Panic, the independent game publisher behind the quirky yellow Playdate handheld console, is refunding customers for tariff charges linked to import duties imposed by the Trump administration this year.
The refunds follow a February Supreme Court ruling that found the tariffs illegal and required the government to temporarily repay companies that had paid the import taxes. In an update published on the Playdate Help site, Panic said it has “started receiving refunds for the customs duties paid last year” and has now “refunded all customs duties charged to customers.”
In an earlier tariff announcement, Panic explained that Playdate’s “low margins” made it impossible to absorb the 19 percent tariff placed on imported Playdate hardware. While the tariff was active, the company listed the charge as a separate line item at the end of each Playdate order. This approach differed from companies such as Nintendo, which cited “market conditions” and tariff “uncertainty” when increasing prices for older hardware and select Switch 2 accessories last year.
Speaking to Game Developer, Panic co-founder Cabel Sasser said recovering the tariff payments and issuing refunds required substantial back-end processing. However, he said returning the money to Playdate customers was ultimately the right decision. “That’s not money we should be keeping. It’s really nice to be able to give it back,” Sasser said. “That’s an easy way to know if you made the right decision.”
Source: arstechnica.com