After much rumors and one very disturbing commercial, Sony Ericsson today confirmed that the Playstation Phone, which is officially called the Xperia Play, will hit this March on the Verizon Network with 50 games, a 5.0 megapixel camera and a 4-inch multi-touch display.
"This Spring, expect to see a lot of people with their heads down and thumbs up," said Peter Farmer, Head of Marketing for North America, Sony Ericsson. "Xperia PLAY combined with the power of the Verizon Wireless network gives you everything you need in a smartphone and the one thing you want – the ultimate gaming experience."
There will be more than 50 games available for the Play when it launches this spring, according to Sony Ericsson. Pre-loaded games will include Asphalt Adrenaline 6, Bruce Lee, Star Battalion, The Sims 3, and Tetris.
Here's a run down of the Xperia Play's key features:
*PlayStation Certified gaming experience
*Latest version of the Android platform (Gingerbread version 2.3)
*60fps play-back enabled through the Snapdragon 1Ghz processor, optimized with enhanced graphical processor unit the Adreno 205
*Dedicated gaming controls for real console quality game play, including four-way directional keys, recognizable ABCD keys with PlayStation iconography, left/right shoulder keys and two analog touch inputs for joystick action
*4-inch brilliant multi-touch display
*5.0 megapixel camera
"Working with Sony Ericsson to bring the world's first PlayStation Certified smartphone to the nation's most reliable network builds on our commitment to deliver the best mobile gaming and entertainment experience to our customers," said Jeff Dietel, vice president-marketing for Verizon Wireless.
Make sure to check out the Xperia Play in action over here.
I love the idea of a mobile phone with some serious gaming roots, but I'd love an NGP Phone about a billion times more.