and interesting rather then simply a throwback to days of old. Hardware specs look quite good considering what they were going for. The screen is apparently made to be visible in any kind of lighting, so the fact that it has no backlight shouldn't be as big of an issue as it was with the Game Boy line. I'm not sure if going with a monochrome color scheme was a good idea. I understand why they did it (basically nostalgia, and perhaps to keep costs low), but it would probably sell better with color. Still, the games look pretty dang good. It may be a bit of a long shot, but I can see this possibly becoming a mild to moderate success. It would probably have a much better chance in the eastern part of the world though, and unfortunately it looks like they're not shipping in any of those countries as of yet (besides Japan, where I highly doubt it will sell.) I'd market the hell out of this thing in the east.

[@MockingjayYT]

This looks super fun! Excellent review Erin 👍

[@anthonywheeler2082]

Omaze looks awesome. I like weird puzzle games.

[@thetechn1que518]

The lack of a backlight is a dealbreaker for me, just like it was a dealbreaker for me with the original Game Boy 32 years ago. I have no regrets about never owning the original GB or GBA, if the screen isn’t backlit i can’t see it under most lighting conditions. I guess my vision isn’t great or something.

[@brownwallet942]

lmao id pick GBA over GBA sp anytime of the day! GBA feels better to hold on hands and pressing the L&R buttons has a good feel to it compared to the squareish SP. having no backlight isn't a big deal unless you're gonna play outside

[@bradford433]

I agree with you. Pretty steep price without one imo. I mean, they're not making money on the software from what I gather, so I guess it kind of makes sense. But that doesn't change the fact that it's expensive. That aside, maybe they can make a worm light or something for it lol

[@BarzinhoNerd]

Starsled and b360 seems fun. I can see myself playing these.

[@buckarooholiday]

i has forgotten if i even preordered this, but i placed it last year. it feels like it's been two years since they announced it

[@otimo144]

Such mesmerizing glasses OwO

[@charliemirus4124]

Price is definitely a con - especially when we've seen such better graphics and such - even if it is coming with plenty of games. I'm just one consumer, and not a marketing genius, but I definitely fall in the "camp" of being more willing to pay more for a better quality item and games of my choosing, rather than a ton of games, many of which I won't want to play.

[@alfasilverblade]

One of these games is just a black n white Cliker Hero without Microtransactions.

[@hicknopunk]

I just got Thorium Wars on the 3DS for 1.99. I'll stick with 3DS.

[@Jhoffa22_]

You're truly missed gorgeous, hope we get some new videos soon, and I hope life's treating you well over there...💯😋🍺💯

[@karnige5804]

needs a back light. :/ looks like a quality build though

[@KWPZ21]

I thought the crank is supposed to power it like the crank flashlights. Thanks for the review.

[@fusionspace175]

The idea of a small console with it's own new games sounds good, but the crank kills it for me. I think I'd get sick of using it within a week, it's not like a stylus and touch screen where there's infinite possibilities, the input seems limiting for games you can design for it, and I'd get annoyed switching from the d pad and buttons to it. Also, it seems all but impossible to use both at once, so I'd call that a major design flaw. The stylus can easily be used with the d pad and shoulder buttons at least, if not full face button control. It also bothers me how much the unit moves around when cranking, I don't know how you follow the screen with your eyes. A fun novelty for many, I'm sure, but it's not for me. But I know all that because of you, so thanks for reviewing it, and I wish nothing but joy to all who do want it.

[@scottydu81]

I just had an idea for a crank operated gaming device. What do you play when you are waiting for rescue? that's right, the Emergency Crank Console! Give the device a few cranks and it will power a small screen that runs emulators!

[@raymxslappedyall1891]

I can already see that thing go flying into the wall when going hard on the crank,should come with a wrist strap ala wii mote

[@michaelsullivan007]

I absolutely love your videos. Thank you.

[@cretanarcher5914]

Is the crank covered under warranty? I can imagine it would be the first moving part to stop working properly if you spent too much time on the games that use it heavily.

[@ggary04]

The console has a 1 year warranty. It should be more reliable than an analog stick since the crank isn't coming in contact with anything inside the console. It's a held in by a C clip. What Erin was talking about can be avoided with care as long as you don't go nuts.

[@darthvader8094]

I'd be concerned if the crank was all plastic, but it seems to have metal parts, so maybe they knew it would take alot of abuse and designed it to last

[@kkkkkk1497]

6:12 5:07 5:08 6:57 7:00 ( press time buttons in 1 sec intervals over and over again )

[@d12jnco]

Cool!! Yay! New Erin Plays! 🙌

[@Jkauppa]

you could add a roller as a controller

[@CommodoreGreg]

It's obvious to me I haven't been watching enough Erin Plays.

[@darrancoyle8394]

Looks like a fun little handheld. Thanks for throwing this my way.🕹️♥️

[@SuperColdLemonade]

Came from Mike, love it =)

[@mattmyers9351]

The Playdate looks so freaking cool! Great review Erin!

[@shadowghost4015]

I'm surprised you haven't covered the Evercade and the DataEast Arcade Collection 1

[@ErinPlays]

Maybe I'll buy one some day. When it was announced I thought it could be cool! I wish I could try one out before buying one though.

[@ShowtimeWorthy]

Pilotwings 64 approves of this video.

[@nostalgicwiz3977]

This is interesting. Maybe I will get this game. Battleship Godios looks like a parody of Gradius. And why you didn't play Boogie Loops? Those characters were cute, maybe a little too cute

[@jetsetatrophy67]

I had seem pictures of this console and assumed it was like an outdoor survival handheld with a crank to charge it

[@stphinkle]

Some of the game graphics on this resemble the late 1980s to early 1990s Macintosh Plus / SE / SE-30 era halftone dither pattern type graphics. I am suprised they went with a non-backlit monochrome display in this era.

[@HoldMeBack]

Great review cutie

[@ResidentNotEvil5]

Game Boy and sega game gear still rocks 2022

[@nufi20]

Oof no back light for 170 ouch. Was the crank hard on your hands? Would it hurt after a while?

[@yackablejohnson1485]

It's a good thing to know the crank works. All the games look like Tech demos. I can't help but think of the Virtual Boy. Like, really cool Hardware just really bad software.

[@unitix]

I REALLY appreciate the pilot wings 64 music 🤌🏼

[@ErinPlays]

I thought it was fitting :D

[@FabioGnecco]

Your room looks amazing ! 100th comment hell yeahhhhhh

[@ErinPlays]

Yay! Thank you!

[@mikaelnilsson2648]

When I first saw it I thought the crank was used for charging the battery 😄

[@ErinPlays]

Lol that would have been kind of cool 😂

[@jasonmuller1199]

Hi Erin i wasn't too excited about this handheld but the way you review stuff makes anything always sound fun or interesting

[@ErinPlays]

Thank you!

[@sodiumlights]

The question most folk are over-looking is; how much are the games after the 'free' first season? Imagine that this isn't just a cute little device and that its a larger, boring looking console instead. Would you be content paying for just the season 1 games and no more? Are you going to be locked into some subscription service in the future? Are you going to be hostage to whatever charges the company has yet to reveal? Wonder why they haven't revealed that yet? This may seem like I am being negative but my advice is just to wait until you see what the 'real' cost of a season or per game is going to be in a few months time.

[@blodguizer]

It's odd to me how many people are on board with this digital only device yet the PSP Go was hated when it was released. I accept that it had some issues mainly caused by Sony and how few titles were actually made available for it but I still use mine to play PS1 games and the few great PSP titles that were playable on it.

[@melvinsantos9756]

This looks pretty good 👍🏿 kinda reminds me of that game gear mini that came out a while ago only it’s much bigger and it looks like it’s more comfortable in your hands 🙌 . Great video 😎👍🏿

[@echad6259]

Cool.

[@deadseveredheads]

What music track is playing in the background?!

[@ErinPlays]

Pilotwings 64

[@fastandfurious3173]

You need to do more videos Erin! Are you just streaming more these days?

[@ErinPlays]

Been having a hard time keeping up with videos this year, but yes I do try to stream at least 2-3 times per week. I wish I could release videos faster!

[@fastandfurious3173]

@@ErinPlays you’re one of the best content creators around. Grateful for any videos you make :-) I know you’re a Nintendo girl but you should try and do a bit on Sega.

[@scottthomas5819]

what a great night to have an evening... and a curse !

[@HolyAssassinX]

Those cards could be super valuable! Thats soo cool! I remember i have a lot of Marvel cards. Nooo dont eat it! Lol. I thought you were about to eat the gum haha. My XMen Cards are probably valueable.

[@ryancarnes7516]

I would definitely buy it if it had backlight

[@marklechman2225]

That particular shade of yellow reminds me of the Pono Player. Anyone remember that?

[@soniclevels1514]

You’re very cute 😳. Edit: also, you’re content was recommended to me on my FYP, congrats, keep going. Seems like the algorithm is working for you 🙌

[@retrorick]

Great review Erin, I def want to check this thing out

[@girlsdrinkfeck]

enjoy your landfill waste contribution, anything thats online reliant is trash

[@ErinPlays]

Thank you!

[@Rubberneck1965]

It's Nice, it's Nifty, it's Neat, it's... Non-Nectariferous!

[@robk.6591]

For fans of the Gameboy this looks fantastic! If it sells well I imagine there will be accessories made for it like a light attachment and magnifying screen.

[@ErinPlays]

Yeah I could totally see accessories like that becoming a thing.

[@maximumrisk2004]

What would make me really happy, is them making the crank actually able to charge the console. That would be a long lost hidden feature.

[@goodknight4132]

That's what I was thinking. Crank light ,crank radio, crank console.

[@TheOhzoneLayer]

That would be impossible for a crank that size

[@lenin17301560]

69k subscribers. Nice.

[@underratedcritic1983]

69K subscribers!

[@Nintendofan-yk4cd]

4:42 - that's probably the first video game I've ever seen where your character gets kicked in the nuts

[@gruffalo911]

I wish Erin would be my playdate.

[@robertlawrence9000]

Hi Erin!

[@mr.a8315]

❤️