Recap: Panic's long-awaited Playdate handheld is finally shipping to early backers. The retro gaming machine was schedule to arrive late last year after the initial batch of 20,000 pre-order units sold out in less than 20 minutes. At the 11th hour, however, the developer learned of a bad batch of batteries that made its way into some of these early Playdates.
Panic decided to replace all of the existing batteries with packs from a different supplier, which meant they would no longer be ready to ship in time for the holidays.
Oh! A new Playdate Update video is here!
— Playdate (@playdate) April 18, 2022
It recaps the great developer things we've released this year, like Pulp and the Playdate SDK. Please enjoy it. https://t.co/LXkuR8Isnk
There's one extra important bit in the update. Playdates in Group One will begin shipping…
…today. pic.twitter.com/T58YihE6f3
In a recent update, Panic said the first batch of group one Playdate orders is shipping today. Orders are going out in waves depending on your place in line, with volume to increase daily as the company ensures all of its logistics are working smoothly. Those who pre-ordered a handheld are encouraged to keep an eye on their inbox for more information regarding expected delivery time.
Now, for a bit of bad news. Panic has already filled its production capacity for 2022, meaning any new orders that come in from today won't be fulfilled until sometime next year.
Asking someone to place an order for something today and wait a minimum of eight months is tough, especially in today's instant gratification society, but it's unfortunately becoming increasingly more common with production shortages and supply chain issues continuing to cause delays.
https://www.techspot.com/news/94250-playdate-finally-shipping-but-only-if-you-ordered.html
