Sony Adopts Android 3.0 for Upcoming PlayStation Phone

Sony’s choice of Android for its long-awaited “PlayStation phone” could give Google's mobile OS a boost in gaming credibility.

The future of the mobile PlayStation brand now carries a bright red Google stamp. Following rumors of a Sony PlayStation phone that surfaced back in March, it appears Sony will align with Google to run Android on its upcoming gaming smartphone – and bring a pack of A-list titles to the platform.

In other words, the rather sad state of gaming on Google’s Android platform may be about to perk up. According to Engadget, Sony will not only to adopt Android 3.0 on the so-called PlayStation phone, but help build a gaming ecosystem for it, potentially laying the irrigation pipes and planting the seeds to sprout a lush gaming oasis in a desert of Brick Breaker and Tetris clones.

As previously reported, Sony Ericsson will build the actual hardware for the device, which should resemble a PSP Go due to its slide-out PlayStation controls, including a “long touch pad” in place of analog sticks. Hardware specs will include a display between 3.7 and 4.1 inches across, WVGA or higher resolution, and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. The back will sport a 5-megapixel camera, though that’s subject to change.

Although an existing PSP library hundreds of titles deep stands as a testament to Sony’s gravitas with developers and suggests big studios could start developing for Android, it isn’t clear yet whether all Android devices will have access to titles made for the PSP phone. Engadget suggests that original titles may be limited to Sony’s hardware due to its unique controls, but unless licensing restrictions hold them back, we would expect to see developers invest the minimal effort to tweak the same games for other control schemes on the same platform.

Possible titles include God of War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and LittleBigPlanet, along with augmented reality apps that would make use of the rear camera.

Engadget suggests that both the phone and launch titles could appear as soon as October.