MWC: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play makes its debut

THE FIRST DAY of Mobile World Congress saw the launch of the eagerly awaited Sony Ericsson Playstation phone, the Xperia Play.

It has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5MP camera, a 4-inch multi-touch screen and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. But that's not what we came to see, and yes, it does a have a slide-out gamepad complete with d-pad, two analogue touch pads, two shoulder buttons and of course the familiar Playstation circle, square, cross and triangle.

But of course, what's going to make the device is the games. Unfortunately, all Sony Ericsson has detailed are partnerships with various games publishers. For instance, game publisher tie-ups mean the ubiquitous Sims, Fifa and Guitar Hero franchises will make their debuts after launch.

Downloading will work using a pre-loaded application that will allow you to search and download titles that have been built to run on the Xperia Play. But there's still a lot we want to know about its gaming capabilities. Will old Playstation titles make it to the phone? Sony Ericsson will have to drum this into its head, games will make or break the Xperia Play.

We should see this phone released in March. With the Xperia Play and its other two handsets at MWC, Sony Ericsson seems to be going in the right direction. But whether expectation will meet reality will be another matter entirely. µ