Playdate console preorders will not ship until 2022
If you want one of these consoles, you'll be waiting a little bit.
For some people the ideal gaming console is the one with the most realistic graphics, the highest possible frame rate and theater-quality audio wherever they are. The Playdate is not any of those things, but that doesn't stop it from being incredibly fun looking. Panic, the publisher behind the wonderfully popular Untitled Goose Game, is delivering a handheld console with a hand crank and a black-and-white screen. Its bright yellow body looks super friendly, and all of the quirky indie games announced with the console look like a ton of fun.
Want to get your hands on one? It's almost time to preorder one for yourself.
How do I preorder a Playdate?
There's only one place you will be able to get yourself a Playdate. You'll need to head straight to the Playdate website, and be ready to pay $179 for the console.
This price is for just the console, and not its Stereo Dock accessory or Pen, which can be ordered separately. The only accessory available right now is a $30 cover, which is only available in a bright purple. The prices and availability for these other accessories have not yet been announced.
To avoid a PlayStation 5-style hunt for availability, the Playdate will not sell out. Instead, the ship date will be bumped incrementally back to match the company's ability to acquire the parts necessary to assemble the consoles. At the time this was last updated, shipping has been delayed to some point in 2022.
When is the Playdate launching?
Oddly enough, there is no set launch date for this console just yet. The Playdate is supposed to be shipping the first 20,000 units at some point in 2021. It's likely Panic will be giving more information on a shipping date in one of its video updates like the one we saw in June.
What we do know is Playdate will be shipping at launch to the following countries:
- US (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands)
- UK
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland