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[iconmaster]

It's... cool? But really bizarre.



You get several games included in the price but each unlocks on a certain week, and is apparently delivered over wifi.

The crank isn't for charging the battery, it's a kind of analog input device.

It comes in yellow.

$149, early 2020. 12 games in "season one," so perhaps they plan for more games down the line?

A few more details from https://play.date/edge/:

- 2.7-inch black-and-white screen, not backlit
- resolution of 400 × 240 – around four times the pixels of the Game Boy’s screen

 

[xool]

That's a lot of yellow for $149.

It looks like something I would really want root access to.

Nicest surprise of the year. Still not sure if real.

 

[Deft Beck]

There's no way that people won't be able to get access to all the games within a couple of hours of this thing hitting the street.

 

[dream]

Shit, I’m in. The developers mentioned as being on-board are some of the most innovative, forward-thinking dudes making games today.

 

[GamesAreFun]

Beautiful design, but looks like it would be uncomfortable to hold - the d-pad is too near the bottom of the device and the side edges aren't rounded. The crank as a controller is neat, assumed it charged the battery at first.

I bought an Ouya at launch, so I'll be more cautious next time...

 

[SlashBringingHasher]

an another garbage android system

 

[TacosNSalsa]

I don't know why I find that thing so .....nifty looking . I don't know what else to say really

 

[GamesAreFun]

an another garbage android system

I don't think it's Android, at least their FAQ mentions a custom Playdate OS and the SDK uses C and Lua instead of Java.

 

[Kenpachii]

put that thing into your backpack, go to any airport.

Rip you.

Thing looks like a time bomb.

 

[GamesAreFun]

Odd choice, I tried playing an original GBA and it's difficult...

Is there a backlight?
No! Wild, right? In daylight, the reflective layer makes it look spectacular. At night, you can sit by a reading lamp and bask in how incredibly beautiful a modern, sharp, highly-reflective black-and-white LCD can look. It’s great.

 

[iconmaster]

Odd choice, I tried playing an original GBA and it's difficult...

 

[Hendrick's]

Ron Popeil's Pocket Console

 

[iconmaster]

All my hipster designer associates are thrilled by this, so they'll probably sell their limited stock.

 

[GamesAreFun]

All my hipster designer associates are thrilled by this, so they'll probably sell their limited stock.

It does seem form over function. Also noticing the buttons are perpendicular to the console body; the NES had the last controller to do this, since it's uncomfortable to reach both.

 

[Riven326]

Needs a caterpillar logo.

 

[jshackles]

The handle on the side makes this thing look like one of those handheld fishing games from the late 90s.

 

[zeorhymer]

Time gated games? What's the point of it?

 

[LordOfChaos]

I'm glad weird hardware is still alive.

Would be cool if the crank did charge it though. A gaming system that never runs out even if the zombie apocalypse wipes out the grid.

 

[Housh]

honestly I would've been more interested it if it was crank powered

 

[Verdanth]

Consider me curious.

 

[Pejo]

I'm listening....

What new mechanics can crank controls bring us besides fishing?

 

[LordOfChaos]

I'm listening....

What new mechanics can crank controls bring us besides fishing?

First game has a time control mechanic with it

 

[SonGoku]

not backlit

DOA terrible omission

 

[Orenji Neko]

God, I remember those days and the struggle to just play Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. Fighting the forces of darkness inside and outside the game lmao.

 

[osiris_128bits]

Does it use batteries? Is that why it has a crank???

 

[StreetsofBeige]

That looks nice.

Black and white screen..... that doesn't look nice.

 

[Soleil rouge]

The non-back lit, black and white screen will be the reason it fails. What the hell are these people smoking?

 

[PSYGN]

Who okay'd the font on that website.

 

[Pallas]

Looks interesting but what are the games? And it’s blackmsnd white? That may me interesting if the picture and graphics are sharp.

 

[BlackTron]

So wait, $149 for a system with a black and white, non-backlit screen? What are they competing with, Game Boy?

This thing seems intended for weird novelty but has a "real system" price.

 

[Shakka43]

If it sells 10 units i'll call it a success.

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

screen, not backlit

*sigh*

Game Boy Light - 1998
Game Boy Advance SP - 2003

And a black-and-white screen? It's like they never heard of Nintendo.

 

[Shifty]

Aesthetically, I like it. Might have picked a different colour given the choice but it's not the worst.
Ergonomically, hmm. Unsure. The crank is certainly novel.

It looks like something I would really want root access to.

Pretty much this. It's intriguing enough that I'd want to fiddle around with a SDK and build something for it.

*sigh*

Game Boy Light - 1998
Game Boy Advance SP - 2003

And a black-and-white screen? It's like they never heard of Nintendo.

Cost saving measures, most likely.

 

[DESTROYA]

Not every idea is a good idea.
Not having a backlit screen is really stupid, more just monochrome.

 

[Chairman Tickles]

Black and white screen...

Why does it cost so much?

I was expecting $29

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I like the concept and there are far worse ways to spend $150 in the gaming hobby.

The crank is cool.

 

[juliotendo]

It’s just a hipster handheld for hipsters to use and carry to Starbucks or their local soy food truck.

 

[Elcid]

No thanks, I want a Vita 2.

 

[EverydayBeast]

I wish playdate all the best, maybe they could of handled some aspects a little better (backlit screen, color etc.) so without being to critical I still see this handheld struggling given the handheld numbers.

 

[CyberPanda]

Looks like a device type 1 diabetics wear.

 

[MayauMiao]

The crank I assume is to recharge the unit? Perfect for long trips to remote area without any power source.

 

[LordOfChaos]

The crank I assume is to recharge the unit? Perfect for long trips to remote area without any power source.

No charging with the crank, purely for gameplay

Wish it did trickle charge it though

 

[StreetsofBeige]

$150. Black and white screen. Season 1 has 12 games.

Sure seems worth it. lol

 

[DiscoJer]

I could see $50. It's hard not to compare it to the Atari Flashback Portable, which is $45. That has no wi-fi but does have an sd-card slot.

I also wonder if Sony will allow this? I think they probably have "Play" in the the hardware name of a video game device locked up.

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

PS5 and Xbox Two better come with their own cranks if they hope to compete with the Playdate.

 

[Vitacat]

I'm old. I love retrogaming. But, I don't get this device. Especially at that price.

It does remind me of another device, though... The LDK Game. This costs about $50 shipped (from China of course), has a backlit 2.6 inch color screen, emulates everything 8 and 16bit, plus even some PS1 pretty well. In fact, I have one on order, albeit in the transparent shell. Plenty of reviews on youtube if you're curious.

Here's the transparent shell version:

 

[Sqorin Hammerfarf]

The crank makes me think it'll be incredible awkward to stick in your butt.

 

[Rodolink]

The crank as a charging mechanism as well as an input would be amazing. And might forgive the no backlight. But is not so thats a big sin.
Great overall design though. But very expensive for an experiment. Its a $60 thing tops.

Edit: just read the website, didn't know they made Firewatch, that's crazy. Changed my mind, I might give it a go. Gave me ideas for making something for it.

 

[Solomeena]

Either way, kind of cool product. Let's see it in action.

 

[BunzLee]

So, don't get me wrong, but... What or who is this product for? Considering it has no backlight and will be playing their own games, I really don't get who they're trying to reach with this. When it comes to handhelds they're competing with Nintendo and the regular phone, so they'll need a few good arguments to get people to buy into this at a regular price. Also the image looks like a rendering, and I don't trust unfinished products.