Panic’s first Playdate handhelds begin shipping Monday

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

The company announced that Panic's Playdate, its quirky Game Boy-like handheld with a crank, will begin shipping today.

The first Playdate systems for customers in Group One will be shipped out gradually.

It's not clear how many Playdates will ship in the first round, but Jurge Cruz-Alvarez confirmed that shipments will start more slowly and then ramp up. Cruz-Alvarez said that Panic estimated that all Group One orders would have shipped by late May.

Panic said that they would ramp up their shipping volume every day to make sure all of their systems were working.

You'll be emailed the moment yours is sent. We'll ramp up our shipping volume every day to make sure all of our systems are working smoothly. We think we can get Group One out the door during the next month. And remember, your season of games begins when you set up your Playdate.

— Playdate (@playdate) April 18, 2022

The first preorders for the device were supposed to ship at the end of 2021, but they were pushed back after Panic discovered the initial finished units had a major battery issue.

The first season of 24 games will be available to everyone who gets a Playdate. Not everyone will have the same access to the same games at the same time, as the deliveries begin when you first connect your device to the internet.

You will be able to sideload games, and if you want to make your own, Panic has already released a software development kit and a browser-based game-making tool. The Panic app will allow you to find and buy apps beyond what will be available in the first season.

Since we know that people are going to want to buy games, we have started work on Catalog, a Playdate app where you will be able to easily purchase games. When we have something more to say about Catalog, we will keep you posted.

If you're interested in learning more about the device, check out Andrew's review. If you place a new order right now, it won't ship until later in the year, but you will want to make sure that Panic can actually deliver a Playdate to you.

The initial orders for reservation holders for the Steam Deck will open on February 25th. Analogue got its first orders of the Pocket handheld out the door at the end of 2021.

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The information about the catalog was added.