Since Nintendo unleashed the Game Boy, all of their handheld consoles that followed were smash hits. Many believe the Japanese gaming giant’s success comes from its family-friendly first-party titles, third-party publisher support, and the sheer number of available accessories. Panic might have just realized what the Playdate is missing as it teases an upcoming add-on called the Stereo Dock.
In some way, the Playdate resembles the first-generation Game Boy albeit with a unique selling point. The vibrant yellow shell is adorned with a 2.7″ Sharp Memory LCD screen, a d-pad, two face buttons, a menu button, a power/lock button on top, and an analog crank on the right flank. This device stands out for its quirky features and stylish design by Teenage Engineering.
Gaming on this retro-modern platform may not be for everybody given the low-res panel is not even backlit. Although admittedly fun, the crank gimmick loses its appeal after a while. Nevertheless, we know Panic sold plenty of units, but many of these might not have seen action for quite some time. As such, the Stereo Dock should at least lend some much-needed versatility.
Like it says, Panic confirms the accessory primarily functions as a desktop Bluetooth speaker. It also doubles as a magnetic wireless charging dock for the Playdate. What we thought was a stylus at first, is apparently a custom pen. The Stereo Dock sports a folding kickstand, which positions it at an angle. A knurled volume wheel and a power button can be found on top.
Meanwhile, the side-firing speaker grilles are positioned just behind the Playdate when it’s docked. The rear holds a single USB-C port and what might be a microphone pinhole. Panic did not specify a release date or price for the Stereo Dock. It’s too early to know if the acoustic quality is great or not, but we have to admit it looks cool.
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Images courtesy of Panic
