Sony Ericsson finally showed the world the new Playstation gaming smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Spain today. The PlayStation-certified Xperia Play runs the Android Gingerbread OS and will be available next month, accompanied at launch by 50 titles downloadable from Android Market, but with a lot more coming. The phone has a slide-out gamepad that features a PlayStation-style D-pad, thumb sensors and X, O, square and triangle action buttons and combines a PlayStation-quality gaming experience with the very latest Android smartphone technology.
U.S. mobile operator Verizon will be the first to offer the Xperia Play in early spring, Sony Ericsson expects to reveal other mobile carriers shortly.
Initial launch partners include Electronic Arts, Namco Bandai, Digital Chocolate and Gameloft and some of the major titles in the launch offering include Dungeon Defenders 2, Dead Space, FIFA and Battlefield, Reckless Racing and Assassin's Creed.
Official press release:
Introducing Xperia PLAY – the world’s first PlayStation certified smartphone
February 13, 2011, Barcelona, Spain – Sony Ericsson today announced the game changing XperiaTM PLAY, the latest phone in its XperiaTM range of Android based smartphones.
Xperia PLAY delivers the smartphone functionality that the most serious power users could need, teamed with the immersive gaming experience that any gamer would want.
In portrait mode, the Android smartphone offers all the benefits that users have come to expect from Sony Ericsson’s existing range of XperiaTM smartphones with best-in-class entertainment experiences, a great 5 megapixel camera, a brilliant 4” multi-touch screen and great social networking features.
However, slide out the gaming control and users enter a new world of immersive mobile gaming. The slide out game pad reveals a digital D pad, two analogue touch pads, two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle. Qualcomm’s optimized Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and embedded Adreno GPU graphics processor deliver silky smooth 60fps play-back 3D mobile gaming and Web browsing with minimal power consumption so Xperia PLAY users can enjoy long hours of battery life and game time.
Rikko Sakaguchi, Executive Vice President and Chief Creation Officer at Sony Ericsson commented: “Today is a very proud moment for Sony Ericsson as we bring something truly revolutionary to the market. Living up to our vision of Communication Entertainment, Xperia PLAY will forever change the way people think about smartphones and mobile gaming.
XperiaTM PLAY will run on Gingerbread (version 2.3), the latest version of Google’s AndroidTM platform. The XperiaTM PLAY will also be the first PlayStation Certified device. This means it will have access to PlayStation® game content provided through the PlayStation® Suite initiative, currently under development by Sony Computer Entertainment and due to launch later this calendar year.
Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products and Services Group at Sony Corporation said: “I am delighted to see Xperia PLAY as the first PlayStation Certified smartphone to hit the market. Xperia PLAY provides a unique consumer offering and is yet another example of great products and services coming to market that leverage Sony’s strong assets.”
Sony Ericsson has partnered with key publishers in the gaming industry to deliver a rich, vibrant ecosystem at launch and post launch with many leading new titles available via the AndroidTM Marketplace. Leading franchises coming to Xperia™ PLAY includes EA’s The Sims 3 and a multiplayer version of FIFA 10 for mobile. GLU Mobile/Activision will be bringing Guitar Hero while Gameloft’s titles include Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell. Sony Ericsson is also partnering with Unity Technologies, using its award-winning development platform, to ensure a continuous flow of high quality 3D game titles.
Mr Sakaguchi continued: “The launch of Xperia PLAY could not have been possible without the close collaboration of both Google and Sony Computer Entertainment. The commitment of so many industry leading game publishers further demonstrates that Xperia PLAY will deliver on the long-held expectations from consumers the world over.”
XperiaTM PLAY and PlayStation Certified gaming are great examples of the kind of innovation that’s possible in the open Android ecosystem,” said Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google.
A pre-loaded application will enable users to easily discover and download titles that have been optimised for game play on Xperia PLAY, access recently played games and see information about the games they have downloaded.
Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY will be available globally in selected markets from March 2011What do Sony's content partners say?
Electronic Arts, Travis Boatman, VP of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile:“EA collaborated closely with Sony Ericsson to bring exciting versions our best-selling consumer favourites such as The Sims™ 3 and EA SPORTS™ FIFA 10 to the Xperia PLAY. The device’s dedicated gaming keypad gives FIFA players what matters most in a footy game — ultimate ball control, quick player selection on the pitch, effortless passes and more. The Xperia PLAYS’s unique gamepad also delivers robust control in The Sims 3 bringing a whole new life simulation experience to fans of the franchise. We look forward to watching consumers interact with our great games in new ways through the Xperia PLAY.”
Gameloft, Michel Guillemot, President:“We are pleased to partner with Sony Ericsson to offer a catalogue of 10 of our best-selling games at launch of the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY,” said Michel Guillemot, President of Gameloft. “My vision since the creation of Gameloft was to turn video games into a true mass market form of entertainment. This vision is realized with the launch of Xperia PLAY, which combines a perfect smartphone for daily use as well as a real game controller to provide the best gaming experience ever seen on a mobile phone. Gameloft will support the launch with more than 20 titles over the next 6 months that will take full advantage of the power of this device.”
Glu Mobile, Niccolo de Masi, CEO:“Glu’s strategic relationship with Sony Ericsson aligns us with a leading innovator in mobile and gaming. We look forward to accelerating our momentum in social mobile gaming with compelling offerings on Sony Ericsson’s newest mobile devices.”
Content partners at launch include:Sony Computer EntertainmentDigital ChocolateDigital LegendsElectronic ArtsFishlabsGamehouseGameloftGlu MobileHandy GamesNamco Bandai NetworksPolarbitPopCapTrendy EntertainmentUnity Tecnologies
For further information, images and videos visit www.sonyericsson.com/mwcnews
Xperia™ PLAY at a glance:
Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY
Camera
5.1 megapixel cameraAuto focusFlash / Photo lightGeo taggingImage stabiliserSend to webTouch focusVideo lightVideo recordingVideo bloggingMusic
Album artBluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)Google™ Music PlayerMusic tones (MP3/AAC)PlayNow™ service*Sony Ericsson Music playerStereo speakersTrackID™ music recognition applicationInternet
Android Market™*BookmarksGoogle™ search*Google™ Voice Search*Pan & zoomWeb browser (Webkit)Communication
Call listConference callsFacebook™ application (from Android Market™)Google™ Talk*Noise ShieldPolyphonic ringtonesSpeakerphoneSony Ericsson Timescape™***Twitter™ application (from Android Market™)Vibrating alertMessaging
Android Cloud to Device messaging (C2DM)ConversationsEmailGoogle Mail™*Instant messagingPicture messaging (MMS)Predictive text inputSound recorderText messaging (SMS)Design
Auto rotateKeyboard (onscreen, 12 key)Keyboard (onscreen, QWERTY)Picture wallpaperTouchscreenWallpaper animationEntertainment
3D gamesDedicated gaming keysFlash Lite™Gesture gamingMotion gamingVideo streamingYouTube™Organiser
Alarm clockCalculatorCalendarDocument editorsDocument readersE-ManualFlight modeGoogle Calendar™Google Gallery 3D™Infinite buttonPhone bookSet-up WizardWidget managerConnectivity
3.5 mm audio jackaGPSBluetooth™ technologyDLNA CertifiedGoogle Latitude™Google Location ServiceGoogle Maps™ with Street ViewMedia Transfer Protocol supportMicro USB ConnectorModemSynchronisation via Facebook™**Synchronisation via Google Sync™Synchronisation via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson SyncUSB 2.0 high speed supportWi-Fi™Wi-Fi™ Hotspot functionality* The service is not available in all markets.** Requires Facebook™ application installed on the device.
Google™ services*
* These services may not be available in every marketAndroid Market™ Client
Gmail™Google Calendar™Google Gallery 3D™Google Latitude™Google Maps™ with Street ViewGoogle Media UploaderGoogle Music Player™Google Phone-top SearchGoogle Search widgetGoogle Sync™Google Talk™Google Voice SearchSet-up WizardYouTube™Screen
16,777,216 colour TFTCapacitive multi-touch4 inches480 x 854 pixels (FWVGA)In-Box:
Xperia™ PLAYBatteryStereo portable handsfree8GB microSD™ memory cardChargerMicro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transferUser documentationFacts
Size: 119 x 62 x 16 mmWeight: 175 gramsPhone memory: up to 400 MBMemory card support: microSD™, up to 32 GBMemory card included: 8GB microSD™Operating system: Google™ Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)Processor: 1 GHz Scorpion ARMv7Talk time and networksNetworks
Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 8 hrs 25 min*Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs*Talk time UMTS: Up to 6 hrs 25 min*Standby time UMTS: Up to 413 hrs*Talk time CDMA2000®: Up to 7 hrs 40 min*Standby time CDMA2000®: Up to 405 hrs*Game play time: Up to 5 hrs 35 min*MP3 playback: Up to 30 hrs 35 min*Networks
UMTS HSPA 800, 850, 1900, 2100GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900UMTS HSPA 900, 2100GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900CDMA2000®, cdmaOne, EVDO
Colours: Black, White
