Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

The basics

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is part smartphone, part gaming console, and is unlike any other current device. When closed, it looks like a regular – if slightly large – smartphone. Slide the lower half down however, and you'll find a proper set of gaming controls, which are all the better for taking full advantage of the powerful graphics card.

The good

Lots of recent smartphones boast a host of impressive games, and some of them even offer decent graphics, but nothing comes close to the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play when it comes to control.

The sliding lower half with proper buttons mean you'll be able to control games accurately and comfortably, and it's a lot more fun than using touchscreen buttons.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play also tops the list when it comes to graphics, with games on the Xperia Play looking absolutely stunning – just as they do on the Sony PSP.

The 4-inch screen is impressive, boasting a pin-sharp resolution of 480 x 854 pixels. It could be brighter, but colours are good, and games, photographs and websites all look great.

As a phone, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is also pretty good, running Android at speed thanks to its 1GHz processor. It's easy to use, and there are loads of free apps available via the Android Market.

The bad

Unfortunately, Sony can't back up with Xperia Play's hardware with a world-beating games catalogue. Yes, there are some fun titles, but there's nowhere near the same amount that you'll find on something like the Nintendo 3DS – or even the Apple iPhone – and games bought for the Sony PSP are also incompatible.

The bottom line

Overall, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is a bit of a disappointment. The hardware itself is great – it's fast, comfortable as a gaming platform, and it's packed with features. Unfortunately, this means nothing without a decent gaming catalogue, and until Sony gets its act together it's difficult to recommend the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.