Sony Xperia Play Review: Playstation Certified Phone
If you want to play console style games on the go, take a look at the Android powered Sony Xperia Play. The Xperia Play is a Playstation certified phone which plays a collection of PSP-like games and includes a slide out controller to deliver gaming on par with portable gaming consoles. The Xperia Play is not going to blow your mind with graphics, even if they are pretty good, but it is able to deliver a fun mobile gaming experience. Thanks to the off-screen controls, you can use your whole display for viewing the game — which even touchscreen junkies will appreciate. The Sony Xperia Play is available on Verizon Wireless for 99 with a two-year contract and for free at Wirefly.com. This is a 3G smartphone, which means you will need to connect to Wi-Fi to download the Playstation games, so keep that in mind before buying a new game on a roadtrip.
Xperia Play Gaming
If you are looking at the Xperia Play as your next smartphone, your mind must be on gaming. The Xperia Play has two defining features in terms of gaming — a slide out Playstation controller, complete with shoulder buttons, and a selection of Playstation games that beat out many Android market offerings.
Xperia Play Controller
The slide out controller is well executed and really makes this device shine. Responsive buttons and dual analog touchpads offer fine control over gaming, with some adjustments. The slide out controller delivers the following buttons:
- Digital D-Pad
- Dual Analog Touchpads
- Sony Playstation Buttons
- Two Shoulder Bumpers
- Touchscreen
Using the controller to Play Madden 2011 and Modern Combat 2 was way better than playing with the on-screen controls found on the iPhone, iPad and other Android smartphones. Instead of giving up in frustration after a set of downs or a level, I was able to complete a full game of football and several levels of Modern Combat 2. The controls do take some getting used to for Xbox players, but if you are already a Playstation gamer you’ll adapt really quick.
Game selection is pretty good. There isn’t a massive catalog, but there are enough, in a variety of categories, to satisfy the desires of many gamers. Game are thankfully closer to smartphone apps than standalone portable gaming system prices. Most games were below 10, with several in the 3 price range. The games are purchased through the Verizon app store, and are billed to your cell phone instead of the card you have on file with Google.
Xperia Play Wi-Fi Download Dissapointment
The only issue we had with purchasing games is that the initial download is small and then you are required to connect to Wi-Fi to download the rest of the game. This means you can’t buy and play a new game on the go. On at least one occasion I had to re-download the game files before the game would launch.
The most important metric for the Playstation part of the Xperia is fun. The good news is that the Xperia Play performs well in this department. I had more fun gaming on the Xperia Play, with games like Madden, Soccer and Modern Combat 2 than I did while playing on touch screen only devices. Unlike on-screen keyboards, which are as good or better than a physical keyboard, touch screen only games still suffer in the control department.
Xperia Play Form Factor
The Play is a thick phone, but the curved edges help conceal the size and allow for a good fit in your hand both on calls and while gaming. Despite the size, thicker than the ThunderBolt, it is able and quite portable.
The Xperia Play uses hard buttons on the front of the device, instead of the capacitive buttons on many new phones. This is a good thing for users who constantly find themselves hitting the wrong button on accident.
There is a power button on top with perhaps the brightest notification LED ever. If you sleep with your phone by the bed, you’ll want to turn this one off. Unless you like to feel like you are at a disco while you sleep.
The charging port and headphone port are at the bottom of the device, allowing you to play games with both plugged in. The shoulder buttons for the controller are tucked into the right side of the phone, and pretty unobtrusive.
The sliding mechanism for the keyboard is smooth and offers little resistance to opening or closing. It is spring-loaded, so when you get it halfway the spring will do the rest.
Xperia Play Display
The 4″ display is large enough to game on, though it would have been nice to have the extra space of a 4.3″ or 4.5″ display on more than one occasion. The brightness will suffice in most settings, but there were several occasions where I wished for a slightly higher brightness.
Touch was responsive in the basic Android experience and decent for typing with the on-screen keyboard. In games it was a different story. Instead of dead on accuracy, there is a bit of wiggle room in making selections. This isn’t a major problem, because the screen is most often used to select something in the menu, but enough of an issue that we looked for opportunities to avoid using the touch screen in games.
Xperia Play Performance and Software
As far as overall performance goes, the Xperia Play is quite snappy. There was no noticeable lag or waiting while using the device for gaming or in the standard Android operating system. App switching was fast and the web browser was also responsive.
The Xperia Play is running Android 2.3.2, more commonly known as Gingerbread. The installation is very stock, which is a good thing for many users, but a bit dull if you are used to a phone from HTC.
The Xperia Play supports USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality, which both work well as long as you have tethering added to your account. Unlike other phones which have a dedicated app, you need to go to the Wireless Settings to turn on the hotspot feature.
The on-screen keyboard performs well, though I still recommend switching to Swiftkey or your favorite keyboard replacement app for a better on-screen typing experience.
Xperia Play Camera
The 5MP rear facing camera in the Xperia Play was a disappointment. The biggest issue is the inability to FOCUS before you take the picture, which is common on other Android devices. Many of the pics I took indoors were lacking the color of real life, or out of FOCUS. When I ventured outdoors to capture some sunsets, the camera fared a bit better, but still is below what I expect on a new Android device.
The front facing camera is equally disappointing, not that I had high expectations. For stills and video you’ll have to settle for grainy dull images, especially indoors. Thankfully the phone is running Gingerbread, which means you can use Skype to video chat with the front facing camera.
Xperia Play Battery Life
While it is uncommon for smartphones to last a full day, the Xperia Play was able to last a full day easily with average use. This includes background syncing for email, occasional web browsing and a little bit of gaming.
If you play a lot of games, the battery will take a hit, but even if you play for an hour or so during your day you can make it home without the battery dying. Sony rates the gaming ability at 5.5 hours, which is believable, but you’d better be near a charger if you want to make a call or check email at the end of that gaming marathon.
On days with lighter use, I was able to go a full 2 days between charges, but I’m guessing this is an atypical use case.
Xperia Play shoulder buttons
Xperia Play Voice and Call Quality
I’m not normally on the phone a whole lot, which is why call quality comes in so close to the end in this review. That said, I was on the Xperia Play more than I was on my Thunderbolt this past month because the battery lasted longer.
Calls were clear and offered good quality on both ends. I was impressed with the clarity. The speakerphone worked well during several calls, though it was easy to tell that the caller was on speaker. When paired with a bluetooth headset, call quality and range was also more than adequate.
Conclusion
The Xperia Play is unlike any other phone Verizon, or other carriers offer. If you want to game on the go with a physical controller it is the only game in town. On top of gaming prowess, the phone offers a solid Android 2.3 Gingerbread experience. While there are no frills, like you’ll find on other phones from HTC, many users will appreciate the stock experience.
The need to have Wi-Fi connectivity to download game files, which could have been avoided with a 4G radio, and the poor camera performance, take away from the overall value of the Xperia Play but don’t signal “Game Over” for the phone.
If you are a gamer who doesn’t want to lug around another device, the Xperia Play is an Android phone you should check out before you sign another contract.
Xperia Play Open Madden 11
Pros:
- Fun to use
- Affordable games
- Good price
- Gingerbread
- Battery Life
Xperia Play Gallery
Xperia Play Back Open Xperia Play back side Xperia Play Portrait Xperia Play Controller Xperia Play D pad Xperia Play head on Xperia Play keyboard Xperia Play Open Controller Xperia Play Open Madden 11 Xperia Play open Xperia Play ports Xperia Play Screen Xperia Play shoulder buttons Xperia Play Shoulder Button closeup Xperia Play top shot Xperia Play Wi-Fi Download Dissapointment Xperia Play Sample Image
Xperia Play Specs
| Networks: | CDMA EvDO revA |
| Operating system: | Android 2.3 |
| Display: | 4.0″ capacitive touch screen 480 x 854 pixels |
| Camera: | 5MP autofocus camera |
| Memory: | Phone memory up to 400MB, microSD (supported to 32GB) |
| WLAN: | 802.11 b/g/n |
| Bluetooth: | 2.1 with EDR |
| GPS: | GPS/AGPS |
| Battery: | Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh, |
| Special features: | Compass, Proximity sensor, Light sensor, 3.5mm audio jack, MicroUSB, |
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Review
“Unless the bulk bothers you, the sacrifices made for hard game controls are quite livable, making the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play a worthy consideration for smartphones gamers sick of swiping at glass.”
- Slide-out game controller
- Clean Android install
- Vibrant 4.0-inch LCD
- Attractive Sony styling
- Acceptable 5.1-megapixel camera
- Bulky design
- Controls work with limited game selection
- Touch-based analog controls
- No 4G
- Smudgy screen
What do you get when you breed a portable game console with a smartphone? Sony Ericsson’s new Xperia Play — the long-rumored “Playstation phone” that combines the slide-out gamepad of Sony’s PSP Go with all the functionality of a modern Android smartphone. But can productivity and mindless button mashing really coexist under the same piece of glass? We worked our tender thumbs to blisters to find out whether Sony’s attempt to satiate hardcore gamers with a phone hits a new high score or uses up yet another of Sony’s dwindling lives.
Features and design
If Sony Ericsson’s first design objective for a Playstation phone was making it subtle enough to pass for just a phone, consider that box checked. From the outside, there just isn’t much to signal that Sony’s firecracker handheld is anything more than just another Android device. Witness: gloss black body, four standard Android buttons below the 4.0-inch LCD, and not even a hint of Playstation branding — you actually get Sony Ericsson’s green globe logo instead.
Slide the two halves apart, though, and it’s a different story. Rather than the typical slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the Xperia Play packs the familiar Playstation square-cross-circle-triangle pad on the right, a hard directional pad on the left, and two touch-based analog controllers in the middle. You’ll also find start and select buttons on the bottom, and in a nod to Android, the same three-lined menu button found on the face. In short, Sony has spliced the controls from the PSP Go into a handset.
Android phones of this generation, thanks mainly to the sliding form factor. The chunkiness turns out to be an advantage for gaming, where it feels comfortable and solid in the hands, but as a phone you’ll still wish there weren’t a game pad hiding inside.
Less intriguing phone specs also include 854 x 480 pixel resolution in the 4.0-inch LCD screen, a 5.1-megapixel rear camera that shoots 720p video and a VGA front cam for video conferencing. The Play supports microSD cards up to 32GB, and comes with a 8GB card preinstalled. Without features like HDMI output, an OLED screen or 4G connectivity, it certainly doesn’t rival many competitors on spec sheets, but that’s not where the Xperia Play was built to shine.
Software
For a device that aspires to effectively merge two entirely disparate devices, the Android 2.3 install on the Xperia Play is surprisingly pedestrian at first glance. There’s a purple Xperia background, but no goofy new clocks, widget or other overt cues that this is a gaming device… until you slide it open. Gamepad glaring to all the world, the Xperia Play switches into a landscape gaming mode (via an app), bringing up a carousel of games to thumb through with the D-pad. Hit X on one to run and you’re gaming, no touchscreen tomfoolery necessary.
The Verizon version of the Xperia comes with six games preinstalled: Asphalt 6, Bruce Lee, Crash Bandicoot, Gun Bros, Madden NFL 11, Tetris and Star Battalion. Sony claims there are plenty more titles coming, including additional Playstation ports, but the Xperia launcher, at press time, only showed 21.
In some regards, it succeeds. Playing Modern Combat 2, a shameless Call of Duty clone, just felt more natural with the Play’s controls. You can strafe with the D-pad, precisely aim with the right touchpad, and fire with the shoulder buttons. This is, quite literally, how games like this were meant to be played, before Steve Jobs went on a button-crushing crusade for the iPhone and convinced subsequent imitators that touchscreens were king.
Keep in mind that the analog controls – the ones you would use for smooth movement – aren’t hard nubs like they are on the PSP and even PSP Go. You’re just moving your finger around on flat plastic, like a laptop touchpad. It works better than nothing, but we missed the feedback of a tactile controller, especially in games where we used the pads frequently, like Star Battalion.
On other games, the controls are quite literally worthless. Tetris has been preloaded on the Play, but fire it up and you’ll have to slide away the controls, since the entire game is played with the phone held vertically. Keep in mind that most random Android games will fall into this category – unable to use the Play controls because they haven’t been coded for it.
You might expect any Android phone advertising its gaming prowess to pack some of the most powerful hardware on the market, but the 1GHz Snapdragon processor in the Xperia Play is actually fairly dated. Sony makes up for it with an onboard Andreno 205 GPU, which handles 3D competently enough to make every game on the device ruin as fluid as you would expect from a dedicated handheld game console.
Camera
Sony’s 5.1-inch megapixel rear camera is, as with most devices in this class, adequate but unimpressive. It takes acceptable photos for a phone, but unlike some of the best smartphone cams we’ve seen, it doesn’t quite reach the level of image quality that would fool some folks into thinking you took your vacation photos with a dedicated point-and-shoot. Many photos had a yellowish cast, and even with the camera dead still, photos had a slightly foggy out-of-FOCUS look that we could never quite shake.
Shooting video only exacerbated the FOCUS problems. The camera also had trouble adjusting exposure in shots with mixed lighting, tending either to crush the blacks in the dark areas or blow out the whites in the light areas – a familiar problem but one that seemed to taint the Sony more than most. On the plus side, the lens offers a nice wide angle that’s great for indoor shots.
Обзор на Sony Ericsson Xperia Play R800i,Zeus (Сони Эрикссон Эксперия Плей)
Battery life
Sony rates the Xperia Play for 6.5 hours worth of talk time and 425 hours worth of standby from its 1500mAh battery – both of which our nonscientific testing seemed to bear out. Just remember the same battery now powers your portable game console, too. Firing up an intense 3D game at full brightness and losing yourself in combat for an hour will bite into battery life a lot more than swapping text messages and casually batting through websites. Even so, we had no issues surfing the Web through the day, downloading apps, hitting the asphalt in some games, and still having plenty of battery life left by the end of the day.
Connectivity
Verizon is moving full speed ahead with LTE handsets like the Samsung Charge and HTC ThunderBolt, but Sony missed the boat and still tools along on 3G speeds. Speeds weren’t bad, per se – but the lack of 4G means potential buyers will have to choose between a gaming phone or a blazing fast phone, because it certainly isn’t both.
Conclusion
If you want the most gaming-friendly Android phone, this is it. But don’t cancel your PSP Go purchase just yet. The first “Playstation-certified” phone is only a handheld gaming console in the same way a bicycle with an engine bolted onto it is a motorcycle – the difference is all in the details. With compromised controls, a small library of available titles that work with them and sometimes lukewarm controller integration on the games that do, the Xperia Play has a ways to go before any real gamer would swap a PSP or Nintendo DS for it. Even so, we have to give Sony Ericsson credit for adding game controls to an Android handset without destroying its credibility as a phone. Unless the bulk bothers you, the sacrifices made for hard game controls are quite livable, making the Xperia Play a worthy consideration for smartphones gamers sick of swiping at glass.
Highs:
- Slide-out game controller
- Clean Android install
- Vibrant 4.0-inch LCD
- Attractive Sony styling
- Acceptable 5.1-megapixel camera
Lows:
- Bulky design
- Controls work with limited game selection
- Touch-based analog controls
- No 4G
- Smudgy screen
Sony’s Playstation Phone STINKS At Gaming. And Pretty Much Everything Else [REVIEW]
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Ericsson’s Xperia Play just launched on Verizon Wireless for 199.99, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag.
It wants to be a PSP, but the power inside of it isn’t up to par compared to other dedicated handheld gaming devices.
And when compared to other smartphones, it’s not super impressive either.
Is the Xperia Play worth your money?
It’s Chunky
Measuring in at 16mm thick, the phone is almost twice as thick as an iPhone 4. It is a slider phone, so I knew it would be thicker, but this thing just feels giant.
The Xperia Play feels especially awkward when you’re holding it in your hand because on its right side, there are two flimsy shoulder buttons that get in the way and click around while you’re holding the phone.
Holding a PSP up to my ear would’ve been more comfortable. This is also to say the Play just feels plasticky.
Compared to some of the incredibly well-built phones I’ve tested lately like the HTC Sensation, the Xperia Play feels lightyears behind. It even has some mushy physical navigational buttons below the screen. On top of that, the navigational buttons are in a strange order that we’re not used to.
The power button on top is downright horrible. Maybe it’s just the well-traveled review unit I have, but half the time it just doesn’t work. It’s another mushy button like the navigational buttons, and sometimes activates a power-off options screen, and sometimes makes the phone go to sleep.
As far as the screen goes, the phone’s 4-incher is subpar. Even at its brightest setting, it doesn’t get very bright, and the screen feels plasticky. It attracted tons of small scratches and dust, as if the screen was made of plastic. When you press down hard on the screen, you see a weird dimpling like you might see on a device with a resistive touchscreen.
The Hardware Does The Job. But Not For Long
The Xperia has a capable 1 Ghz processor, but it’s almost undone by the 512 MB of RAM the phone has built in. Brand new phones shipping with 512MB of RAM aren’t going to last for long, especially if gaming is supposed to be your strong suit.
Also, the 5.1 MP camera is weak and doesn’t even shoot 720p HD video.
One excellent feature the Xperia Play has is stereo speakers. They’re still cell phone speakers, and you should be playing games with headphones, but this was a nice touch.
The phone handles calls well enough (you’re considering this phone primarily because of gaming, right?), and was pretty speedy in my 3G tests. But when you have a bunch of apps open, scrolling and pinch to zooming on the web is a bit of a drag.
Also, the virtual keyboard Sony stuck in this one is tiny. In portrait mode, I found it nearly impossible to type accurately on, even when I was staring at the keyboard.
Is It Fun To Play?
The Xperia Play is an odd device. It feels more like a touchscreen phone with a controller strapped on than a smartphone-gaming-console hybrid.
Playing games is fun, but the experience can be plain old confusing because there’s no way to know if menus are designed to be manipulated via touch or via the directional d-pad.
With certain games, the Xperia’s slide out controller feels like an afterthought.
In Madden, for example, you can’t browse plays using the directional pad you use to move your player. I ended up feeling conflicted and frustrated, especially since the Madden controls weren’t what I was accustomed to on a home console. I have all the buttons of a PS3 controller (minus a couple extra shoulder buttons), so why aren’t controls the same?
This also goes with the analog control pads in the middle of the controller. It often gets down to trial and error to find out which buttons work and which don’t. You can re-assign controller buttons during games, but it’s a hassle.
My old PSP is ten times easier to use than this device.
The Xperia Play came with 7 games pre-loaded, and I would consider none of them truly better experiences because I had physical buttons. There are also twenty-some games you can buy on Vcast. Developers have done wonderful jobs outfitting games for touch devices, and while I often miss the portable game consoles of yore, having both touch and physical buttons is confusing.
Lastly, why is Sony getting ready to launch a bunch of Playstation games on the Xperia Play? They have to be stretched annoyingly because they’re originally for 4:3 aspect ratio TVs. Sony should instead FOCUS on moving over PSP games, or at least PSP Go games.
Should You Buy It?
I really wanted to like this phone, I did. I have a PSP and it’s great for what it does. But unfortunately, the Xperia Play isn’t good enough at any one thing.
You should not buy this phone unless you absolutely need a hardware controller for your gaming, but there aren’t even many games for it yet. Sony is notorious for building proprietary stores and mediums and abandoning them (remember UMD movies for Sony’s PSP? Also, PS Vita is getting Vita cards), so you’ll never know if your investments will pay off.
Of course the Xperia Play also plays games other Android phones can play, and Gingerbread is a welcome addition. Still, the phone just feels old. Like it should’ve come out a year ago.
These days people value cutting edge speed, vibrant screens, portability, and braggability, and the Xperia Play doesn’t have any of these things. It’s a good Android phone, but it’s just too big.
Here’s to the PS Vita being a little bit sweeter.
If you’re unconvinced, grab an Xperia Play for 199.99 on a two year contract with Verizon.
Madden is basically the iPhone version of Madden. The gamepad controls are unresponsive and I’d rather use touch.
There’s a VGA camera on the front for video chatting
The Xperia Play feels nice in your hands. It has all the same buttons as a PSP.
When your thumbs are on the Xperia Play, the buttons feel smaller than on a Playstation controller, but they’re still comfortable to press.
The Xperia Play’s back has a 5.1 MP camera, LED flash, and the tasty-looking Sony-Ericsson jewel we all love.
At 16mm, the Xperia Play is almost twice as thick as the iPhone 4.
Absolutely don’t miss.
Our full review of the HTC Sensation, the best Android phone we’ve ever used
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The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play: Where Do You Want To Take Your Gaming Today?
Already familiar with Sony Ericsson‘s upgrade software from my previously mentioned X10 mini experiences, my next strategy was to hit up the company’s support website. There, I found four different software packages available for download, three of them Windows-based. The PC Companion utility was the one that I’d already used before:
it includes (among other things) firmware upgrade capabilities, as does the seeming functionally redundant Update Service program. Also offered were a multimedia sync program called Media Go, which again seemed redundant with that same feature in PC Companion, and a Mac OS X-tailored functional twin of Media Go called Media Sync.
I tried PC Companion first. After installing it on my Windows Vista Ultimate-based Dell XPS M133 laptop, a tediously long process which also installs a suite of device drivers, I plugged in the Xperia Play (after first ensuring that the handset was not in USB Debugging mode) and all seemed to go well at first:
I was then prompted to change the phone’s connection mode:
by first unmounting the phone:
and then switching it in to MTP (media transfer protocol) mode. an option that the phone didn’t even offer to me:
Internet research suggested that I might have better success if I manually dismounted the phone’s microSD card before connecting the Xperia Play to my laptop, but that attempt only led to an endless circle-cursor on the phone’s display upon USB tether, until I pulled the plug (manually broke the USB connection).
Sigh. Next step; Update Service:
which also explicitly listed the Xperia Play as a supported handset:
In this case, I needed to first power off the phone, then hold down the Android ‘back’ button while connecting it to the laptop over USB:
However, after doing so, Update Service reported to me that no firmware updates were available:
Sigh, again. And, as it turns out, the firmware version situation is even worse than I originally thought. Not only was the latest software version unavailable to me, my Xperia Play was still running its original Android v2.3.2 build, whereas handset owners in other geographies had started receiving an Android 2.3.3 upgrade (complete with extensive integration) in early June. Verizon’s qualification of the upgrades is presumably the availability bottleneck here.
Комментарии и мнения владельцев
SilthDraeth. Monday, August 8, 2011. link
I wonder why they chose a Dpad for directional control vs a flat analog slider pad reminiscent of the Nintendo 3ds?
I would have thought the analog slider pad would have better mimicked the capacitive touch circle control. In fact I probably would play some more N.O.V.A 2 if my Samsung epic had a analog slider pad.
I wonder, if maybe they didn’t do it, because at the time the phone was designed and released, the 3DS hadn’t came out, and no one had thought of it yet.
LordOfTheBoired. Tuesday, August 9, 2011. link
Interesting theory, but there’s a problem with it. the PSP had a flat analog slider long before the 3DS did.It’s also an input that is largely reviled by the fans, and not without justification.
Though the fans think the problem is that it isn’t a “real stick”(actually, two of them) rising high above the face of the device like a home gamepad(specifically, like the DualShock series of gamepads), and to hell with ability. See also: the upcoming PS Vita.
Personally, I think it was just a poorly-considered implementation of a good device.The fault as I see it is that it’s topped with a convex thumb-piece and the centering springs are fairly high-tension. Though the awkward location doesn’t help matters either(I’m pretty sure the slider was shoehorned in late in the system’s development and it was intended to be digital-only).
I’m rather disappointed to know the capacitive disks don’t work, as I thought they were a good idea. Especially as it avoided the preference for cardinal directions in dual-spring potentiometer designs(a very strong preference in the case of the PSP’s high-tension slider).
Обзор Sony Ericsson Xperia Play
Guspaz. Tuesday, August 9, 2011. link
Good idea, terrible implementation. While I’m not a PSP owner,and have only played with them a bit, my experience was that the problems were:
1) Horribly positioned. My hand cramped up using the analog nub on the PSP while simultaneously holding the PSP with that hand
2) Concave form factor made it harder to grip
3) Rough texture was uncomfortable
4) Spring put up too much resistance
5) Too small and not enough range of motion
The 3DS circle pad attempts to address all of these complaints, and while it isn’t quite perfect, it’s a good enough implementation that it can compete with “real” analog sticks rather nicely. Of course, by giving it good positioning, it makes the 3DS’ d-pad uncomfortable to use, but you can’t have it both ways. Anyhow, a circle-pad would certainly fit on something like the xperia play. In fact, I wish that the circle-pad was on more devices, but unfortunately Nintendo’s patents will prevent that. Hopefully Sony can come up with their own similar slider pad that, if not identical to the circle pad, at least makes the same corrections.
MacTheSpoon. Monday, August 8, 2011. link
This first gen phone is underwhelming, but I hope they stick with the concept and iron out the problems. The underlying concept of a smartphone with physical game controls seems spot-on. I’d love to play console-type games on my phone using physical controls instead of multitouch.
ImSpartacus. Monday, August 8, 2011. link
The first gen phone is underwhelming and ever single phone after that will follow similarly.
Why? The Vita. I can’t understand why Sony thought it was a good idea to split the Vita and Xperia Play. If you want to compete with iOS gaming, you can’t do it with two distinct devices. Sony needs a unified gaming device. They are welcome to sell a Wi-Fi version (a la iPod Touch), but their flagship needs to be a phone.
Exodite. Monday, August 8, 2011. link
Because Sony isn’t the same company as Sony Ericsson?
It’s not even a subsidiary, indeed SE is made up from far more of the old Ericsson phone division than it is Sony.
This isn’t in any way, shape of form a ‘Sony‘ phone. Sony doesn’t do phones.
Guspaz. Tuesday, August 9, 2011. link
Sony Ericsson is 50% owned by Sony and 50% owned by Ericsson. They make Walkman-branded phones, Cyber-shot branded phones, Bravia-branded phones. Sony and Ericsson could clearly have come to an agreement if Sony had wanted to do this all in one device.
After all, the XPeria Play and Vita are similar architecturally. They both use ARM SoCs (a departure for Sony in a game console), although the XPeria Play is using a Qualcomm Snapdragon with an Adreno GPU while the Vita is using a quad-core ARM Cortex A9 with a PowerVR SGX534MP4.
In actual fact, the hardware in the Vita is identical to the iPad 2 except doubled (same CPU/GPU, just double the cores each).
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