The Handheld with the Playdate handle will not arrive until 2022 -apkrig
Like other gaming devices, we can mention for example Steam Deck, the non-traditional handheld with a handle Playdate is facing a shortage of chips and its launch is postponed to 2022. The first batch was to arrive before the end of this year, but battery problems and the CPU prevents it.
The company informed its customers by e-mail. When the manufacturer received the first delivery of 5,000 handhelds, it revealed during testing that the battery life did not meet expectations. Playdate should work for a very long time and retain some energy, even if it has not been used for a long time. But its authors have found the exact opposite. Several pieces were so juicy that it was not possible to bring them to life with a charger at all, which according to the manufacturer is the worst case scenario.
The originally selected CPU is and will be unavailable for a long time – specifically an incredible two years.
The company immediately suspended the production of more pieces and began researching where the problem was, which was to take several months. In the end, however, the manufacturer made the difficult and expensive decision to replace all existing batteries with new ones from a completely different supplier. All 5,000 pieces produced therefore had to be returned, but the result is that the new batteries work as intended, and perhaps even better.
The second big problem is chips, as has already been said. The originally selected CPU is and will be unavailable for a long time – specifically an incredible two years. Therefore, it had to be replaced by another, which could be obtained, which of course required further adjustments. Other defective parts are said to be being addressed.
Those who have not rushed will wait until 2023
The manufacturer has assured that the order of pre-orders and their processing does not change, but the whole process is delayed. The first 20,000 orders will be processed in early 2022. The next 30,000 will not be processed until the second half of 2022 instead of the originally planned start. The company will almost certainly be able to deliver the others in 2023.
Playdate attracts with a small black and white display, its famous control handle and non-traditional games from many well-known indie developers, which will be available to players on a regular basis as part of a subscription. Everyone will receive the first 24 titles for free.
You can find more details about the device itself in our older articles. The lack of chips is expected to further limit the production of both Switches and PS5.
