The Playdate has been out since April 2022 — here’s how it’s going

In a time when video game consoles are becoming more powerful and more connected than ever and AAA games are massive, bloated endeavors, Untitled Goose Game publisher Panic decided to go back to basics with the now $199 Playdate: a minuscule yellow handheld about the size of a Post-it note with a non-backlit black-and-white screen and a fishing pole-style crank on one side in addition to a D-pad and three face buttons.

Its design looks like it could’ve easily fit into Nintendo’s or Sega’s hardware stable in the early aughts, with games that similarly reflect some of the most fun, experimental games of the day.

That’s fitting: early developers for the system are responsible for some of the most unique and indelible gaming experiences from that time, like Katamari Damacy and the ever-maddening QWOP. Its games are delivered in seasons (the first one’s free), but users can also sideload community-made games if they want to.

• Don’t Panic, the Playdate now has a matching power adapter.
• Pinball’s coming to the Playdate.
• Playdate is getting a second season of games in 2025
• The Playdate Stereo Dock has been shelved
• Don’t Panic.
• Zero Zero: Perfect Stop turns the Playdate into a train simulator.
• You can now camouflage your Playdate as a tiny pizza box.
• The Playdate makes a surprisingly good e-reader
• Flapping the bird with a Playdate.
• Playdate has sold 150,000 games in the last year
• The case of the missing $400,000 worth of cute hand-cranked game consoles.
• Playdate, please.
• You can finally buy a Playdate without waiting for months
• Make a date with your Playdate.
• Spice up your Playdate with a new cover.
• Back to the future of handheld gaming.
• Castlevania meets Playdate.
• Playdate now has an MP3 player.
• Make your Playdate more productive.
• A light-gun shooter on your crank-powered handheld.
• More Playdate games.
• Panic says it’s sold more than 50,000 Playdate handhelds
• Playdate is adding five new games to its Catalog.
• You can now play Celeste on Playdate.
• Today is the last day to order a Playdate before its $20 price increase
• Playdate is bumping its price to $199 in April
• Playdate’s new store launches today — here are some great games to check out
• Playdate’s next showcase will focus on new games and its upcoming storefront
• Playdate’s failure to launch in Malaysia
• Time to dust off your PlayDate.
• Even the Playdate Simulator can run on Steam Deck
• The Playdate’s launch was a unique opportunity for small game developers
• The playful Playdate gets serious as a personal organizer
• Here are some great games to sideload onto your Playdate
• Panic isn’t sure if people will like the Playdate’s seasonal model
• You can now make a Playdate game right in your browser
• Panic’s Playdate handheld delayed to early 2022
• See how the Playdate’s crank cranks in new teardown
• Playdate hands-on: a Game Boy from a different dimension
• Here’s when and how you can preorder the Playdate handheld
• Playdate preorders begin next month, and here are the first games
• The tiny Playdate handheld gets a price bump but double the games
• Panic’s Playdate handheld will be ready for streamers when it launches sometime this year
• Playdate, the tiny handheld with a crank, is delayed to early 2021
• Check out some wonderful Playdate game demos, including a low-fi Doom
• Our first look at Playdate, the world’s cutest game console
• Playdate is an adorable handheld with games from the creators of Qwop, Katamari, and more