The unofficial mod turns Playdate into a charming robot pet

Despite the panic Development is halted On that Official Playdate charging basean adventurous character artist swooped in with an open source toolset (via Gizmodo) which turns the device into an interactive robotic animal.

PlayBot is Guillaume Lukin Name of a nice add-on, which anyone with the right knowledge can build. (For those who don’t have the knowledge, don’t be surprised if you see others selling designs on platforms like Etsy.) Made from two wheels, a motor, a microcontroller, and a 3D-printed cover, it goes into the Playdate’s compact design. In accelerometer, microphone and sensors to turn your standalone gaming console into a charming desktop companion.

Loquin, whose day job is as a character artist at Ubisoft, used these skills to bring the console to life. Although he won’t do anything crazy like carry on a conversation, pop a wheelie, or play fetch, Loquin’s video below shows him reacting to the wake-up click, navigating around a corner and getting dizzy after rotating the Playdate lever. It can also move quickly around your desk, clearing obstacles and avoiding falling off the edge.

The developer estimates 45 minutes of gameplay per charge. When you’re not playing with the device (on a gaming console or in robot form), the robo-dock charges the controller.

Loquin provides 3D printing instructions, accompanying application code, and firmware for its Teensy 4.1 microcontroller. github.