In Defense of the "PlayStation Phone"

First off, I'm new to GiantBomb's paid community, so hello to all. Just thought I'd try to get a little conversation going here about my newest prized possession, the Xperia Play, aka Playstation phone. Since it's come out I've seen a lot of negativity about the phone, and I have to admit I was skeptical, but having had it for a month now I can safely say I am loving it. Why?

The buttons work.

When I first got my hands on the phone, the buttons felt a little odd, not having much travel at all. Having not had my hands on a PSP Go, I can't say whether they're similar or not, but after a day or two of use they felt wonderful.

The analog pads are workable at worst and brilliant at best.

Games such as PewPew 2, Age of Zombies, and Dead Space all use the analog pads wonderfully, and for brief moments make me wonder if analog sticks on a handheld aren't unnecessary. Even on games like NOVA 2, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, and Madden where they don't feel well optimized, with some tweaking they are perfectly usable and far preferable to onscreen virtual pads.

The emulation. Good God, the emulation.

This is where the Xperia Play really earns its keep. I have a hefty library of classic games that I would only pull out on occasion just because of the hassle necessary to find a spot for them in the entertainment center, making sure the cords are all functional, etc. Now I am able to play them anytime I want with controls that are perfectly suited to them, and with the added benefit of things such as save states. If you have a large classic library I highly recommend checking this phone out.

Oh, and one more thing...

It's a really solid Android phone.

Now, prior to the Xperia I had owned the horrible Samsung Reality, so my opinion may be skewed by comparison, but I've been loving this thing not only as a gaming machine, but as a phone. Sure it's a little bulkier than your iPhones and the like, but my pants have large pockets, so why now make use of them?

The only major downside I'm seeing right now is Sony's lack of support. With no products currently available from them here in the States we're missing out not only on some great PS1 games, but also on the potential for Minis or (in a perfect world) PSP ports. But considering all of the other quality gaming to be had, I don't see it as a huge loss.

As I acknowledged before, I know there's been a lot of hate out there, but I thought it'd be good to get one humble gamer's opinion out there and see if anyone else had any thoughts or questions. Thanks!

Is there some where online you can down load ps1 games? If so I would be interested in this phone.

So one of the major selling points is piracy? I'm sorry, I meant emulation, which is apparently socially acceptable piracy. The problem with the Xperia Play is if I am going to pay an extra 15 bucks a month for a smart phone, I am going to get the top of the line at the time I buy it, which means Sony would need to release an updated Play annually to keep it relevant. On top of that, by what I've heard, Sony has done a pretty piss poor job of supporting it with official software (not everyone is ok with piracy and don't mind giving devs more money for their work).

I'm sure it's a perfectly fine little device, but I can pirate old games on literally anything, at this point.

I only play games that I legitimately own on the emulators, do having them all in my pocket on a device that I would have with me all the time, anyway, is a bigger deal than you might think. I agree Sony's lack of support is troubling, but haven't found it to be a de breaker.