Graphic explains what the unusual Playdate games console is.
GN41637EN

GAMING

The Playdate handheld console comes with a hand crank

By Ninian Carter

April 29, 2022 - A cute new handheld games console is set to shake up the established order with its unique control input – a hand crank attached to the side.

Games developer, Panic, with no previous history of making hardware, is finally shipping its highly unusual Playdate handheld games machine after a faulty battery delayed production by several months.

At first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking the Playdate is just another Game Boy knock-off, but if you give it more than a cursory glance, you will see a silver bar on the right-hand side of the console’s cheery yellow casing.

On closer inspection, you’ll find this is in fact a crank that can be wound by the user to control aspects of gameplay.

As absurd as it sounds, the crank is, according to reviewers, great fun to use. Although not needed for every game in its upcoming library (when it can be neatly folded away), many do use it for controlling things like the movement of time (Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure) or the actions of a surfer cresting a wave (Whitewater Wipeout).

Unusual controller input is not the only original feature of the Playdate – method of delivery for its games is another. When you take possession of your shiny new console, included in the price is a 12-week games subscription, whereby two new games will automatically be installed via wifi every week, for a total of 24 games. You may not like them all, but it’s going to be interesting to see what comes out each week.

With its bright yellow shell, crisp black and white widescreen display, crank handle and eight-hour battery life, Playdate’s emphasis is most certainly on fun, fun, fun.

Pre-orders opened in July 2021, with the first batch of units selling out in 20 minutes. Orders are still open but further shipments will not arrive until 2023.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 29/07/2021; STORY: Graphic News
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