'Playdate' Handheld Game System Now Available for Pre-Order - MacRumors
Skip to Content

'Playdate' Handheld Game System Now Available for Pre-Order

by

Panic, a company known for its range of apps designed for Apple's iPhones, iPads, and Macs, today announced the launch of pre-orders for its Playdate handheld gaming system.

playdate1
Panic had 20,000 Playdate systems available for preorder for shipping in late 2021, but those quickly sold out and orders placed now will ship out in 2022.

Priced at $179, the Playdate is a pocket-sized gaming system that has a unique design. It features a black and white display, bright yellow chassis, a d-pad, A+B buttons, and a crank on the side that serves as a flip-out rotational controller.

playdate2
The pocketable gaming system will feature pre-installed games from developers like Zach Gage, Shaun Inman, Bennett Foddy, and Keita Takahashi.

There will be several games available at launch, and an additional game will be delivered each week for a few months. The Playdate comes equipped with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a USB-C port for charging, and a headphone jack.

Those interested in the Playdate can pre-order it today it from the Play.date website.

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Sunday August 16, 2026 8:24 pm PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. As usual, the event is expected to take place in the first half of September. Labor Day falls on September 7 this year. The last time the holiday was on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the...
Read Full Article
iPhone 18 Pro Rumored Colors

What's Coming in September: New iPhones, Apple Watches and More

Thursday August 13, 2026 4:20 pm PDT by
Apple will introduce at least five new devices at its iPhone-centric event next month, and it's also possible we'll get devices waiting on Siri AI like the Apple TV. iPhone 18 Pro The iPhone 18 Pro is going to look like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting some internal updates, including a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting ...
Read Full Article • 25 comments
iPhone 17 One Year Later Thumb 1

Should You Buy an iPhone 17 Now or Wait for iPhone 18?

Friday August 14, 2026 12:15 pm PDT by
For the first time since Apple started selling standard and "Pro" iPhones, we're not going to get an entry-level iPhone model this fall. Apple doesn't plan to release an iPhone 18 in September, and will only launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra. The lower-cost iPhone 18 won't come out until spring 2027. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Read Full Article • 112 comments

Top Rated Comments

nosnhojm Avatar
nosnhojm
66 months ago
I don't understand all the hate for this (not just here, but other comments/forums). This device is not meant to compete with the switch or stream deck. For me this is a nostalgia machine that puts a modern spin on the original game boy (which I grew up with). The debate on pricing I understand, but not whether it should exist.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iapplelove Avatar
iapplelove
66 months ago
Because the world is screaming for a portable gaming system with pre installed games and a black and white screen.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NARadyk Avatar
NARadyk
66 months ago
Have we travelled back to 1989?
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Internet Enzyme Avatar
Internet Enzyme
66 months ago
Lots of cynicism here, but I think it’s a breath of fresh air. Playdate was never positioned and should not be considered as a new entrant in the competitive handheld console market: rather, it is a nifty, kind of charismatic curiosity that promises 24 free games.

Good graphics and gameplay don’t strictly come in the form of expensive 3D games replete with modern rendering embellishments and cutting-edge technical implementations: instead, what the Playdate is posing is a more halcyon, minimalist view of gaming, one that understandably appears kind of alien to people who are ensconced within their own, limited, predefined concept of the medium. I feel like people have a narrow view of what gaming can be in the modern day, and have forgotten that the medium of gaming is, well, simply a medium, and that it can be wider than just console wars and PC gaming. And I don’t think anyone, including Panic, expects Playdate to be at all competitive in that market.

Perhaps it is a bit of a hipster product, but the price is not bad at all given the quality of the design and the number of free exclusive games it will get. Looking forward to receiving my pre-order later this year.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eric_WVGG Avatar
Eric_WVGG
66 months ago

I was in and out before the clock hit 12:03PM.

New games from Lucas Pope, Bennett Foddy, and Keita Takahashi games plus 21 more?

Yeah that's an immediate buy from me.

Once the dev tools are out in the wild the homebrew community for this should be interesting.
The hater parade on this is just fascinating. What a bunch of joykills.

Yes a bunch of creators we admire teamed up to make something cool and amazing. It's a little expensive because it turns out that making custom hardware is expensive. "It's not gonna compete with the Switch" no **** sherlock, they're only making twenty thousand this year.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE IT, IT'S NOT FOR YOU.

I got my order in, absolutely stoked. 💛💜💛
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsplusmacs Avatar
macsplusmacs
66 months ago
After the Steam Deck has been shown (and ordered by myself), there is NO interest in this from me. This is just a gimmick. (a too highly priced gimmick)

Feel free to differ in opinion of course.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments