Well that was fast – Playdate's first wave of pre-orders sold out in less than 20 minutes. Panic – the company behind the tiny handheld device – planned on offering 20,000 units for shipment in 2021, with any further orders not scheduled to arrive until next year.
Pre-orders went live earlier today and massive turnout managed to overwhelm its servers. International customers had the most issues, with the shipping provider unable to keep up with demand. Techcrunch reached out to Panic to confirm all 2021 units had been accounted for, and it responded that the "shipping estimator is accurate." In other words – 20,000 units sold out in 20 minutes, and any subsequent pre-orders won't be fulfilled until 2022 at the earliest.
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Playdate is an odd little device, but its appeal is immediately understandable. The tiny yellow device looks absolutely adorable by any standards, and boasts a unique black and white display that Panic says, "looks way more amazing than you're probably imagining." It's also got a unique crank jutting out of its side, which should provide original gameplay opportunities for developers.
As far as games are concerned, you'll unlock two new games every week for 12 weeks. Many fans originally believed these new games would drop on all devices at the same time, but it's since been revealed that they're asynchronous, with each "week" based on the day your Playdate arrives. If you get your unit in 2022, for example, your first week will arrive at a time when someone who received their unit in 2021 may already be nearing the end of their 12-week season.
Panic is planning more games beyond the original 24, although no announcements have been made. If you're the creative type, you can also craft up your own titles for Playdate with an upcoming SDK.
Playdate is available for $179, or you can pick up Playdate plus a Cover for $199.01. Regardless of which you choose, expect to wait until 2022 for it to be in your hands.
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