Panic’s first Playdate handhelds begin shipping Monday

theverge.com:

Panic’s Playdate, its quirky Game Boy-like handheld with a crank, will finally begin shipping today, April 18th,the company announced.

“The first Playdate systems for customers in Group One will be shipped out gradually today and in the coming weeks,” Panic said in a press release. “Panic will be reaching out to customers in Group One when their units are shipping, and will also be in communication with any updates on when pre-order holders in other Groups can expect their Playdate systems to ship.”

It’s unclear exactly how many Playdates will ship in the first round, but spokesperson Jurge Cruz-Alvarez did confirm to The Verge that shipments will start more slowly and then ramp up. Panic estimates that all Group One orders will have shipped by around late May, but that could be subject to change, Cruz-Alvarez said.

“We’ll ramp up our shipping volume every day to make sure all of our systems are working smoothly,” Panic said in a tweet. “We think we can get Group One out the door during the next month.”

You'll be emailed the moment yours is sent. We'll ramp up our shipping volume every day to make sure all of our systems are working smoothly. We think we can get Group One out the door during the next month. And remember, your season of games begins when you set up your Playdate.

The first preorders for the device were originally supposed to ship at the end of 2021, but that timeline was pushed in November after Panic found the initial finished units had a major battery issue.

Everyone who gets a Playdate will have access to its first season of 24 games. Two games will be delivered each week for 12 weeks, though those deliveries begin when you first connect your device to Wi-Fi, meaning that not everyone will have access