If you are a gamer and have been reading the news for the past few days, you would likely saw this upcoming handheld gaming system in the headlines. Called Playdate, the system looked so different from anything that is available in the market at the moment.

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Conceived by Panic who made its name as Mac and iOS developer, the industrial design of Playdate was the result of a collaboration with a Swedish company, Teenage Engineering. Within its bright yellow shell, the system is equipped with a modest 2.7-inch 400×240 monochrome display together alongside a directional pad and two buttons.

Not only that, Playdate also features a crank on its side which is there not just for show but as an actual analogue controller. Panic stated that certain games including a title called Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure which is made by the creator of Katamari Damacy, Keita Takahashi will exclusively use the crank as their controller.

Comes standard with twelve games, owners of Playdate will receive their games for the system on a weekly basis through Wi-Fi. It is also interesting to note that Playdate is actually made in Malaysia as shown on the back of its 3D render

In fact, Panic’s engineer Dave Hayden has revealed through his reply to local musician Az Samad on Twitter that Playdate will be manufactured at Sungai Petani in Kedah:

Yes, in Sungai Petani! Our production consultant recommended a factory he works with there, and they're a great fit for this project. We've visited a number of times over the last year and have totally fallen in love with Malaysia. Wonderful people! Incredible food! — Dave Hayden (@davehayden) May 25, 2019

Scheduled for release in 2020, Playdate will carry a price tag of USD 149 (about RM 623). So, there is still time to save up some money if you plan to get your hands on the system which will be made available exclusively online.

(Source: The Star // Playdate – 1, 2.)

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