Playdate Handheld Sells Out: 20,000+ Units in 20 Minutes!

Playdate Pre-Orders Sell Out Rapidly

As anticipated for approximately one week, today marked the commencement of pre-orders for Panic’s unique Playdate gaming system, complete with its distinctive crank. Initial enthusiasm for this retro-inspired handheld appeared substantial, but the question remained: would this translate into concrete sales figures?

The response appears to be definitively positive. Panic initially allocated 20,000 units for delivery in 2021, utilizing a first-come, first-served sales model. Further orders were accepted, however, shipment of these would be delayed until at least sometime in 2022.

According to Panic’s order fulfillment projections, the initial allocation of 20,000 units was exhausted in less than 20 minutes. This first production run for 2021 was quickly secured by eager customers. (Confirmation from a Panic representative verifies the accuracy of the shipping estimator and the complete allocation of the initial 20,000 units.)

As is typical with highly anticipated product launches, some technical difficulties arose. A brief period of server instability and 502 errors preceded the stabilization of Panic’s checkout system.

However, the system utilized for managing international shipments subsequently experienced a failure. This resulted in some international customers being removed from the checkout process, and unfortunately, relegated to the 2022 delivery schedule.

Discussions are already emerging regarding a potential “2023 allocation” for orders, although the company acknowledges that fulfilling these will require a considerable amount of time.

Understanding the Playdate

For those unfamiliar with the project, the Playdate is an experimental gaming device developed by Panic – known for Mac applications such as Transmit and Prompt, and their involvement in game publishing with titles like Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game – in partnership with Teenage Engineering.

Games are delivered to the $179 device in “seasons,” with two games scheduled for release each week during the first three months. Featuring a monochrome screen, a limited number of buttons, and a unique crank for game control (not for charging), the device prioritizes creative exploration over raw processing power.

While sales figures do not rival those of next-generation consoles, the rapid sale of tens of thousands of units represents a significant accomplishment for a software company venturing into hardware development. The primary challenge now lies in fulfilling these orders efficiently.

The device offers a blank canvas for game developers and a novel gaming experience for players.