Panic Inc., the brains behind the handheld Playdate console has revealed that the launch of the Playdate has been pushed to early 2022.
The delay stems from a faulty/inferior batch of batteries, with the company stating that of the first 5,000 units produced that they tested, the battery life was much less than what they stated, with some units completely dead on arrival and wouldn’t charge at all.
After investigating the issue, Panic made the “expensive decision” to replace all batteries with brand new ones from a different supplier, and says that based on initial testing, the new batteries will deliver the battery life (if not better) they aimed for.
The bad news didn’t end there though, with Panic revealing that due to the global chip shortage they have been unable to purchase more of Playdate’s CPU, resulting in the company having to source another CPU more widely available for units set for delivery in the later half of 2022.
Despite the disappointing news, at least the company is being upfront about the issues and caught them before they were in the hands of players.
Despite a childhood playing survival horrors, point and clicks and beat ’em ups, these days Zach tries to convince people that Homefront: The Revolution is a good game while pining for a sequel to The Order: 1886 and a live-action Treasure Planet film. Carlton, Burnley FC & SJ Sharks fan. Get around him on Twitter @tightinthejorts
