The Playdate is a delight, minus the backlight

The Playdate captured my imagination years ago. I don’t know how many times I’ve gone to its website to look at the console, scroll through games, and imagine myself holding this grayscale blob of yellow.

Well now I’ve actually got one in my hands.

As a child I was gifted an original Game Boy. It came with two cartridges, one was Mario. I was enamored. This thing could just barely fit in my pocket, but I could take it anywhere. I wasn’t tied down to my desktop.

I’d play it in the car, and of course as all Game Boy fans know, nighttime was a problem. It didn’t have a backlight, and since parents are allergic to turning on the cabin lights, I’d play in starts and stops via the passing street lamps.

I loved it.

Ever since I’ve had a fascination with handhelds. The iPod Touch, then the iPhone, seemed like the final evolution of my desire to play my favorite games on the go.

But they’ve always felt lacking.

When I imagine going on a timeless adventure I want to get lost in the device, focused on the singular console, the game at hand. These all screen devices are too tempting, pull me into every other app begging for attention. Also, I want buttons. I want a tactile feel.

So, when my friend Nate offered to loan me his Playdate I immediately imagined myself back in my childhood. I’d finally get to try out the device. I could, of course, just go buy one. But I wasn’t sure if it’s catalog of games would be enough.

Now, a few weeks later, I’ve had some time to tinker with it.

It has that nostalgic factor, while also feeling modern.

On the one hand, the hardware is so well done. It’s been designed with delight in mind. The hand crank has just the right amount of tension, and the buttons click with the right amount of push. The yellow is bright and inviting.

But the lack of a backlight is a problem.

This has been talked about online for years. But I didn’t realize how much it’d bother me until I started playing. Short of being outside in the sun I’m constantly tweaking the angle of the device to capture overhead light.

It’s distracting. Already the tiny device isn’t ergonomic in hand—forcing me to hold it in odd ways. That’s not a deal breaker, though. But to have to move it around to catch the light is annoying.

So I set out to solve the problem.

I turned to Reddit posts, looking for solutions from other users. I bought a book light to connect to the cover. But that turns into a bit of a wonky solution where the light slides around you’re forced to modify your grip. I even considered 3D printing a mold to hold the Playdate. Then I started researching neck lights, gooseneck type LEDs that you place on your shoulders to shine light directly onto the console. This solution is the closest I’ve found to working, but I keep having to adjust the light, and anytime I move my hands I’m forced to change the light as well.

This concern, though, isn’t a deal breaker. I’ll figure it out, or use the Playdate in better lighting situations—although this takes away from my primary use case, having something to tinker with in bed before going to sleep.

The most important thing, though, is the games. I’ve been testing out as many as I can find with Season 1, and I’ve been looking on Reddit to find the top recommended games. What I’m hoping for is a game I can get lost in, some kind of Sim or RPG or Strategy game I can play for hours on end.

So far I’ve come up empty. I have a few games I’m looking to purchase, and I’ll report back on them soon. But I can’t help but wonder if this niche device is lacking that killer game to keep me coming back.