Playdate Manufacturer Panic Is Passing Tariff Refunds to Customers
Panic's Playdate, a crank-powered handheld gaming system, launched all the way back in 2022, but last year it fell victim to the same tariffs that hit many gaming products. And, now that the Supreme Court has ordered the government to refund those fees, Panic is forwarding those refunds to the customers that actually paid them.
Playdate, a crank-powered handheld gaming system, was introduced in 2022, but it faced the same tariffs as other gaming products last year. Recently, the Supreme Court ordered the government to refund those fees, and Playdate has started sending refund emails to affected customers. The refund amounts vary, with the maximum being $25, which is a significant percentage considering the device's price has risen from $179 to $250.
Customers who received their handhelds during the tariff period should receive an email notification of the refund. If they don't, they can contact help@play.date for assistance. While it's encouraging to see Playdate taking the lead in refunding tariffs, not all companies are following suit. Nintendo, for instance, has declined to refund Switch 2 customers, claiming they received what they paid for.
Despite tariffs being just one factor contributing to rising prices, Playdate's move to pass on refunds to customers might set a positive precedent for other manufacturers to follow.
Written by urgent.news from IGN's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 3 other outlets
- Panic Passes Trump Tariff Refunds Back to Playdate Customers news.slashdot.org
- Panic passes Trump tariff refunds back to the Playdate customers who paid them arstechnica.com
- Playdate maker Panic refunds tariff surcharges to customers gamesindustry.biz
