I just got a Playdate!

To be fair the price includes 10 or so original indie titles which if you go by the store front's average game pricetag ($5.36) that accounts for $53.6 worth. (And that's really not fair to some of the games I've played)

Correction: The first season of games that come with the device total out at 24 so going off of that original 5.36 average you'd actually have about $129 give or take worth of game value, leaving the actual Playdate device at a $71 purchase for the device itself.

It is quite a gimmick, but that's not necessarily a bad thing tbh. Its neat if you're a hobbyist dev in particular to expand the way you think about input vs in game design so that when faced with things such as analog triggers, gyro controls or touch surfaces you got a better intuitive thought process.

I will however say that to me, the main use ends there. A neat gimmick in particular for gamedevs.

It's not a full dedicated gaming console that you're spending hours and hours playing. It's a toy that's great for quick sessions and it's really fun to develop games for. It's very well made and the software is great.

It's not a fair comparison to existing handhelds. It's niche, and definitely not for everyone. Personally, I love it and think it's just a unique toy that's fun to show people. If you'd need to get X hours of gameplay to make it "worth" it to you, it probably isn't your style.

8 hours active battery life doesn't sound good?

Sounds like a lot, to me.

I have that one already, and it's great. But yeah, the Playdate category on itch.io has 900 entries. It's a bit overwhelming, to be honest.

It's an enthusiast device. As a gamedev myself, it's super fun to make little games for, and then you can easily show your friends/family. The limitations and unique input (the crank) lead to some awesome and interesting games.

I don't really view it as a serious gaming device. It's great for 5-20 minute sessions but it is basically a toy. I think if you're interested in experimental indie games, it's a great little device that's absolutely worth it. It shouldn't be directly compared to a "normal" game console because, frankly, it isn't.

I have a playdate and have seen this sentiment a lot.

Imo the charging mechanic would ruin the usability of the crank in many of the games. Some games require rapid cranking and having a charging mechanic would not only be another point of future mechanical failure, but also slow it down too much.

It's also worth noting that the device also has a gyroscope so it can detect tilting, shaking etc as well. It's very versatile for it's size. It's NOT an emulator (though it can run an emulator), it's a fully original handheld console.

$200 is a fair price because that includes something like 15-20 games. Every game for the playdate is original and hasn't existed before it came out.

The playdate is not meant to replace an emulator and buckets of roms. It's its own game console with lots of great new games made by passionate devs.

I've played more of the 24 pack-in games than I've ever spent time actually playing with the multiple emulator station consoles I've set up over the years. I love seeing what new games devs put out on the catalog, too. No in-app-purchases or any such BS, so devs just have to try and make a game that's worth your couple bucks up front.

The creative constraints of the 1-bit color and limited inputs push games in fun directions too. The crank is amazing as an analog rotation input, which has been missing from game consoles since the early 80s. Steering and aiming with the crank is so fluid and intuitive that it really adds to immersion.

It's not the kind of thing everyone's going to get $200 of value out of, but if it happens to be up your alley its truly incredible.

From my understanding, it's meant to be more like an art piece than a simple games emulator.

Thanks! I'm sideloading it now. I'll let you know what I think of it.