Many of my family members and friends call me a gadget expert. But many people don't know, my interest in technology started in high school because many friends and teachers used interesting gadgets that I couldn't afford. Back then I never had a smart phone, popular portable consoles like Tamogotchi, Game Boy, or others that became a trend at the beginning of the Millennium.
After graduating, I started owning a PlayStation and a Nintendo Switch. The first two consoles I owned on my own for years kept the intention of owning them. Switch is closest to my heart even though the games on PlayStation 4 are more interesting. This is probably because I've never owned an actual portable console. So, the experience of owning a Switch was very exciting and made me wonder – is this the excitement I would have had if I had owned a Game Boy as a kid?
After a year of owning the Nintendo Switch, I regularly sold and repurchased several other consoles over the course of six years. Started with the first generation, switched to Switch Lite, then to Switch OLED and now selling it again because I'm trying to be loyal to PlayStation 5. I actually don't want to sell Switch, because I love it so much but I have to because of the increasingly expensive selling prices of games. I have to choose one platform to be loyal to to avoid waste.
Now with Playdate entering the Malaysian market, it gives me a new light. One hope, can I get back to the joy of first owning a portable console? Playdate is a console developed by Panic Inc., designed by Teenage Engineering, using a black and white screen just like the consoles of the past and every game is not sold at an exorbitant price.
Based on my observations since Playdate was sold in other countries, this Malaysian-made console is really unique and many say Panic is trying to bring back the trend of people playing retro technology mobile consoles in modern times. Most games take around an hour to complete, the battery lasts up to 8 hours, and uses a bright yellow color that's sure to catch the eye.
Not forgetting that the Playdate was the first console with a rotating crank as a control device. Most games have been programmed to use this crank to control characters or objects in the game. I really hope Playdate will be the best Nintendo Switch replacement for me.
Playdate has already arrived at the our lab recently for testing. I can already imagine how I will spend my time with him. Because of its design, I also see that it can be a fidget spinner replacement. I can relax with a minimalist console that doesn't make me dizzy. Compared to Analogue, which is a Game Boy model in a console with a simple design and a luxury price - Playdate I feel is a smarter choice because of the unique game selection.
At the time this article was written I had already been playing Playdate for a few days. I really like the concept when manufacturers care about developers and user communities. Many games and apps are supported on Playdate. More interestingly, there are many free games that can be downloaded from the Catalog or can also be sideloaded.
So far the biggest issue I have faced is that there is no backlight screen and the process of downloading a 10MB game takes a long time due to the type of storage used. The price of RM950 is very difficult to compete with the Nintendo Switch which can be bought at a more affordable price, only the price of the game is expensive.
Playdate is a mobile gaming console that wants to bring back the basics of gaming. A game of around 3 minutes to 10 minutes can be completed. It's hard to obsess over a simple game like this, the eyes are awake and most importantly I already have more than 30 money games that I definitely can't afford to buy on Switch.
With the Playdate already sold in Malaysia, do you want to buy this factory-made console in Kedah to replace the Nintendo Switch or will it be a second console just to calm down from a tiring and stressful day? Stay tuned for my full review soon to determine if it's worth buying.