IGN: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Review

"The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play suffers from what I like to call 3DS Disorder, symptoms of which include, but are not limited to: underwhelming hardware with a critical lack of killer apps. But, like Nintendo's newest handheld, the Xperia Play is based on a sound idea, and with a little time and software support, could become a solid mobile gaming solution. "

[rob6021]

Android Emulators + GamePad, + on my phone -- that is so WIN..

I think this will be my next phone. I know IGN can't talk about Emulators, so I'd understand their review.

[aceitman]

looks like the judged on software and not completely on hardwarewhich is what it should be . does it work on the games it has yes or no . so if yes then it can be one hell of a cell phone gaming system . or no it will flop .

[miyamoto]

Unbiased SEXperia Play Review from Blunty3000

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

reviewing even PS1, MAME & Android Emulator games

better than the PSP when it comes to emulation?

[ABizzel1]

I think they're being a bit unfair. I would give it a 7.5 or 8. It's a great phone and device, and after playing with one for several hours, I can say it is as good as any other phone on the market.

IGN reviewed it as if it was suppose to be some kind of superphone like a NGP or something, instead of reviewing it for what it is, a cell phone made for gaming. The features it possess are in every high tier smartphone nowadays, and tanks to PlayStation controls it plays games better than any other phone out there.

If any other phone came out with those specs. it would have gotten an 7 - 8, and so they should have been fair about it. Now is this phone going to make anyone drop their current phone to buy it, NO. Is it going to make people switch carriers to buy it, No. What it is for is for people who are looking for a new phone, and into gaming that are ready to renew their contract or renewing one soon, and for them it's a good phone, that plays games better than any other phone out there.

[gamingdroid]

For a gaming device, this is disappointing:

"As for the device itself, the Xperia Play is a decent smartphone, but hardly on the cutting edge of mobile technology. The system packs a single core 1GHz Snapdragon processor with an Adreno 205 graphics core, which give it plenty of power, but considering that many new mobile products have graduated to dual-core processing and NVIDIA Tegra-based graphics, the Xperia Play won't be able to tackle more demanding titles later down the line, such as Shadowgun."

Practically obsolete before it even releases! DoA!!!

[Ju]

You should go test play it at a Sony shop (or anywhere else). You will be surprised how flawless games run on that thing, despite the fact it's "only" a single core phone (like 98% out right now). Graphically it looks awesome - maybe because I don't bother downloading those games for my GalaxyS (should be about the same) - for me surprisingly good. And the games run absolutely smooth. Possibly due to some optimizations in Gingerbread (or through Sony-Ericsson). I got a GalaxyS - and can't upgrade. If I could get rid of it, I'd switch in a heartbeat. But, well, I have to admit, due to this fact I can wait for NGP and the Xperia Play 2 for next year. No fast phone will fix the fact that those don't have controls. The biggest annoyance in mobile gaming so far.

[gamingdroid]

My point was that new phones are releasing all the time, as a gaming oriented phone device you want to stay a little ahead of the curve to ensure you can play future games. Instead Sony opted to release it with essentially gimped specs.

If you want to play games specifically for the Xperia? It's great! Whatever games Sony releases will work on it and be optimized for it.

If you want to play games not designed specifically for Xperia? Well... g'luck! However, Android suffers from fragmentation issues anyhow.

[stealth500k]

I call this launch disorder

the ds,psp,wii,ps3,360 sucked at launch too

[TheTruth89]

it's not a console.

[BrianG]

Exactly, just a phone that has the luxury of supporting Playstation games and the controls necessary to play those games.

In the end it is still an Android phone.

It's not like the phone is going to see solid NEW releases is it? I'm pretty sure it is just the existing PS One library that is being supported. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[joeorc]

well im glad you asked if it was..because

"It's not like the phone is going to see solid NEW releases is it? I'm pretty sure it is just the existing PS One library that is being supported. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. "

What many people have overlooked is not only will it get existing PS1 library, but Sony Computer Entertainment is making games for it. In this respect Sony 1st party Studios are like 3RD party, Thats the thing about this "Playstation Suite" It is getting 3rd party an in this case also Sony 1st party development games that will be brand new games even new exclusive IP: Games.

as for this claim by IGN

"underwhelming hardware"

I just have to laugh, why because both the Xperia-play an the Nintendo 3DS do not have "underwhelming hardware" for if that was the case he would have to call the PSP an the DS -

"underwhelming hardware"

I mean the very fact that the games play very well an look great on both systems, an yet would people really call these game handhelds "underwhelming hardware" with the games they already have on the platforms.

but what's also Ironic is both the 3DS an Xperia-play have hardware specs far greater than the DS an the PSP spec's.

even with Handhelds like the NGP being as powerful as it is, the Xperia-play an 3DS is no slouch they crush the DS an the PSP in capability's, just because the Xperia-play happens to be a smart phone does not mean the gaming will take a back seat. this is not like the Ngage.

[STK026]

They called it underwhelming hardware, because this phone, which is supposed to be a gaming-oriented smartphone, is less powerful than some phones already on the market, like the LG Optimus X2. It has less memory and is powered by a relatively low clocked single core CPU.

If smartphones had their specs compared to dedicated handheld gaming devices, about 80-90% of them would be much more powerful than the 5-6 years old PSP/NDS. It's a smartphone, and most of the games it will play are smartphone games, and in less than a year, it will likely start showing that it can't run some of the newest games which have been designed to run on dual core smartphones.

[Optical_Matrix]

The hardware is underwhelming. This should have been released 2 years ago. It's not cutting edge tech at all and it will fall behind the next wave of Tegra 2 based smart phones so quickly. It will have the design but not the hardware to compete with all the dual core Android devices that are coming out over the course of the next year.

The idea is sound. But it was executed way too late in the game imho. Should have game about when the world was wrapped up in the snapdragon hype a year ago.

[Trroy]

The only phones on the market that really outperform the Xperia Play are the Atrix (which costs $600, to the Play's $450, and runs Android 2.2, which slows it down), and the Optimus 2X (same issues). Both are using the Tegra 2 chipset.

Both Tegra 2 phones have HUGE batteries, and are pretty unwieldy, hot, and short-lived (battery-wise), for smartphones. Honestly, if I was buying a gaming phone (and I did), I'd want the battery to last, I'd want it to not be as large as my PSP (or I'd carry my PSP...), and I'd want a decent CPU and GPU -- but they don't have to be the best available.

I chose the Play over the Atrix and Optimus 2X for a reason -- it has PS1 BC. For PS1 BC, I don't need, or want, a GPU that will chew through my battery in < 1 hour. My PSP games still beat the socks off any and every phone game ever made -- I bought the phone for convenience gaming, not high-end gaming. If I want high-end gaming on the go... well I'll get myself a NGP, and stick with a PSP until then.

The PSP is a great gaming platform, not only due to the controls, but also because apps for it are written in "real" languages -- C and assembly. Ponder that for a moment, when comparing games written for a machine from 2004, with a 333 MHz CPU and 32MB of memory, to modern day phone games on machines with 1 GHz cores and 512MB or more. Modern phones have way faster GPUs, as well. How, do you suppose, are the games so dang good on PSP, despite the huge disparity in the hardware?

C kicks Java's a$s with regards to performance -- that's the bottom line. If you want high-end gaming, you need to get yourself a gaming platform (like the NGP), where games can be compiled directly for the hardware, without some intermediary BS like Java. You will never, ever, see truly awesome games on a phone (except where awesome means "awesome gameplay", rather that "technologically impressive"). Phones are for convenience gaming, and the Play is clearly designed for just that.

Even games like Infinity Blade pale compared to a large portion of the PSP library. I'm sure Sony Ericsson isn't foolish enough to believe that their phone is going to pull an iPhone, and nearly take over the market all by itself, thus justifying low-level development specifically for their hardware.

[Heartnet]

Hmm Minecraft is becoming a timed exclusive on it i read :)

I could be wrong :D

[kharma45]

It's pretty typical for Sony Ericsson to be behind the times with phones, they had a good concept here with the Play yet have somewhat hampered it with what is now a midrange processor when it should've launched with something dualcore from the likes of nVidia or Qualcomm.

[Trroy]

Dual core, on a phone, is not really a gaming boon. It's more for people who want to run a browser and game at the same time, and who don't care about burning through the charge on their battery in no time.

As far as phone gaming is concerned, it's all about the GPU, and the Adreno 205 is no slouch. Better phone GPUs are in the works, but that's just it.. they aren't available yet. The power-hungry Tegra 2, with its dual-core CPU and GeForce ULP probably just wasn't worth the expense, considering that most good phone games are written to run on platforms that have GPUs as weak as the SGX535 and less.

[kharma45]

There's also the Adreno 220 that is coupled with Qualcomm's dual-core chip in the HTC Sensation, would've been a good shout for this phone.

Whilst I agree right now dual core isn't going to be showing any massive improvements alone over single core, SE really should've been looking to the future with this phone.

[Ju]

I am pretty sure it'll get an upgraded version at some point (if the concepts sells). Those dual cores have a lot to prove. I think the Tegra2 is overrated. All Qualcom cpus (especially with the 220) blow it out of the water - Samy's latest dual core seems to be pretty good, too. New chips are arriving. The whole dual core market is not mature, yet, though. And from a strategic point of view, it would play against the NGP launch to release a too powerful gaming phone just before the NGP. But it'll fit nicely 3-6 month after that. I am pretty sure this will happen early next year.

While I like the max performance you can get from a nerd perspective, I am quite surprised how well this thing actually works. Anyone wants a GalaxyS?

[Rybakov]

what providers cause if i can get it to replace my phone be sweet.....and they shouldn't be knocking it because of lack of games if it just came out....thats like kocking the 3ds for not having good games

they also didnt talk about the phone quality.....how are phone calls, text messages...how well dose it pick up bars

bad review in general....not surprised its ign

[NoOoB101]

Its for verizon.

[Heartnet]

I got it for Vodafone :D

[stealth500k]

wheres all the people who said this would be a psp+phone?

I want to laugh at them and call them dumb

[Trroy]

I got one of these. It's a great phone, and a decent portable gaming device, given that its a phone.

Great screen, great battery, fantastic speakers, and pretty dang fast. Great phone. Came with 6 games, ab (seems like the IGN guy didn't even try to compare them to other phones) out half of which are pretty sweet. When PS1 classics are available on it, it'll be well worth it.

I'm surprised that people think a 1 GHz Snapdragon + Adreno 205 is just "okay". It's comparable to the fastest phones currently on the market. Even when the dual core mobile CPUs, and the GPUs like the Adreno 220, or SGX543 come out later this year (or next year?) this phone will still perform pretty well.. particularly with Android 2.3. Java performance is the real bottleneck on phones, not raw CPU muscle, and I sincerely doubt a dual-core phone will do anything better than a single core, outside of multitasking... which you're just not doing when gaming (usually). On top of that, developers would be fools to write multi-threaded phone games, since the # of customers would be very limited for a long while, and using multiple cores intensively (i.e. for high-end gaming) would burn up a mobile battery in no time flat.

[testerg35]

I though dual cores are already out? I have a Motorola Atrix and its a dual core.

[kharma45]

Not just that but in the UK here we've got the Samsung Galaxy S2, HTC Sensation (which has the Adreno 220 mentioned my Trroy) and LG Optimus 2X all on sale as well as the Atrix, quite a few dual core handsets around.

[Ju]

And yet, none of those has buttons....

[joeorc]

"I'm surprised that people think a 1 GHz Snapdragon + Adreno 205 is just "okay".

not only did i agree with what you posted, but also the Chipset is not just 1 GHz.

but it really is not that far outdated as some people think:

Featured MSM8x55 Products:

T-Mobile myTouch 4G
Stay connected at blazing-fast speeds with the Android™-powered myTouch.

ThunderBolt™ by HTC
It’s got lightning–fast Verizon® 4G LTE and Android™ awesomeness.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY
The world's first PlayStation certified smartphone.

http://www.qualcomm.com/sna...

I mean the XPERIA-PLAY has the same chipset as the HTC Thunderbolt

http://www.verizonwireless....

[kharma45]

It was top end in 2010, not now, it's getting more to be a mid-range CPU featuring in phones like the Desire S.

[Trroy]

There are a few dual cores out, but their benchmarks basically show that their performance is due to their power hungry GPUs, not the dual core nature of their CPUs. They also all have giant, near-2000 mAH batteries, and get nice and warm over the 60 mins or so they burn a full charge in, while gaming with a game that actually shows off their GPU.

By the end of the year, we'll see some lower-priced, actual competitive dual cores with lower power GPUs. I realize that the EU has had some dual cores for a few months now, but they're still pretty new (and high-priced) in the US, and like I said, they're not better gaming phones, without some battery durability and frankly, controls.

[subtenko]

the S.E.X. play is a phone!

[MidnytRain]

Wow, I just realized that. Watch Fox News call subliminal prostitution on Sony.

[Neko_Mega]

It's a pretty cool phone and from what I heard it has a great battery life, I played around with it and its going to be my next phone.

Its like the PSP Go but better, two analogs, better triggers and a better screen. Price isn't to bad with a 2 year plan, but I think people take this as a PSP and not a phone.

It does both and it makes it much better to play games then using a touch screen to play a shooter.

[jneul]

ign seem blind to anything with playstation on it:-D

[joeorc]

I have seen many here say the Xperia-play is a "Mid range" ok let's really look @ what is mid range.

Low end would be 600 Mhz or lower

mid range is 800 Mhz

High end is 1 Ghz or higher

Dual core is classed as "super Smartphone's"

example:

updated 3/18/2010 9:05:35 AM ET

The Wave will have a 1 gigahertz processor, which in the years ahead will become more standard fare for smartphones, experts say. Many higher-end smartphones now use processors of 650 megahertz. The relatively new Google Nexus One uses Qualcomm's 1 GHz Snapdragon processor.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id...

thus

like i stated the High end 650 is now the low end the 800 Mhz is the Mid range an the 1 GHz is still the High end Smart phone, the Dual Core is the super smartphone, once the Quad core come's out for smart phones than the 1 Ghz would be classed as Mid range..because the 600 Mhz smart phones are still the lowest class in smart phones unless you go to the Smart phone's running the MTK6516 chip WHICH ONLY RUN @ 460Mhz processor!

There will be many that will disagree with me, but think about what is still being produced even new smartphones the LG Optimus Line run a 600 Mhz cpu core an 205 GPU, the the Adreno 220 just came out , but the main snapdragon smart phones still use the 200 or the 205.

because windows Mobile 7 phones still use the Adreno 200 an they are still classed by Microsoft as a High end Smartphone an they still are single core 1 Ghz processors.