A couple of years ago, the game developers behind indie hits such as Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game announced that they were taking on an interesting new venture: a tiny handheld console called the Playdate. Fast-forward to today and the project is finally in production with preorder availability starting in July — and they’ve even given it some optional accessory upgrades.
Designed in collaboration with Teenage Engineering, this little device looks an awful lot like a Game Boy — which is a very good thing for fans of retro gaming — but it also distances itself from Nintendo’s old handheld by quite a wide margin. You see, this device has a collection of games (21 and counting) developed exclusively for Playdate systems. And it will automatically update itself with new games via WiFi as they become available. There is also an available developer kit, so fan can build their own games, and it can be bought with an optional flip cover and/or a cute and clever Stereo Dock that turns it into a Bluetooth speaker. Preorders open in July and start at $179 for the system and $29 for the cover, but the dock does not yet have announced pricing.
