Yanking yer Crank
Developer Panic has revealed that Playdate, the curious handheld console powered by a physical crank, has sold over 53,000 units since its release exactly one year ago. This number, as noted by Eurogamer, represents double Panic’s forecast for the admittedly niche, but intriguing device.
Announced back in 2019, Playdate was pitched as a hand-cranked portable console that would play a library of titles, released on rotational/seasonal basis. Interest quickly spread about the quirky platform, which lead to pre-orders selling out in a scant 20 minutes, as interested parties snapped up one of the initial 20,000 planned production models. To date, over 27,000 Playdate consoles have been shipped to their owners, with the team at Panic working hard to fulfill the surprising demand.
“To have now sold more than 53,000 (and counting) is heartening,” said Panic in an anniversary statement. “And this, at a time when parts shortages forced our delivery lead-times out as much as a year. As those lead times shorten and Playdate delivery becomes more immediate, we’re looking forward to an even better Year Two.”
Playdate is currently available to pre-order over on the official website, priced at $199 USD. Due to demand, shipping of new orders is not expected until the latter months of 2023, at least.
Playdate has now sold 53,000 units, doubling initial sales expectations [Eurogamer]
