The Engadget guide to Playdate

Latest headlines

There’s a Playdate games showcase on February 28
Panic is holding a developer’s showcase for its Playdate portable console on February 28 at 12PM ET. The presentation will feature the new game from Lucas Pope, among other titles.
You can now buy a Playdate console without an obscene waiting period
The Playdate console has been tough to get a hold of since being released, as pre-orders have vastly outnumbered current orders. However, Panic says you can order now and have it immediately shipped.
Panic has sold more than 50,000 Playdates so far
The first batch of 20,000 Playdates sold out in under 20 minutes.
Playdate's first store update adds four games and a calculator
Playdate has received its first game store update, and it brings four eclectic games — plus a calculator.
Playdate’s Catalog games store is live today
Playdate's 'Catalog' store launches today with 16 games available to purchase.
2022 was an incredible year for handheld gaming
2022 was stellar for handheld gaming. Between the Steam Deck, Playdate and an explosion of retro consoles, we received an embarrassing amount of mobile gaming goodness this year, and cloud play is only encouraging more innovation.
Engadget Podcast: We love the Playdate and BTS dance lessons on Apple Fitness+
This week's gadget news has been surprisingly pleasant, with the Playdate and a Pokémon-themed foldable phone making headlines.
First Playdate orders begin shipping today
The day has finally arrived.
Panic's Playdate handheld is delayed until 2022
Panic has pushed back the launch of its Playdate portable to 2022.
Teardown shows the Playdate won’t suffer from controller drift like the Switch
iFixit got an early chance to look inside the Playdate and found some interesting information about the device.
Panic's Playdate handheld will be available for pre-order on July 29th
It's priced at $179 and will ship before the end of the year.
Panic's Playdate handheld isn't for everyone, and that's OK
Panic's Playdate is a gaming handheld with a crank. It's an undeniably fun and quirky device, but it's definitely not for everyone. It's an indie handheld for indie games, and you'll either love it or you won't.
Panic's Playdate handheld will be available for pre-order in July
Panic's hand-cranked Playdate will be available for pre-order in July
Panic's upcoming Playdate handheld will cost $179 but arrive with more games
Panic increases Playdate price and will hold a video showcase event on June 8th.
Playdate's mirror app links the handheld to a PC for streaming and control
When Panic's Playdate portable console ships, you'll be able to plug it into a PC to mirror the screen for streaming, or control it from the computer.
$149 Playdate handheld is 'ready to go,' orders start in early 2021
“Playdate is almost done.”
Here are some of the games in development for Panic's Playdate handheld
With so much attention focused on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, you might have forgotten about the Playdate. The pint-sized handheld, which has a monochrome screen and a tiny fold-out crank for controlling select games, is “hopefully” coming out this year, according to the official Playdate Twitter account. Well, creator Panic — a software developer and publisher of games like Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game — has teased a bunch of third-party titles on Twitter.