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Tag: Xperia Play

  • PlayStation Mobile Launches For Vita and Android

    PlayStation Mobile, Sony’s new mobile game store that it announced at E3, officially launched today. The store can be accessed through a PlayStation Vita or through “PlayStation Certified” devices using the PlayStation Store. PlayStation fans in the U.S., Japan, Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia will be able to access the service today, with Sony stating that more countries will follow.

    For PlayStation Vita owners, a new tab will appear in the store on their devices. Android users who are able to use the PlayStation Mobile for Android app will also see PlayStation Mobile after they have updated the app. Unfortunately for most Android smartphone users, the only “PlayStation Certified” Android devices are currently Sony tablets and smartphones, mostly Xperia ones. Sony does hint that HTC’s ‘One’ lineup of phones, including the HTC One X, will be certified in the near future, though.

    The new mobile store launches with 21 titles including racing, sports, and puzzle games. All games in the PlayStation Mobile store are touch-screen enabled and feature on-screen “virtual” DualShock controller controls. Luckily, those with a PlayStation Vita or Xperia Play smartphone will be able to play using their devices’ button controls.

    A mobile store specifically dedicated to gaming is a good idea, and one that could take off if Sony can get developers on-board. Sony also announced today that the PlayStation Mobile SDK will be available starting in November. Still, even if it has the best mobile games around, PlayStation Mobile won’t take off unless it spreads to phones and tablets other than Sony’s.

  • Ice Cream Sandwich Not Coming To Xperia Play After All

    We reported back in March that Sony was starting up a beta test program to see which Xperia phones could take on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). One of the hopes was that Sony’s flagship gaming phone, the Xperia Play, would see an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich. That appears to not be the case anymore.

    In a post on the Sony Mobile blog, the company says that Ice Cream Sandwich wont be coming to Xperia Play after extensive testing on their end alongside the testing performed by those that participated in the beta test. It was found that the Xperia Play could not remain stable while running ICS and that it had a negative impact on the performance of games. Considering that the Xperia Play’s main focus is games with its d-pad controls and PlayStation style buttons, it’s a big deal if the phone can’t remain stable during gameplay.

    That’s the only bad news, however, in a post full of good news. ICS will be hitting a wide range of other Xperia phones soon. The company announced that ICS would be hitting the Xperia S, Xperia P and Xperia U in tiers at the end of June. Three Xperia phones – Xperia Arc S, Xperia Ray and Xperia Neo V – were all updated with ICS last month. The other Xperia smartphones that Sony released in 2011 will receive ICS at some point during this year.

    At this point, it seems that it’s only the Xperia Play that’s being left out of the ICS update. Sony probably made the right choice since an unstable OS would be disastrous for a mobile phone whose main purpose is to play games. The lack of ICS could also be pointing to a successor to the Xperia Play with advanced functionality. One of Sony’s most valuable assets is its PlayStation brand. Being able to market a smartphone that at least looks like a PlayStation device weighs heavily in Sony’s favor.

    It appears that Sony is still allowing Xperia Play users to unlock their phone and install ICS to the device if they so wish. It should go without saying, but the software is unstable on the device. If you must have ICS on your Xperia Play device, you can still install it. Just know that it’s not Sony’s fault if your device breaks. You’ve been warned by a lengthy terms of service agreement.

  • Ice Cream Sandwich Now Available On Xperia Play

    It sucks buying an old Android phone because you can’t get access to newer operating systems unless you root your phone and install a ROM of the newer version. Even then, it’s not guaranteed to work and it usually doesn’t come with the blessing of the manufacturer. It’s good to see that at least Sony is taking the consumer-friendly approach in regards to updating.

    Sony announced yesterday that Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is now available on the Xperia Play. This is part of a test to see how games operate on ICS since that’s what the Xperia Play is essentially built for. The company says that many game developers have already been at work making sure their games work with ICS, but are releasing the beta now to get feedback from the community.

    As part of this, they’re asking for users to submit bug and general performance reports to them. They want to know the game’s titles, your general impression, the controls, lag levels and other feedback.

    They also give some general information and good tips for those who want to install the ICS beta on their Xperia Play. The beta is not a final release and as such should be treated with caution. Here’s the lowdown:

    You should be an advanced developer with extensive knowledge in how to install, and switch between different ROMs. If you are a consumer without these developer skills, then we strongly recommend you do not try this, as you may damage your phone.

    You must be using Xperia PLAY, running the latest Xperia software release (which is 4.0.2.A.0.42). For an ICS beta ROM for Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V and Xperia ray, check out the previously released ICS beta ROM for unlocked Xperia smartphones.

    You must unlock your phone using our Unlock boot loader service, and agree to all the legal and warranty conditions that apply. Please note that you may void the warranty of your phone, any warranty from your operator or both if you unlock the boot loader of your phone. Sony Mobile can then no longer guarantee the full functionality of your phone, and will not be responsible for any unusable functions or loss of personal data associated to the beta ROM being flashed to the phone.

    The only real downside of this is that this beta release does not come with Google Mobile Services or Wi-Fi. Sony says that they’re still waiting on certification for these. So once again, this is really only for developers, but interested users are welcome to try it as well. Just don’t go downloading it hoping for a fully featured ICS because you’re not going to get it.

    [h/t: Android Community]