Playdate and the value of gaming hardware in the digitally streamlined age
NEXT-GEN IS ON everyone’s minds, from the drip-feed of information on PS5’s specs to Xbox Project Scarlett. Then again, if things go Google’s way, dedicated hardware could be a thing of the past as we simply play the latest games from any screen hooked up to the internet via Stadia.
And then there’s Playdate. Arriving in 2020, this bright yellow indie-focused handheld console is as far away from ‘next-gen’ as you can imagine. Take a look at its 1-bit monochrome screen with fewer buttons than the original Game Boy, and you might even call it retro if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s also got a crank by creator Keita Takahashi.
