We've worked on this for four years. We've learned so much — well, there was so much we didn't know. It wasn't all smooth sailing, but little by little we created this thing. And today, we're announcing it to the world, and shipping it in early 2020. pic.twitter.com/B5GwLAMxt0

— Playdate (@playdate) May 22, 2019

so im sure this will be cool to someone but the announced dev lineup is all cis (mostly white) dudes so far. really hope i’m wrong but knowing so many marginalized folks whose work would be a wonderful fit for this, it’s like........yikes https://t.co/c3dLyibkxl

— Katie Chironis (@kchironis) May 23, 2019

I SAT THESE WHEN I WAS AT THE PANIC OFFICES AND I KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT AND NOW I DON'T HAVE TOOOOOO! It looks funI want it that is all. https://t.co/miFIeDLHcq

— Kevin Savetz (@KevinSavetz) May 22, 2019

Panic is making a game system. Holy cow. https://t.co/QCca6c8XyU

— Matthew Panzarino (@panzer) May 22, 2019

If Transmit and Firewatch were @Panic's only products, I'd be their fanboy for life. But they just keep putting out the hits. Sign me up for Playdate! https://t.co/VMbStyWWFi

— Ken Gagne (@gamebits) May 22, 2019

Our company @panic has been around for a long-ass time, and we've made lots of great software. But one day we realized: we're self-funded, and there's nobody to tell us what to do. Why aren't we trying more new things? pic.twitter.com/HyeMwIywcx

— Playdate (@playdate) May 22, 2019

So impressed and inspired by the obvious joy & love the Panic team has put into this; feels so much like what we’re seeing in the joyful creativity on @Glitch, and I wish them every success. https://t.co/joQ16WftQI

— Anil Dash ? (@anildash) May 22, 2019

i don’t usually do this but GOOD LORD TAKE MY MONEY https://t.co/foqBdXXC8p

— Ellis Hamburger (@hamburger) May 23, 2019

Extremely psyched about @panic’s new handheld system!

It’s the gameboy evolution I’ve always wanted - high res display, slim profile, weird crank, packed with indie games!

Also prettttty stoked to have made a game for it! https://t.co/wo2Gn4iPqa

— Zach Gage (@helvetica) May 22, 2019

When a mega Mac/iOS developer is releasing its own platform for “apps” then you should consider that there is a lot of frustration with big platforms such as the App Store! Just saying! https://t.co/o8Hsyi01bY

— OM (@om) May 22, 2019

I want one of these immediately https://t.co/zYmjWUqUQj

— nilay patel (@reckless) May 22, 2019

"We should build a thing!" became "let's make a game system!" became "oh and it should include a bunch of cool games!" became "we should make the games surprises!" and… well, it just grew. It wasn't long until we had a janky-but-functional prototype. pic.twitter.com/ZoGT5xutIl

— Playdate (@playdate) May 22, 2019

So, @panic wrote an OS. And built some hardware, too. WTF. https://t.co/HiT8wqzyFH

— rands (@rands) May 22, 2019

JUST TAKE MY MONEY ALREADY https://t.co/CiTVLPcVEB

— Kevin Nguyen (@knguyen) May 22, 2019

Playdate is a tiny, yellow Game Boy-like device with a black-and-white screen, a few chunky buttons, and... a hand crank for controlling quirky games. This looks great https://t.co/zF67vW9VYk pic.twitter.com/wrHMWuUwRA

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) May 22, 2019

has a headphone jack https://t.co/c4tMXL2FYc

— dan seifert (@dcseifert) May 22, 2019

Guess what! I’ve been working on a handheld gaming console! @playdate is cute and great—read about it at https://t.co/Xvj98FoR8j pic.twitter.com/TysQxfqLnn

— Neven Mrgan (@mrgan) May 22, 2019

On sale and arriving with subscribers tomorrow, Edge 333 introduces @Playdate, a new handheld console from Firewatch publisher @panic featuring games by indie legends. We're bringing readers the exclusive story of its five-year journey – more info at https://t.co/djlkAslG9b pic.twitter.com/pY6OY6gmV2

— Edge (@edgeonline) May 22, 2019

But here's the trick: every game is a secret. They're all included with system, and they will be delivered to you each week, for a few months.

Our dream is simple: that you wake up on new game day excited to see what you can play next. pic.twitter.com/gq6woriP4h

— Playdate (@playdate) May 22, 2019

So, the folks at @panic are making a handheld gaming console. ‼️

It's called the Playdate, it launches in 2020, and it's got a crank.

I am serious. I played with a prototype briefly last year and it's wild. I cannot wait for this.

Details & photos here: https://t.co/W7apzQdSrl pic.twitter.com/kump88Hc02

— Federico Viticci (@viticci) May 22, 2019

I’m trying to find the words to describe how thrilled I am about this.

It’s WEIRD. It’s got a CRANK. The oddball possibilities with this are endless and I’m extremely ready for it. https://t.co/9DNoFMjEyU

— kelsey lewin @ Minneapolis (@kelslewin) May 23, 2019

Oh my god I can finally talk about my favorite thing in the world. I have played this and it is the future we deserve. Everything is going to be okay now. https://t.co/xhuM47XzMj

— Frank Cifaldi the Last (@frankcifaldi) May 23, 2019

look at this crank mechanism for games. This looks incredibly fun pic.twitter.com/b86j18lfXk

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) May 22, 2019

Playdate is an adorable handheld with games from the creators of Qwop, Katamari, and more https://t.co/j5GdmnB7Fg pic.twitter.com/iugJYGyLV3

— The Verge (@verge) May 22, 2019

Introducing Playdate, a new handheld gaming system from Panic.

It fits in your pocket. It's got a black and white screen. It includes a season of brand-new games from amazing creators. Oh and… there's a crank???? https://t.co/WiIPUkpjSq

Yes. A thread… pic.twitter.com/47BwSOtiiP

— Playdate (@playdate) May 22, 2019

This is extremely exciting – a solidly built and extremely pretty handheld console, it packs a relative CPU punch, and has a built-in magical-bizarre control method. If it turns out to have official support for coding your own things, I gotta get this!? https://t.co/TOayMVL9Vu

— Samuel ?✨ Messner (@obskyr) May 22, 2019

Had a lot of fun working with @KeitaTakahash and @shauninman on this. Check out some fun animations I made for an exciting new game, on a cool portable device, with a unique control method. More to see when it releases! https://t.co/xr0E31lptS

— Ryan Mohler (@Animohler) May 22, 2019

DO WANT
I wish the hand crank charged the battery too tho https://t.co/oY1D4JqiXB

— Jeff Yang (@originalspin) May 22, 2019

Oh yeah, the crank! No, it doesn't power the device. It's a flip-out rotational controller that puts a fresh spin on fun. Some games use it exclusively, some use it with the d-pad, and some not at all. pic.twitter.com/XYW97nLZKK

— Playdate (@playdate) May 22, 2019

I think this is neat, but I’m more thrilled how many people are so stoked for this. What a treat to see folks so excited for such an outlier concept in gaming!! https://t.co/JklUvfdt5X

— Arin Hanson, you say? (@egoraptor) May 23, 2019

When @cabel first showed me @playdate back in 2017, I was so excited. I've been asking regularly about the announcement date ever since ? I love everything about the design language; in its final form with fancy marketing renders, it looks so hot https://t.co/hpyIq80b7z

— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) May 22, 2019

I am tremendously excited about the Playdate. @panic, the hardware, the crank (!!), the indie developers involved - all of it. It’s fun, whimsical, and something I can’t wait to carry with me wherever I go. 2020 can’t come fast enough.https://t.co/vxOTGuIwQ5 pic.twitter.com/Df44WetyAP

— John Voorhees (@johnvoorhees) May 22, 2019

this might just be genius https://t.co/CYZaKE9lbR

— Matt Biddulph (@mattb) May 22, 2019

Doing a subscription-based video game platform is the most brilliant business model. You can't make much on hardware alone, and I imagine spending $29-49 every 3-6 months for a dozen new surprise games will be super fun and healthy for Panic. I can't wait to play this. https://t.co/UbiQpjPnzd

— Matt Haughey (@mathowie) May 22, 2019

What a joy it is to unveil @Playdate on the cover of Edge! I've written the feature – the full, in-depth and exclusive story of its creation, with interviews from the team at @panic and the developers making games for it – and it was a real labour of love. I ? this little thing.

— Jen Simpkins (@itsJenSim) May 22, 2019

The volume of VC twitter excitement over this thing makes me think Panic/Playdate won't be self-funded for long... https://t.co/Rd2V4JUOcF

— Erin Griffith (@eringriffith) May 22, 2019

But we didn't know beans about mechanical engineering or industrial design. So we cold e-mailed Teenage Engineering (@jugendingenieur), a company that makes things we really love. Their spirit was infectious. They were on board. They came up with the crank. pic.twitter.com/Wd35NjvPwk

— Playdate (@playdate) May 22, 2019

(PS: there are even more surprises to reveal when Playdate goes up for sale later this year…) pic.twitter.com/G1kObGB24a

— Playdate (@playdate) May 22, 2019

About those games. We reached out to some of our favorite people, like @KeitaTakahash, @bfod, @helvetica, @shauninman, and many more.

Here's a peek at one: Crankin's Time Travel Adventure, from Keita. It's fun and funny. pic.twitter.com/0Ibwqr5k3I

— Playdate (@playdate) May 22, 2019

folks, we're making a handheld game system https://t.co/svevPQP4Vg

— Cabel (@cabel) May 22, 2019

Yes, @panic's upcoming @playdate promises to be a cool little gaming device. But that's *not* why so many are excited. It's because Playdate is part of a broader, 20-year story of a community who still believe in the creative power of tech with a soul. https://t.co/OXuZwQAdBG

— Anil Dash ? (@anildash) May 23, 2019

Congrats to @panic for announcing @playdate, their tiny game console full of big surprises! https://t.co/gqiSgaA2cK The first surprise: It was right in front of us this whole time... pic.twitter.com/ejTG6Oc2qF

— Campo Santo (@camposanto) May 22, 2019

『Firewatch』のパブリッシャーであるPanicが、今度は「Playdate」という携帯ゲーム機を2020年に出すようです。縦横7cmちょっとの手のひらサイズで白黒液晶画面、コントローラーになる手回しハンドル付き。仕様やゲーム供給形態についてはプレスキット/FAQが詳しいです https://t.co/b84zR4EgqQ

— 福嶋 美絵子（はらぺこ翻訳者） (@Eugene_Roserie) May 22, 2019

whoops, forgot the link https://t.co/lOf7vehfDx

— Andy Baio (@waxpancake) May 23, 2019

ICYMI: Playdate is a handheld gaming device created by iOS and Mac devs https://t.co/oVuMynhU5x by @lukedormehl pic.twitter.com/RtbMp7h19q

— Cult of Mac (@cultofmac) May 23, 2019

Playdate is a handheld gaming device created by iOS and Mac devs https://t.co/oVuMynhU5x by @lukedormehl pic.twitter.com/6fed6fiq6v

— Cult of Mac (@cultofmac) May 23, 2019

someone designed a handheld video game console based exclusively on my interests https://t.co/75EWV5ky5B

— andrew webster (@A_Webster) May 22, 2019

I’m extremely here for this weird, delightful yellow handheld game console — with a CRANK — that was designed with the folks at teenage engineering https://t.co/zDwnYqxWKv

— carly rae epson all-in-one inkjet printer (@mattbraga) May 23, 2019

Panic x Teenage Engineering! This is exactly the kind of inventive & beautiful hardware that I ?. Aware of its own niche and happy to live within it.

Playdate is an adorable handheld with games from the creators of Qwop, Katamari, and more https://t.co/OZcYcd8uFF via @Verge

— Tim Burrell-Saward (@tburrellsaward) May 23, 2019

Oh my god ❤️ https://t.co/LL8CxqPDWm

— Dave Verwer (@daveverwer) May 23, 2019

Nothing I don't love about this. Love Panic, love Teenage Engineering, love all the game devs involved...love the crank!https://t.co/65uEp3VnCi

— Tad Leckman (@tadleckman) May 23, 2019

Playdate is an adorable handheld with games from the creators of Qwop, Katamari, and more https://t.co/VDEN6HyOei pic.twitter.com/2qCqqYLmZw

— Circuit Breaker (@circuitbreaker) May 22, 2019

Will be very surprised if it ships https://t.co/bLl3ecWRdl

— Ed Zitron (@edzitron) May 23, 2019

Playdate, a tiny game console with a big pedigree https://t.co/JKQARlc47W pic.twitter.com/LGio0Ln9eI

— Masque of the Red Death (@doctorow) May 23, 2019

Playdate is a cute lil' console with a... crank (?) – and I fucking want one https://t.co/FpsNgemsNo

— TNW (@thenextweb) May 23, 2019