It feels like it’s been forever since the Playdate was first announced. Almost three years have passed since the quirky little handheld came into the spotlight. That’s left many wondering when the Playdate release date will be and when the handheld will start shipping.
What is the release date for the Playdate handheld?
The release date for the Playdate is April 18, 2022. The first wave of pre-orders started shipping that day. However, Panic Inc. didn’t state how many would be sent in that shipment. Reviews of the handheld have gone live, but it’ll likely be a day or two before the general public receive their devices.
When it was announced, Panic Inc. planned to ship in the Playdate in early 2020. However, it was later delayed until early 2021, then to 2022. So, it’s finally coming out two years past the original release window.
Thankfully, players don’t have to worry about waiting for games. The Playdate will have two titles released for it each week for the next 12 weeks as part of the first season of content. This is included in the price of the handheld, so everyone will receive them.
The first season of games are:
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- Battleship Godios
- Boogie Loops
- Casual Birder
- Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure
- Crayons
- DemonQuest 85
- Echoic Memory
- Executive Golf DX
- Flipper Lifter
- Forrest Byrnes: Up in Smoke
- Hyper Meteor
- Inventory Hero
- Lost Your Marbles
- Omaze
- Pick Pack Pup
- Questy Chess
- Racheteer
- Sasquatchers
- Saturday Edition
- Snak
- Spellcorked!
- Star Sled
- Whitewater Wipeout
- Zipper
More games have been produced for the Playdate, but plans for a season 2 haven’t been announced. Here are the titles with a TBD release date:
- Daily Driver
- Date of Life
- Direct Drive
- Faraway Fantasy
- Getting There
- Mars After Midnight
- Oxy Con Brio
- Playmaker
- Robot Fishing
- Widget Satchel II: Return of Sprocket
Those interested in the handheld can still purchase it. Panic Inc. is taking pre-orders for the 2023 batch of Playdates on the official website.
