Check out the portable, cranky Playdate before our review goes live next week

Enlarge / Next week, we can show you way more of Playdate's final retail version. For now, settle on this capture from the system's setup process, along with a look at its unboxing. (credit: Sam Machkovech)

Nine months ago, the team responsible for the portable Playdate game system sent us the device's "near-final" version for preview. I spent weeks carrying, tapping, and cranking it while testing four preinstalled games. It's a unique and fun device, even if it lands more in the "quirky hipster" column than the "must-have" one.

Unboxing time. (credit: Sam Machkovech)

But that preview was inherently limited by issues like a non-final OS and 83 percent of the system's games not being ready. Next week, I will be able to report on everything else about the retail version of the Playdate, which I've been testing for a couple of weeks now. In particular, I'll answer whether the device's mix of unique shape and 24 built-in games are worth its $179 retail price (and its "2023" estimate for new orders placed as of press time).

My Playdate system review will be published in one week, on Monday, April 18, at 1 pm ET.

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