What is the Playdate Console release date? This brand-new handheld console was recently revealed as a surprising new entry into the portable gaming space. The Playdate was unveiled by Panic, the same people who published Firewatch and the upcoming Untitled Goose Game. This quirky little handheld will be releasing a batch of original games in the near future — and there’s more to it than meets the eye.
As noted on the console’s official website, the Playdate is a handheld gaming system. It will feature unique indie titles specifically made to work with it rather than ports of other titles. You won’t have to wait too long to get your hands on it, either: the Playdate console release date is sometime in 2020. It will cost you a decent chunk of change, but it won’t break the bank, either. The price probably has something to do with the unique crank controller attached to the side.
Playdate Console Release Date | So what’s the deal with that crank?
As you can see in the above image, the Playdate has a strange crank on its side. I thought that this was perhaps some kind of unique charging mechanism, but it’s actually an analog controller that will be used for some of the games. The first announced title Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure appears to use the Playdate crank to move your character across the screen and complete other actions, although we can’t yet be certain how exactly it works.
The Playdate is planned to have games from Keita Takahashi, Zach Gage, Bennett Foddy, and Shaun Inman. A dozen games will arrive in the first year as a sort of subscription service, with one game delivered a week for twelve weeks. That won’t be the end of the console’s offerings, either, as future seasons of games will be made available at an additional cost. Only one game has been revealed so far, as Panic intends to keep the releases secret.
The Playdate console release date is sometime in early 2020. You’ll be able to pick one up for $149 or your regional equivalent.