In the wake of postponing the Playdate launch, Panic has shared some good news for game developers. They will be able to get access to its dev kit at the beginning of 2022 to start making titles for the upcoming device.
According to Panic, developers will get access to the open beta of Pulp, a browser-based SDK, in January, with full SDK arriving in February.
“This is going to be a lot of fun,” the message reads. “Remember, the Pulp Public Beta can be enjoyed by anyone — all you need is a web browser and an idea for a simple, tile-based game. We can’t wait to see what you make.”
Playdate is a small handheld device with a black-and-white screen and a special analog controller, which is used to move characters or perform other in-game actions. Games for Playdate will also be distributed in “Seasons.” It means that users will receive new exclusive titles every week for three months.
Panic opened pre-orders for Playdate in July, selling over 20,000 units in just 20 minutes. However, the company faced some challenges, trying to ship the first batch of devices before the end of 2021. Panic found out that the first 5000 units had battery issues and decided to replace batteries for all devices. That’s why Playdate was delayed from late 2021 to early 2022.