The first confirmed Playtron gaming handheld is aimed squarely at crypto bros

An early render of the SuiPlay0X1.

Last month, I told you how a new startup is trying to build an Android of PC gaming by picking up where the Steam Deck left off. It’s an intriguing idea from a company with an awful lot to prove.

Today, we’re getting the first announcement of the first Playtron-powered handheld, the SuiPlay0X1… but it’s probably not the proof we need? I laughed when I saw GamingOnLinux’s headline: “The first handheld to use PlaytronOS is some Web3 thing.”

The SuiPlay0X1 comes from Mysten Labs, one of Playtron’s seed investors, and right now, it’s a handful of concept renders around the idea that gamers might want a handheld (and game store) that cryptographically ties some games to Mysten’s Sui cryptocurrency and blockchain. That way, you could buy and own games on the blockchain. Mysten’s also promising crypto-incentives and rewards when you buy and play.

According to interviews at Decrypt and VentureBeat, the SuiPlay0X1 will natively integrate Sui into its PlaytronOS — and Mysten claims to have “numerous game partners who are planning on launching games on the Sui blockchain,” writes VB’s Dean Takahashi. Mysten’s targeting a 2025 release date and a retail price of $500.

If good Sui-enabled Web3 games don’t materialize, well, PlaytronOS has access to Steam and the Epic Games Store, too, and $500 could be a competitive price for a good handheld by today’s standards.

But we’ve got no reason to think that this would be a good handheld yet, as these aren’t hardware companies, and they haven’t revealed a single spec — they’re not even sure what kind of chip it will contain. Here’s a passage from VentureBeat:

The architecture of the device is to be determined. It might be based on Advanced Micro Devices technology. But there are other system-on-chip vendors that Playtron is working with.

Playtron CEO Kirt McMaster tells me the company’s currently looking for a manufacturer to build the machines and to expect a follow-up announcement “in about three months” with specs and preorder opportunities.

I’m not going to say the V word yet, but it feels a little early for Mysten to promise this handheld “will be available in stores worldwide in 2025.” Cool light bar, though.