At the end of last month the Sony officially launched in Europe the Xperia Play, commonly known around as “Playstation Phone“. But was pairing a console with a smartphone a good idea? THE Sony managed to put on the market a device that satisfactorily performs the function of both things? Know a little more about Xperia Play in sequence!
O Xperia Play has a robust design, weighs 175 grams and, according to Sony, has a battery that can withstand up to 5 and a half hours of gaming. The “problem” is that it is also a smartphone, so the battery that is spent playing can be missed when using other functions of the device.
For those who care about technical specifications, let’s go to them:
- 4 inch TFT screen with 854×480 resolution
- Processor Scorpion 1GHz single core
- graphic chip Adreno 205
- 512MB of RAM
- 400MB internal memory (which can be increased with memory cards up to 8GB)
- 5MP camera that shoots at 720p and LED flash
- 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, DLNA and aGPS.
The device’s interface runs on Gingerbread, version 2.3 of the Android, and features all the features of a good smartphone. Navigation through the menus and functions of the device is made in a simple and practical way, although the customization of the system, with applications for social networks and the like, leaves a little to be desired. With the interface it’s simple, the Sony ensures you won’t have any problems with updates for the next models of Android.
Well, but let’s get down to business: how is the performance of the Xperia Play with games? The answer is: the controller, which is “hidden” by a stylish slider flap, is great for those who are tired of the competition’s “virtual buttons”, but the actual gaming experience could still improve.
Control is good because it’s pretty much the same as good old Playstation. Just about everything is there, with the exception of the analog sticks, which have been swapped out for weird touchpads. The function is the same, but it takes a lot of practice to master control with them. The advantage is that the control is also compatible with emulators on other platforms.
The processor withstands the stride of heavier games well, and the gameplay has been well adapted to the device’s controls. The problem is that the games themselves have not received the same polish. The graphics of games from Playstation they’re a bit stretched out on the widescreen, and some UI bugs compromise the fun a bit.
Another problem is precisely the portability with games from Playstation: of the 5 games that come in memory, only Bandicoot Crash came from Playstation. The other titles – FIFA 10, Bruce Lee, star battalion and the Sims 3 – can be found in the Android Market common. There’s even a different interface for navigating the games on different systems, which isn’t very practical.
Of course, there are several games of Playstation that can be purchased online, but the price of most – around 6 dollars – may end up not worth the purchase, for those who already enjoyed the games on the original console and just wanted to kill the longing.
Finally, the low-gloss display complicates outdoor gaming, and undermines the idea that a handheld console is meant to be played anywhere.
In short, the Xperia Play is the first attempt of Sony to combine the useful (mobile) with the pleasant (video game). It can be said that it did a good job in many respects, but the device’s appeal to the gamer audience could be compromised by the price of the titles, and their somewhat ill-planned conversion.
Remembering that the Sony will soon launch the NGP, a device that will not be a cell phone, but promises to be the next step in terms of portable multifunctional consoles.
