Panic is forwarding Supreme Court-ordered tariff refunds directly to Playdate customers via their original payment methods, a process now underway after the company received its own reimbursements from the government. The crank-powered handheld, which launched in 2022 and faced 19% tariffs during a specific window last year, had those surcharges listed as a separate line item at checkout before Panic passed the costs along.

Affected buyers are receiving emails detailing the automatic refunds, with instructions to contact [email protected] if notification has not arrived. Co-founder Cabel Sasser noted the decision stemmed from the view that the funds were never theirs to retain, following an initial attempt to absorb the costs that proved difficult for the small firm.

Nintendo, by contrast, is seeking dismissal of a separate class-action suit filed in April over its own price increases on Switch hardware and accessories tied to the same tariffs, arguing customers received exactly what they bargained for at the time of purchase. Nintendo has reportedly received around $300 million in tariff refunds and maintains no obligation exists to share them.