Advice post by
Dhruv Bhutani
Gamers of all varieties have never had it so good. We are sitting at the head of a brand new console generation like no one before it. The PS5 and Xbox Series X are pushing the whole concept of hardware-based gaming in new directions, with only digital consoles, cloud gaming and subscription services all playing a bigger role than ever before.
Meanwhile, very popular franchises like Fortnite, Call of Duty, PUBG have all enjoyed significant success on mobile. In fact, there is an interesting dynamic to play between the emerging trends in mobile and console gaming.
Players no longer want to be tied to just their big screen experiences and the future of gaming offers a solution – the ability to continue with your favorite console title, right there on your smartphone. If ever there was a time for a brand to jump into the mix with a dedicated gaming phone that capitalizes on all of the above, then this is it.
Yes, it’s time for a PlayStation phone.
See also: Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X: How They Compare
The time is (still) right for a PlayStation phone
Hold on, have we not been here before? For sure. Two years ago, my colleague wrote a pretty solid pitch for a Sony-made, PlayStation-branded smartphone and spiritual successor to the Xperia Play.
However, the mobile gaming industry has since become significantly obsolete. A PlayStation phone has always been a potentially viable way for Sony’s underperforming smartphone division, but there are several gaming factors that make it the perfect time to pull the trigger.
There’s the obvious argument that smartphone gaming is mass – much larger than the console gaming industry. But it’s not just casual games that pull in the big dollar.
That aforementioned trio of Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile, and PUBG Mobile commanded hundreds of millions of downloads and have spawned sports leagues of their own. Indie developers are also embracing smartphone gaming through the drifts. Games like Stardew Valley, Dead Souls, Terraria and Hotline Miami show that smartphones are a natural fit for console-class games if they get the right care and attention.
Mobile gaming has never been bigger than better.
The addition of scalable graphics and settings has shown that these extensions do not have to be caps. Sure, PUBG Mobile will run on a smartphone with bare bones. But move to a high-end phone like the OnePlus 8 Pro, and you can enjoy the game in all its 90Hz glory with HDR and all the embellishments.
This spurt in gaming software has led to a growing trend of custom mobile hardware to match. While Asus, Red Magic, Black Shark, and earlier Razer have pushed forward on flourishing side specs, dedicated modes to improve gaming performance, and innovative features like ultrasonic triggers, these are not essential to a gaming gaming experience.
Related: The best phones for gaming you can get
Almost all flagship phones today – most evidenced with the Galaxy Note 20 series – have custom gaming adaptations, leaving gaming phones as a niche category. But Sony is in a unique position to deliver a gaming phone with instant, worldwide brand recognition, top-tier hardware, and a fantastic library of games, all in one package that can lead to mainstream success.
The thought of Sony’s traditionally distinct divisions could ever come together to create something like a PlayStation phone event has always felt like a pipe dream. That all has changed recently, and we’ve now seen that the typically dilapidated Xperia team is open to collaboration.
Lessons learned from the Xperia 1 II
After years of disastrous sales points and hardware fumbles, Sony finally launched a top game in 2020. The Xperia 1 II was built with input from the team behind the Alpha camera series and it shows in the imaging performance, perhaps Sony’s Achilles heel smartphones.
However, PlayStation is a significantly larger and more identifying brand than Alpha. A PlayStation phone could help the company win some eyeballs at a time when the lines between console and mobile gaming are blurred as ever.
If the recent partnership with the Alpha division is any indication, Sony can certainly build an excellent smartphone that can promote the best of Xperia and the best of PlayStation in one device.
The design of the PlayStation 5 has already been twisted in the right ways. All those curves could very easily be transferred to the blueprint for a smartphone. An ergonomically curved device that fits great in the hand, while sporty that beautiful white and black finish with blue accents would be right on my side.
Controls are another area that Sony needs to concentrate on. Perfection of ultrasonic triggers would be one option, but if that’s too much of a stretch, I’m sure many will take an honest against goodness DualShock-branded controller that would work seamlessly with the phone.
Reviews: The PS5 and Xbox Series X make the Nintendo Switch look better than ever
Third-party smartphone controllers are rarely built to great standards, but Microsoft has already partnered with several brands to ensure that their own mobile gaming aspirations are not fueled by terrible gamepads. Yet while the Xbox-branded Razer Kishi looks the part, it’s still a reskinned controller instead of a real Xbox gamepad. Sony could easily take the lead with its own peripherals.
Heck, go all out if you want to. How about a smartphone that can transform – Nintendo Switch-style – into a portable cloud streaming-based Playstation 5 complete with attached controllers equipped with those fancy DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers? Sign me up for it!
Content is key, and Sony has some of the best
However, hardware is only part of the equation. Sony has an enviable library of first-party content that can transition to smartphone gaming. The company tried its hand once before with PlayStation Mobile, but the frame and scope were far too limited, resulting in narrow titles that were not noticeable.
However, the perfect modern PlayStation phone would not just be another Android gaming machine with some mediocre exclusives. Sony needs to make this the home of PS5 experiences on the go.
Between Google Stadium and Microsoft’s upcoming xCloud service, cloud gaming is indeed a reality and Sony needs to show that it can compete. Sony’s own cloud service, PS Now, enjoyed an overview last year, but in its current state – locked to consoles and PCs and with a fairly everyday library of games – it leaves the door open for Microsoft’s Game Pass / xCloud combo to dominate space .
Related: Project xCloud: Everything we know so far
While Stadia and GeForce Now have expanded to multiple platforms, so far Microsoft’s cloud cams on mobile have been the primary goal. It’s a simple pitch: Xbox gaming on your phone. What it does not have is a device to improve the profile of the service. Microsoft has technically re-introduced the mobile space with the Surface Duo, but gaming is not a major focus for the dual-screen device. Instead, Microsoft is busy partnering with Samsung for marketing deals and Razer, 8BitDo, and other accessory partners.
Like xCloud, I want to see Sony’s cloudstream push on all Android phones (and iOS too, but that seems unlikely at the moment). But that does not mean that Sony could not bring together the best talent from its PlayStation and mobile divisions to create a marquee phone / handheld hybrid to enhance its own gaming streaming service.
Just imagine: official, Sony-made mobile gaming hardware that can run PS5 games through the cloud and the hottest Android games, with some of those fancy DualSense haptics. Sony could even bundle it with PS5 consoles and ride the hype wave to support sales. Who needs a new Sony handheld console if you have a PlayStation phone?
Speaking of handhelds, Sony was able to very easily transfer their stellar library of PSPs and – dare I say it – even PS Vita games to the platform. At least the former can be very easily emulated on Android phones. Even mid-rangers have no problems running the games at high frame rates. The PS Vita would take a little more work, but it had the platform some stellar titles like Persona 4 Gold and Gravity Rush. If it’s not possible on native hardware, then PS Now is there too.
Unfortunately, we still do not know much about the future of PS Now and Sony’s broader cloud gaming ambitions, but a much needed reboot would connect perfectly with a PlayStation phone and lend some benevolent legitimacy to the platform when the cloud gaming wars really begin.
A PlayStation phone could become the flagship carrier of PS Now and stream remotely while packing up an enviable PlayStation classic library.
Of course there is also Play at a distance. I still find myself reaching for my PS Vita to stream my PS4 games when I’m away from the big screen. I’m one of those people who bought a 3G capable Vita on the promise of portable PS4 gaming. Although this promise does not stand out, hardware has certainly improved since jumping. Sony gave up on its portable strategy, but a 5G phone could fill the gap for those more interested in streaming remotely over cloud services.
The Xperia Play was ahead of its time and the PS Vita had its heart in the right place, but in the end both could not reach a wider audience. With the PS5 and the real dawn of cloud games on the horizon, now would be the perfect time for a PlayStation phone that succeeds where Sony’s previous attempts at both mobile gaming and handhelds have failed.
What do you think? What killer features would a PlayStation phone be worth to you?
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