The Playdate is a small handheld video game console released in 2022. I purchased this device for myself in June and this article serves as not only an in-depth review, but as a longer piece regarding the state of the handheld video game market, and taking creative risks.
The playdate was announced in 2019 and is made by Panic with help from Teenage Engineering. I was immediately excited for the device for a ton of different reasons. First, Panic makes cool stuff, including one of my favorite video games of all time: Firewatch. Second, Teenage Engineering has built a strong hardware reputation recently and I’ve always wanted an excuse to purchase something from them. Third, the size of the device, the color, and the screen all sounded cool. Lastly, I wanted to see personally how the crank affordance felt, the novelty caught my attention.
It launched at $200 and I decided to hold off my purchase until a killer game came out or the price dropped. Eventually Panic actually raised the price to $230, so I made the purchase this summer as a gift to myself for changing jobs.
Panic released their Playdate at an extremely tough time. Currently there are three excellent handheld gaming choices available. Panic is entering a crowded market that doesn’t seem to leave much room for innovation.
The Phone
Everyone has a smartphone. Traveling on the subway the majority of passengers are staring at their phones. On average they’re not reading, they’re scrolling social media or playing games. The most popular games on the phone are bad- candy crush or block blast. They’re popular for a reason: They make people happy. These developers have tapped into the learnings of slot machines to steal screen time and sell ads. It’s a ginormous industry. It’s an additive product with negative barriers to entry.
Not all phones games are this predatory. Some of the best games of the last 5 years have been also been released on mobile, including Balatro and Vampire survivors. With hardware accessory like Backbone, the phone can also play games like Fort Night well. The reality is the phone works for most people well. And if you’re willing to sift through all of the noise it’s a great gaming experience.
Switch, Steamdeck, and Xbox Ally
The traditional video game makers (Nintendo, Steam, and Microsoft) have created a nearly commodity like product for handling gaming. The form factor is the same across these manufacturers and their prices are all north of $500. Nintendo offers their flagship family games of Mario and Animal crossing, Microsoft boasts an impressive game library accessible as a monthly subscription, and steam allows users to build up an impressive library that carries across from their PC offering.
I can’t help but a bit disappointing with these devices. The switch 2 is notably larger than the switch 1, and i’ve never ever held my switch and thought, I wish this was larger. The battery life of these devices are typically measured in “A few hours”, their prices are steep, and they’re heavy to hold and lug around. I actually am more likely to purchase a switch lite instead of a switch 2 for my next device from Nintendo. There doesn’t feel like there has been much innovation this space in the last decade.
But these devices have the latest and greatest games. Having at least one of these devices is essentially a requirement of being called a gamer. There simply isn’t anyway around it.
Retro Handhelds
The retro handhelds from China are a new entry that need to be addressed. The core concept is, Chinese companies are using old Phone chips to create devices that can be used to play ripped old video games. They’re a ton of manufacturers of this strategy at the moment, the devices are coming in lots of different form factors, and at all prices ranges. I own a Miyoo Mini Plus, which cost $50 and I’ve loaded it with hundreds of Super Nintendo Games. It’s a nostalgic blast at a price point that can’t be ignored. On the higher end is The Retro Pocket 5 at $500 which can play games up to the PS2.
The devices are full of faults. First the preloaded software is usually trash and requires some technical expertise to get working correctly. Second, loading Roms requires having those Roms, and the legality of these is dubious. Lastly, there is not good support for new games. They exist to feed on nostalgia.
The retro game movement has found popularity for a good reason and surely is not going away anytime soon. I’m glad these devices exist to help with preservation and allow people who love to tinker a good avenue, but they may be taking away from current creatives and that reality makes me very sad.
The playdate has a unique offering compared to the above, but it’s not clear if that will be enough for them to carve out space for themselves in an already crowded market long term. Let’s start with the stuff I really like about the hardware and software
The good
The less good
The playdate includes Season 1 of games. There were a bunch of games I really enjoyed in Season 1 and I want to highlight my favorites below:
Overall the average game seems to be bite sized. If you enjoy the games in UFO 50, you will surely like the games on the playdate. I will be buying Season 2 and I can't wait to rip into those games.
Innovation requires risks. I’m so fortunate that so many great developers and creatives have committed to make video games professionally. Video games have been a consistence source of my happiness and I am the benefiter of a ton of work from people I will never know.
The team at Panic took a risk to make the Playdate. Hardware is risky. Making a new operating system with your own store and video game engine is risky. I applaud everyone that helped bring this device to reality.
It feels likes the Panic team is the only group taking true risks and making an attempt to think out side of the box for a new handheld experience that benefits gamers. I don’t like the current trends of the gaming market: monetizing ads, chasing nostalgia, and increasing the screen size all leave me feeling icky. I would love Panic to have a larger influence on the overall gaming ecosystem and this is a great way to plant their flag and say loudly they deserve to be part of that conversation.
I like the Playdate. Is this device for everyone: No it’s not. That’s okay, not everything is for everybody and it’s a crowded market. I’m very satisfied with my purchase. I’ll be purchasing Season 2 and I’m considering that the next game I develop will be a Playdate game. Panic has won my allegiance for their risks and innovation and I’ll be supporting them in any reasonable capacity I can moving forward. I think they nailed their objective. I sincerely hope they made enough money that they’ll continue to be daring. The next time you see me, I’ll probably have my Playdate with me.