The portable with a crank is going up by $20 next month.
The ever so adorable bright yellow Playdate from Panic is set to see a price increase next month — going from its current $179 USD price point, up to a new $199 price tag.
The unique little handheld, which comes complete with a mechanical crank, first launched in April of 2022. Now, nearly a year on, developer Panic have detailed that an increase to the device cost is now necessary.
In a tweet Panic shared: "our factory told us building a Playdate will cost more in 2023" — as such, the small, niche portable will go up in price by twenty dollars starting April 7th.
![Playdate is now $199](https://overkill.wtf/content/images/2023/03/panic-playdate-price-increase-199.jpg)
Panic detailed that this change in cost does not affect exisiting orders, meaning all those who opt to reserve one now will pay the current $179 price and avoid the increase.
Despite launching nearly a year ago all Playdate purchases are currently backordered, with current shipping estimates sitting at late 2023.
Panic aren't the only hardware manufacturer who haved had to increase prices as a result of global inflation. PlayStation maker Sony did a similar move in select markets last summer citing the "current global economic environment and its impact on SIE's business".
Beyond announcing a price change for the Playdate, Panic also recently shared news about their new 'Curated' on-device game store, and what games are coming to their handheld in the near future. This was all shared in a 'Playdate Update' video, which you can watch below: