The Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY is one of the more unique handsets released in recent times, mainly for its slide-out gaming joypad. The handset has received a mixed reception since launching last week and we thought we’d round up the best of the reviews that we’ve come across so far.
Some of the main criticisms for the handset appear to be a lack of content for the handset, or at least the lack of unique content i.e. a killer title. The dimness of the display and thickness of the handset are also recurring negatives. However, on the positive side, the Xperia PLAY has a solid slide mechanism, great sound quality as well as being a perfectly usable phone. Click through for a full list of reviews.
Xperia PLAY Review Roundup
Cnet: “The Xperia Play is part console and part smart phone. Its hardware is impressive, but its confusing and inconsistent software makes gaming a joyless experience. That leaves it a porky Android phone, with little to offer over its slimmer, lighter rivals.”
Electric Pig: “The PlayStation Phone could certainly suck up your time, but not everyone will appreciate the pocket space it requires.”
Engadget: “With almost no differentiating software of its own, the Play is really relying on the strength of its gamepad to round up willing participants in its gaming revolution. We concur that that’s indeed the phone’s main strength, with good ergonomics and an extremely durable sliding mechanism. Nonetheless, the poor quality of the screen and good, but not great, hardware spec force us to be reluctant about recommending it as a sage purchase at present.”
FoneHome: “We’ve got no qualms here: the Xperia Play’s sound quality is excellent, and the battery life more than enough to see you through a day, with even a sprinkle of gaming on the train thrown in. It may seem like a PlayStation controller first and foremost, but it’s a perfectly usable phone.”
GSM Arena (Preview): “The only thing bothering us is the hardware. We can’t help but wonder what a dual-core processor and better graphics chip could’ve done for the quality of the games that are yet to come out for the platform.”
phoneArena: “The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is a bit rough around the edges, as all first efforts are, but it might very well be a harbinger of things to come, and it’s good to have a front seat for some fun in the meantime.”
PocketGamer: “Lifelong players will be positively enraptured with the PlayStation-style interface, and if Sony Ericsson can canvass support from developers – as well as ensure that its store of classic 32-bit titles continues to grow at a healthy rate – then the Xperia Play could be set for a long and prosperous future.”
Pocket-Lint: “Sony Ericsson needed a killer game to really get everyone excited about the Xperia Play: Crash Bandicoot isn’t it. We’re worried about the current line-up, but this is early days so we can afford to be a little lenient: developers can change the future of this phone from its current position as interesting to rather more compelling.”
PocketNow: “If you are a serious gamer that doesn’t mind low-quality exteriors than this is the device for you. If you are a more cautious consumer, than we suggest holding off until more game titles are released and Sony Ericsson uses higher-quality materials. Nevertheless, the XPERIA Play and PlayStation Suite look very promising.”
Recombu: “We’re generally impressed with both the phone and how existing games have been integrated to use the Xperia Play’s controls. We like how the new custom UI both looks and works – a definite improvement on how it used to be on the Xperia X10.”
Slashgear: “The gamepad works, and the premise of playing PS One titles while mobile is brilliant, but there’s still a disconnect between Sony Ericsson’s hardware and the games on offer. That will likely improve in time, though there are hardware concerns – such as the dim display and some of the cheap plastics – that won’t.”
T3: “We’d like to reassess the Xperia Play once the PlayStation Suite service is properly up and running, and there are a range of purpose-made games to test, but right now we’d struggle to recommend it for either of the fronts it’s fighting on, although we’re sure this won’t prevent it from finding an audience.”
TechRadar: “What we will say is that the Xperia Play is no knock-out punch set to revolutionise mobile gaming. It’s better than playing on a touchscreen, but you have to weigh that advantage against the cost and the competition.”
What Mobile (Part One and Part Two): “For playing games, it can’t be beaten. Besides playing games on a high-res screen at 60 frames per second, there’s also a great Android smartphone behind it, running the latest OS. The challenge is going to be a steady stream of compatible games, but this phone gives Sony Ericsson the best possible chance of success.”
