Playdate - the console with a crank

[MegaHiro91]

Does anyone actually have one of these? I love the absurd concept, but adding shipping and taxes it becomes way too expensive for what I care to cough up with. Don't even remember how/where I first heard of it.

If you wanna know more about it you can google it and check their website.

 

[Clippy]

The concept itself is alright. Its biggest flaw is that you can get an Anbernic, Powkiddy or other device of that nature for a quarter of the price and have access to vastly superior game libraries. $200 for this thing is a sick joke.

 

[DanVzare]

I don't have one, but I love the concept. Although that price man.

Those retro handhelds that are flooding the market nowadays are a quarter of the price for quadruple the power. You'd think maybe it's because of build quality, but I've got one of those retro handhelds from Anbernic, and that thing is solidly built.
It must be that crank man. Cranks must be expensive to crank out.

 

[Waffles]

I have seen it around stores, but I would absolutely NOT fork out that kind of cash for it.

 

[MegaHiro91]

The concept itself is alright. Its biggest flaw is that you can get an Anbernic, Powkiddy or other device of that nature for a quarter of the price and have access to vastly superior game libraries. $200 for this thing is a sick joke.

I know right? I mean, I don't think this is a scam so I am sure they have their reasons for setting the price that high. But thanks for suggesting those alternatives. I'll have to give them a look.

Post automatically merged: Jan 24, 2025

I don't have one, but I love the concept. Although that price man.

Those retro handhelds that are flooding the market nowadays are a quarter of the price for quadruple the power. You'd think maybe it's because of build quality, but I've got one of those retro handhelds from Anbernic, and that thing is solidly built.
It must be that crank man. Cranks must be expensive to crank out.

The price certainly makes my cranky, that's for sure.

 

[kanesha]

Making anything out of ordinary is expensive, so I understand the price, what I don't understand is the crank. Why? What? When and where was there ever a crank? Like make some other cool gimmick like a mini steering wheel or mini track ball or mini arcade stick, something that makes sense then I can at least pine for and envy rich noblemen that can afford it. The only thing I can think of that resembled a crank was one of those armwrestling arcades, is that what it is? Does it have force feedback? Can it fingerwrestle?

 

[Clippy]

Making anything out of ordinary is expensive, so I understand the price, what I don't understand is the crank. Why? What? When and where was there ever a crank? Like make some other cool gimmick like a mini steering wheel or mini track ball or mini arcade stick, something that makes sense then I can at least pine for and envy rich noblemen that can afford it. The only thing I can think of that resembled a crank was one of those armwrestling arcades, is that what it is? Does it have force feedback? Can it fingerwrestle?

I imagine it would be cool for fishing games.

 

[kanesha]

I imagine it would be cool for fishing games.

Ah, so this must be their inspiration

I bet that thing has force feedback to make it harder to crank, so fingerwrestling as I said, make it happen!

 

[MegaHiro91]

Ah, so this must be their inspiration
View attachment 16867
I bet that thing has force feedback to make it harder to crank, so fingerwrestling as I said, make it happen!

Reminds me of an arcade game called Magical Truck Adventure by SEGA, where instead of cranks both players had a handle.

 

[kanesha]

Reminds me of an arcade game called Magical Truck Adventure by SEGA, where instead of cranks both players had a handle.

They should put a generator in that thing so that it powers itself as you crank it. Wait... omg, another great idea for the Playdate!

Post automatically merged: Jan 24, 2025

View attachment 16871

 

[MegaHiro91]

They should put a generator in that thing so that it powers itself as you crank it. Wait... omg, another great idea for the Playdate!

Post automatically merged: Jan 24, 2025

View attachment 16871

Actually that's genious!! A dynamo handheld!! No need for batteries, you crank it to charge it!

 

[Shameless]

wana get my hands on one these at some point, want to make some fun lil games for it.

 

[DunkeyKong]

As expensive as it is, I think not many realised that it wasn't trying to be a…let's say powerful handheld gaming. This to me is just trying to replicate the Gameboy aesthetic, y'know? Especially when it has no backlight and all that

But this is of course, not the first time it was mentioned (too many times to count). In the end, it isn't for everyone. The hardware itself is not that powerful but again…that's not what it's trying to achieve. They're probably trying something with that crank though

 

[regretro]

Making anything out of ordinary is expensive, so I understand the price, what I don't understand is the crank. Why? What? When and where was there ever a crank?

Since now. On the Playdate.

Like make some other cool gimmick like a mini steering wheel or mini track ball or mini arcade stick, something that makes sense then I can at least pine for and envy rich noblemen that can afford it. The only thing I can think of that resembled a crank was one of those armwrestling arcades, is that what it is? Does it have force feedback? Can it fingerwrestle?

But those things exist already. They wanted to do something new and unique.

They should put a generator in that thing so that it powers itself as you crank it. Wait... omg, another great idea for the Playdate!

This was actually my original assumption. But that would probably require a significantly larger crank large generator* to generate enough power. Probably better to have a purpose built crank generator and powerbank for that.

*edited for clarity

 

[kanesha]

exist already

steering wheels on handhelds? is this what you have been playing with?

 

[Gorse]

The company that makes these things, Teenage Engineering, does all sorts of weird hobbyist products (they have a reputation in the hi-tech field). Anyone who's saying PlayDates are too expensive isn't part of the target audience – they're made for overpaid tech workers who'll shell out several hundred dollars on a Gameboy with a crank for novelty's sake alone. (That's a description, not an insult – I'm confident the developers of the console would agree with me.)

I think some of the games look kind of cute, but I'd never pay the price they're asking for one. Some of Teenage Engineering's music products are interesting, but any non-Japanese company that uses Japanese characters in their marketing immediately goes to the top of my shit-list, so.

 

[Yousef]

It made me quite cranky

 

[regretro]

steering wheels on handhelds? is this what you have been playing with?
View attachment 16964

That thing is way to big for my tiny hands to be considered a handheld. (Those toddlers must be humongous!) I doubt there is any way to put a usable steering wheel on anything intended to be pocketable. Though there were the old scroll wheels on classic iPods, and my trackball has a weird scroll ring thing, so maybe you're onto something.

 

[fujiwaratokwa]

Does anyone actually have one of these? I love the absurd concept, but adding shipping and taxes it becomes way too expensive for what I care to cough up with. Don't even remember how/where I first heard of it.

If you wanna know more about it you can google it and check their website.

View attachment 16854

I really want one for novelty. Yes it's pricey but I want it for collection and aesthetic purposes as well. Unfortunately, it's not available for shipping here in the Philippines

 

[PhrawzT]

Seemed like an interesting concept with potential, but I never bothered to get one due to the price and lack of a backlight.

 

[Lee__Kanker]

The concept itself is alright. Its biggest flaw is that you can get an Anbernic, Powkiddy or other device of that nature for a quarter of the price and have access to vastly superior game libraries. $200 for this thing is a sick joke.

Why is it not backlit
Like are you kidding me?

Post automatically merged: Jan 27, 2025

The company that makes these things, Teenage Engineering, does all sorts of weird hobbyist products (they have a reputation in the hi-tech field). Anyone who's saying PlayDates are too expensive isn't part of the target audience – they're made for overpaid tech workers who'll shell out several hundred dollars on a Gameboy with a crank for novelty's sake alone. (That's a description, not an insult – I'm confident the developers of the console would agree with me.)

I think some of the games look kind of cute, but I'd never pay the price they're asking for one. Some of Teenage Engineering's music products are interesting, but any non-Japanese company that uses Japanese characters in their marketing immediately goes to the top of my shit-list, so.

Sorta related

 

[Adrastia]

Interesting piece of hardware. But too expensive for what it is.

 

[Ikagura]

I don't want to sound harsh towards the creators and devs working on it but it looks more like a "le quirky gadget" made to look pretty than a real video game console.

Because if it came out like in the late 90's it would've had the same fate as the WonderSwan or the NeoGeo Pocket. Especially when releasing a handheld with no more than A and B butoon (they're not even diagonally aligned which is a flaw imo) while still being black and white and not backlit.

I do like the intro though

It's a nice calibration test disguised as an animation that breaks the 4th wall by showing you the inner parts of the machine.

Anyone who's saying PlayDates are too expensive isn't part of the target audience – they're made for overpaid tech workers who'll shell out several hundred dollars on a Gameboy with a crank for novelty's sake alone. (That's a description, not an insult – I'm confident the developers of the console would agree with me.)

Eh, using the "you're not the target audience" argument to dismiss any price criticism is kinda weak imo.

Sure, the iPhone X (or any high end models) aren't necessary for living but when common convenience are having their price increased I doubt we could tell them they're not the target audience for that kind of food.

Novelty's sake is still an issue I got with things. Assuming that new = systematically good/better is also why we end up with gimmicks nobody asked for.

 

[regretro]

I don't want to sound harsh towards the creators and devs working on it but it looks more like a "le quirky gadget" made to look pretty than a real video game console.

I think this is the exact intention.

Eh, using the "you're not the target audience" argument to dismiss any price criticism is kinda weak imo.

Any and all, absolutely. But it is a valid point, and IMHO, far more often you see the opposite, ie "this is not catering to my specific use case so I don't see why it should exist at all".

In this case, the intended target audience seems like people with:

• Tiny trouser pockets
• Taste for retro-inspired games
• Large disposable income and/or no planned expenses
• Limited time, so they won't grow bored with the thing within a few days
• Frequent 5-10 minute breaks they can reach into their tiny pocket and play a quick game of "Crank the Wank" or whatever

(I fit the first two, but that's it.)

Novelty's sake is still an issue I got with things. Assuming that new = systematically good/better is also why we end up with gimmicks nobody asked for.

I don't think that is an assumption here. It's new, arguably for the sake of being new, yes. But I don't see the assumption of it being better, or even good. It seems like an interesting experiment. If it turns out cranking your way though mini games is the most exciting things since Dolby Stereo, I'm sure we'll see a crank on the next DualSense controller. (Or the Xbox Seventwenty XXX Integrated VideoStreamer S+)

 

[kanesha]

Alright guys you make it seem like it's some 1000$ wristwatch or something. It's not that expensive. It has special buttons, special screen, special processor, special software and extra special crank (and prolly more). For each of those specials price goes up. If they kept all of those things run of the mill, and just had a cheap plastic crank as their only special, it'll prolly cost 50$ or less, and yet IMO even harder to market. I for one am much more likely to ever get something like this to toy around with than say a Switch or a Deck (now that would be a real waste of money).