Sony should totally launch a new Xperia Play
With the continued surge in smartphone gaming in 2020, the advent of game streaming services, and the upcoming debut of the PlayStation 5, it seems like a perfect time for Sony to reboot its own dedicated gaming phone. The last official switch to a portable gaming phone came in 2011 with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, an Android phone that took its design from the PSP Go.
In September, pictures of the Xperia Play 2, a rumored sequel from a can, surprisingly appeared online. Sony has not officially confirmed that it has any other device in the line planned, but the apparent prototype got us thinking about the history of the company’s mobile games.
We asked readers if they would buy a restarted Xperia Play in case Sony should restart the line. Here’s what you told us:
Would you buy a newly launched Xperia Play in 2020?
Results
In this case, over 2,700 votes were cast and there is one overwhelming winner. Almost four-fifths (79.8%) of voters said that if Sony made such a device available they would absolutely buy a restarted Xperia Play.
While there are numerous gaming phones from a number of OEMs, none have a slide-up screen and built-in controller buttons like the Xperia Play. If Sony were to redesign a device for the modern smartphone era, it would also include modern hardware. A slider with dedicated control inputs, an OLED display, a Snapdragon 865 chipset, and 5G connectivity could be a monster gaming device.
Continue reading: A PlayStation Phone should be Sony’s answer to streaming Xbox games
However, some readers don’t feel that way. Around 20% of those surveyed said they would not buy a newly launched Xperia Play. Given that the apparent prototype surfaced around nine years after the first device launched, it could suggest that Sony wasn’t too sure about the product. Modern Sony smartphones have also become more conservative and sophisticated, with an emphasis on camera performance and video entertainment. Mobile gaming may not be as important in his list of key principles as it used to be.
Here’s what you had to say
- Connor Oud: If they could do it with game streaming (xCloud, Steam Link, PlayStation Remote Play, Stadia) I would buy it.
- Ahmed AbuBakr: I would buy one right away, regardless of the price, I loved the first one. Hopefully a Chinese brand will have a similar design.
- Batou2034: If they brought this to market now with Xperia 1ii specs, they’d be selling hotcakes.
That’s it for this poll. Thank you to everyone who voted and commented on this. If you have any other thoughts on our results, or the modern day Xperia Play Sony was supposed to be building, be sure to add your comments below.
