Playdate - The handheld with a crank on the side (Hardware)
User Review
Product Information:
- Official Store: http://play.date
Review Approach:
It's a neat little console. This thing is little bitty. It fits in my hand, its durable and heavy, and comes well packaged.
After seeing a post by Chary in 2019 about this console, I decided to jump in and try it out
Chary posted in May of 2019,
"Publisher Panic Inc. is jumping into the gaming hardware market with a new, quirky invention. Panic is known for being a mobile app developer, though they have had prior experience with the gaming industry through publishing 2016's hit indie game Firewatch, and are currently in the process of publishing the wildly odd Untitled Goose Game. Now, the company feels it's the perfect time to get into the hardware market by creating the Playdate, a small handheld gaming device. It bears a striking yellow shell and features a traditional layout of a D-pad and two face buttons. The screen is a 400x240 LCD, which Panic boasts as being "extremely sharp and clear", and outputs only in black and white."
Offical website: Playdate
Unboxing was nice. The Playdate came well packaged, with instructions, and a USB-C cable.
There was also another 2nd thought insert to make sure you charge your console for a few hours, as the battery may have fully run out in shipping. I could see why they added this insert, as the console did not immediately turn on, and no lights appeared when first plugging in, which could cause some buyers anxiety. However, after a few hours of recommended charge, the console turned right on.
Its a neat little console. And there looks to be a robust catalog and game creator scene. One of my favorite games so far is called "Recommendation Dog". You are a dog with a rolodex in front of you, and people come in your office and need help with something, like a plumbing problem. You then use the crank to roll through your rolodex to find the best person for the job. It was fast paced and quick and a great idea for the crank controller. This game is made by an indy game developer in Canada called Sweet Baby. I personally hope someone makes a really great fishing game, final fantasy style!
Overall, it's a fun coffee table console. Great to have sitting out, and you can pick it up and play a quick Warioware style game. You need to be in a fairly lit space, but the clarity of the screen and the sound are very good. It's not like playing on an original gameboy, more like a paper eink reader. Having no backlight will probably help the battery life as well. I've charged it once and it's been on for a week without needing to recharge.
"Publisher Panic Inc. is jumping into the gaming hardware market with a new, quirky invention. Panic is known for being a mobile app developer, though they have had prior experience with the gaming industry through publishing 2016's hit indie game Firewatch, and are currently in the process of publishing the wildly odd Untitled Goose Game. Now, the company feels it's the perfect time to get into the hardware market by creating the Playdate, a small handheld gaming device. It bears a striking yellow shell and features a traditional layout of a D-pad and two face buttons. The screen is a 400x240 LCD, which Panic boasts as being "extremely sharp and clear", and outputs only in black and white."
Offical website: Playdate
Unboxing was nice. The Playdate came well packaged, with instructions, and a USB-C cable.
There was also another 2nd thought insert to make sure you charge your console for a few hours, as the battery may have fully run out in shipping. I could see why they added this insert, as the console did not immediately turn on, and no lights appeared when first plugging in, which could cause some buyers anxiety. However, after a few hours of recommended charge, the console turned right on.
Its a neat little console. And there looks to be a robust catalog and game creator scene. One of my favorite games so far is called "Recommendation Dog". You are a dog with a rolodex in front of you, and people come in your office and need help with something, like a plumbing problem. You then use the crank to roll through your rolodex to find the best person for the job. It was fast paced and quick and a great idea for the crank controller. This game is made by an indy game developer in Canada called Sweet Baby. I personally hope someone makes a really great fishing game, final fantasy style!
Overall, it's a fun coffee table console. Great to have sitting out, and you can pick it up and play a quick Warioware style game. You need to be in a fairly lit space, but the clarity of the screen and the sound are very good. It's not like playing on an original gameboy, more like a paper eink reader. Having no backlight will probably help the battery life as well. I've charged it once and it's been on for a week without needing to recharge.
Verdict
What I Liked ...
- Durable
- Small
- Robust starting catalogue
- clear and sharp
What I Didn't Like ...
- no backlight
- not all games use crank control
- small community
- catalog is difficult to browse
8.2
out of 10
