Playdate Achieves Double its Sales Target in First Year

Panic, the developer of the Playdate handheld, has announced that the device has sold over 53,000 units since its release in April of last year, exceeding the company’s initial sales target. Despite facing challenges like parts shortages that forced delivery lead times out by as much as a year, Panic expressed gratitude for the sales growth and looks forward to an even better second year as delivery becomes more immediate. The 53,000 figure is twice as many units as Panic had initially forecast to sell in the device’s first year, with 27,000 Playdates already in the hands of customers and the remainder expected to ship by the end of the year. Despite a recent price increase to $199 due to manufacturing costs, existing orders that have not yet been fulfilled will not be affected. Panic also launched the Catalog store, which offers a curated selection of new and existing indie titles to bolster the library of 24 games that come bundled with Season 1. While Playdate has a charming lo-fi appeal, IGN’s review noted that the handheld’s ergonomics and lack of a screen backlight may be frustrating for some users.