Sony is taking on the growing challenge of smartphones with its next generation PlayStation Portable gaming device, incorporating wireless connectivity and releasing software for Android devices.
The Japanese electronics giant unveiled its latest handheld games console yesterday, proclaiming that 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity would offer a “revolutionary” mix of gaming and social interaction.
It also revealed the underlying software will be released for developers of Android smartphones and tablets as it seeks to stem the flow of gamers to smartphones, which are increasingly encroaching on the territory of dedicated handheld gaming devices.
The PlayStation Suite will allow games developed for Android devices to run on the latest PSP when it launches towards the end of the year, opening the door to “some of the more casual experiences,” of smartphone-based mobile gaming.
Kazuo Hirai, head of Sony Computer Entertainment, said the software suite is the firm’s first cross-over platform and is designed to encourage development of third-party games, the New York Times reported.
Sony isn’t relying on software alone, however. The next generation PSP features several smartphone-esq features including a touch-screen user interface, Flash memory, a gyroscope and accelerometer, and an ARM processor.