Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Sit on a tube, train or bus of a morning and it’s clear how many people use their mobile phones to play games. Angry Birds’ popularity is built not on excellence but on boredom, and the reason so many similar games have been so successful is that people tend to play a range of games at similar times, or games tend to be fairly easy to finish.

Step forward ‘the PlayStation phone’, the first example of which is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. It uses the same controls as the popular games console and the makers hope that both players and developers will be drawn to it as a new kind of device.

In truth, unfortunately, the Play is still a first version of that ambition, launched in April but still yet to be properly overhauled. But it seems fair to assume that phones with a specific gaming bent are likely to become more common because simply playing via the touchscreen means your fingers are covering the screen too often.

For now, the unique selling point of the Play is that gaming capability. More games are coming and the software is being improved. So if gaming is your thing, it’s surely for you. But if gaming’s really your thing, you might actually be best off getting a games console such as a Nintendo 3DS and a separate phone.

Score: 3/5

Operating System: Android
Screen: 480x854 4.0”
Processor: 1000 MHz Scorpion processor
Battery (Talk time): 8.25hrs
Camera Resolution: 5 Megapixels
Weight: 175g
Memory: 400mb Plus Micro SD slot