A bunch of the Engadget crew loves the Playdate, the tiny, quirky portable console with a load of great indie games and a crank on the side. I’ve long had my eye on it, but never pulled the trigger for one reason or another. I do get Playdate emails, though, and a surprising and hilarious one caught my eye earlier today (subject line: Mamma Mia!):
The message goes on to say that “We won’t be posting about this product on social media. We won’t be sending a press release to the media. This special limited edition cover is being shared first with you, our Playdate mailing list readers. (Thanks for subscribing.)”
Well, don’t I feel flattered!
To be clear, Playdate has sold a little purple (and more recently ocean blue) cover for the console since the beginning. It is also cute and satisfyingly wraps around the device to protect it from dings. But, it has nothing on this iconic pizza design.
The reveal of this adorable product sent the Engadget Slack channel into a frenzy — Playdate aficionado Jessica Conditt said nope, this will not make her forget about the fact we’re still waiting for the Playdate Stereo Dock (nice try, Panic). Meanwhile, I started thinking about an upcoming vacation I’m going on, and wouldn’t the Playdate be a nice companion? Particularly with that stunning cover.
A few minutes later and I had an order confirmation in my inbox. That escalated quickly — by at least one measure, the Playdate pizza cover is a success.
For the rest of you Playdate fans, don’t sleep on this one — Playdate says the cover is a limited edition that won’t stick around long. In the meantime, a full review will be forthcoming as soon as this pizza is delivered.