PlayStation Team Wants Android Engineers

By Jane McEntegart
published

Sony's PlayStation team is looking for engineers with Android development experience fueling reports that the company is planning a PSP phone powered by Android.

There is absolutely nothing new about PSP phone rumors. Every since smartphones hit the mainstream, there's been will they/won't they talk regarding a phone based on Sony's popular handheld gaming console. However, Android Central points to a recent Sony PlayStation job posting for a server engineer based in London that requires applicants to have "experience in mobile development, specifically Android."

Android Central speculates that Sony is aiming to pad its internal game development teams with some Android talent to ensure they have launch titles for an Android PSP phone. Engadget's Nilay Patel writes that they could be prepping an Android/PSN service to combat Xbox Live on Windows Phone 7 and Apple's iOS Game Center.

The most recent rumors involving a PlayStation phone was word of an Xperia-branded phone that would also carrier the PlayStation brand and feature a touchscreen measuring between 3.7- and 4.1-inches and a slide out panel with game controls. Instead of analog controls, the device is said to have a long narrow touchpad. The phone is said to boast a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU under the hood and a 5-megapixel camera. Android 3.0 would be the operating system along with a custom UI on top.

Would you buy a PSP phone running Android? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Android Central, Sony, Engadget

Jane McEntegart
33 Comments Comment from the forums
  • darkchazz
    Sony should put two analog sticks or fps games would suck.
    Reply
  • liveonc
    Maybe if it includes Google Voice Call or Skype. It could be everything Nokia N-Gage was supposed to be! ;-)
    Reply
  • joytech22
    If it ran android, i'd buy it.
    Of course i'd buy it anyway if it didn't but won't be as happy unless it did.
    Reply
  • Darkv1
    The concept of a PSP phone running Android could be quite cool. I am looking forward to getting more info though. Price and carrier availability could make or kill this one.
    Reply
  • maxh2
    I'm not buying another phone until it'll actually be an UPgrade, not a sidegrade, to my nexus one with 1GHz processor that's been out for longer than it takes to gestate a human baby.
    Reply
  • biao39
    I have Sony's flagship Xperia 10 which runs Android 1.6! Sony promised an upgrade later this year to Android 2.2 which is already old... Maybe they just need android engineers to make sure their flagship phones are not 1-2 years behind the rest of everybody else.
    Reply
  • I just hid the 299.00 in my pillow so that I would not spend it. Now the only issue is which carrier would this be on. Me thinks I know. At&t! Why your ask? Because GSM is just about everywhere. No one with place this on CDMA. Although I would love to have a PSP phone on Cricket! LOL!
    Reply
  • adamboy64
    Please, be true! Oh gees. I've been hoping for a PSPhone, to the point of near hysteria. It's the only thing that could turn my loyalty away from Nokia.
    Reply
  • matt87_50
    android platform sucks for gaming...

    oh yes, all those professional game devs are really gonna want to start coding all their games in Java...

    God I hope they improve the dev toolchains.

    Reply
  • renami9
    PSP phone? will i buy it? of course, i'll even pre-order, so i can just bring a PSP phone instead of a PSP AND a phone anywhere i go.
    Reply