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why has no one tried to port psp to xperia play i know there are like a million games id love to play and if a 333mhz processor can play awesome games im sure a 1GHZ processer could emulate those games or something comon throw me a bone
OMG Have you even tried to use the search function? This has been asked so often and the answhere stays NOOOOOOOOOOOO! PSP Games are not open source so unly the original devs could do that but they wont becouse PSP games cost about 30$ and android games much less. Got it?
psxpetey said:
why has no one tried to port psp to xperia play i know there are like a million games id love to play and if a 333mhz processor can play awesome games im sure a 1GHZ processer could emulate those games or something comon throw me a bone
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Sure. Fetch.
So do you think a pentium 1 that is more that 333 mhz can play psp games?
Mhz means nothing.
a pentium computer need to emulate all the cpu instruction.... I think that a arm cpu (like these in our smartphone) will be more appropriate to emulate the psp wich use the same type of instruction.... so must of the cpu instruction don't have to be converted to something else.... The dreamcast is in the same case....
Where sony may have some trouble... is how the psp use 2 chip to do the job.... the interaction between the media engine and the cpu is more complex then what you may think.... and with only one chip(current smartphone), that interaction is pretty hard to reproduce/emulate...
my bad i forgot it was dualcore and watnot and i searched after i posted i delete this shortly
i belive that in less than 3 years, smartphones will run psp games, likes running psOne games now
Why would you need PSP games, when you can play PC games?
The button layout is quite the same, so it's easier to play PSP games.
I wonder why Sony doesn't port Loco Roco to mobile... It was successful, and the whole concept is easily translatable not only to Xperia Play but to any gyroscope-toting device.
gohanks10 said:
i belive that in less than 3 years, smartphones will run psp games, likes running psOne games now
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less then 3 years?? i predict 2012, with tegra 3 already here with its 12 core GPU and other CPU manufacturers not wanting to be to behind for long quad core will be more common place and should be able to emulate PSP games, maybe even dreamcast......
couldnt agree more, it would be the best game we have! same applies for rolando on iphone, all it needs is the shoulder buttons to rotate
the sad thing about android is the games for the most part blow or are obvious cheap ripoffs iphone has amazing games and all the awesome old games are being ported to it like warrior within and raptor call of the shadows
Logseman said:
The button layout is quite the same, so it's easier to play PSP games.
I wonder why Sony doesn't port Loco Roco to mobile... It was successful, and the whole concept is easily translatable not only to Xperia Play but to any gyroscope-toting device.
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funny how you say that
Loco Roco Midnight Carnival for Xperia Play (Vid/Tut/Caps)
Well think about it.. Even PSX emulation isn't perfect on the Play, what makes you think PSP would run any better?
Maison Looi said:
funny how you say that
Loco Roco Midnight Carnival for Xperia Play (Vid/Tut/Caps)
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I didn't know it was available but it's only for Japan, it seems
psxpetey said:
the sad thing about android is the games for the most part blow or are obvious cheap ripoffs iphone has amazing games and all the awesome old games are being ported to it like warrior within and raptor call of the shadows
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Many of the games are nearly identical between Android and iPhone, there are tons of great games for it. Yes iPhone has more, but you also have to use touch controls which suck.
The PS Suite will be out in a month or so for this phone with tons of PSX ports, This phone is by far a better gaming device.
PS I loved Raptor: Call of the Shadows, but it was hardly any sort of super blockbuster A title. Awesome old games (like Sonic CD, GTA 3, etc) have been ported to both at the same time, and they are better on Android
I <3 Raptor too... Retro gaming FTW!
Im quite a big playstation fan and seeing new things like Onlive and the playstation suite which is upcoming I was looking to get me a xperia play and was wondering whether you would reccomend me to get one.
What is the phone like? is the gaming any good?
Battery any good and if theres any bad points could you please tell me.
Thank you
If you are actually serious about being able to play games properly on your phone, then buy the play, its honestly that simple, ...you could buy a slider keyboard for emulators, but then what about consoles with shoulder buttons, what about n64 that requires the an analog stick? what about all those fantastic games on the market that support hard keys for the play and not other slider keyboard phones?
the play makes a pretty decent phone, however i would recommend you root the phone to bypass the internal storage memory limit which is quite handicapped.
Apart from not being the hottest hardware available, the xplay is decent in pretty much every respect, and it excels at games. the battery life is usually quite good, you should easily be able to get a day out of it including a couple of hours of gaming. If thinness isnt an issue you can get an extended battery to really give you some serious runtime.
also remember your not limited to ps1, or n64 as a mentioned above, you have virtually every console up to the n64 as well, and most of them play amazingly.
Do you get any lag in any games like GTA 3 or any ps1 roms etc?
theres a tiny amount of lag in gta3 when theres lots of stuff onscreen when my phone is overclocked to 1.5ghz, gta3 is optimized for dual core, its probably the only game which is actually a bit slower on the play that i have found.
however it works with hw controls for the most part and is more than playable.
ps1 roms usually dont have any lag, although certain roms may, i cant remember playing any that had lag recently. FPSE has had very good dev support and has come a long way since i first downloaded it, it usually runs everything flawlessly.
If you want a portable device dedicated for gaming , id suggest you get psp or psp vita...
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
Onlive works really well but only with Wifi, I can't use it other wise.it's a great phone as well and its great for games also, I only recently purchased the play and its great! It's driven me away from xbox for a while also!
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
I was thinking of getting a Samsung galaxy note 2 and rooting it, install sixaxis and then buying a ps3 controller together with an OTG cable . To play games and have the playstation feel with a much better device . That way I will be able to play all my favourite hd games without any lags,overclocking ,light roms,tweaks and whatever . Is this a good idea. The xperia play has reached its limit isn't it time to move on ? Android games are fast developing and the xperia play cannot keep up. Very soon it won't be able to play better Android games. Please share your thoughts.
BY THE XPERIA GAMER
I think you are right Xperia PLAY is dying everyday but HEY! what's the matter? This phone is and it will be a classic
Lol sixaxis + any android device is destined to fail to certain degree. Can both of these things in the same pocket i doubt it great for home use btw. But I do agree with 1 thing though it is hardware limted :sigh:.
I'd rather have a 480p single core device with physical buttons than a 1080p quad core device without physical buttons.
I think you catch my drift.
Yes they are better in gaming, much better in the pocket.
Xperia Play is a Legendary Phone no matter what! :laugh:
Yea the note 2 is an amazing device and I want so bad but I read that the "Exenos" (sorry for spelling) is not as good at gaming as snapdragon,snapdragon has been the best for gaming mainly because companies like gameloft built there games on snapdragon chipset and are basicly incompatible on tegra 2 and all right on sammies "exenos" chip set....but that's just a thought
sent from my Sony Ericsson Xperia Play™(r800x) Running Slimbean 3.0 using Tapatalk 2™
and don't forget that chainfire 3d does not officially work on ics and later versions. I know that the galaxy note 10.1 gets into a boot loop when installed on jellybean. But at this point, any cellphone + a portable controller is better than the xperia play but the xperia play is just way more convenient. I should know, cause I swap between 2 cellphones, the xperia play and galaxy note 10.1, daily. I just can't give up the portability of the play.
I have my xperia play and my galaxy tab 10.1. I use my xperia play for gaming. I do not game on the tab. Hate touch screen gaming. Although I have considered hooking up my Xbox controller. There's an article here on xda tobuse an old original Xbox controller on ics/jb tablet.
Sent from my R800x using xda premium
Xperia Gamer said:
I was thinking of getting a Samsung galaxy note 2 and rooting it, install sixaxis and then buying a ps3 controller together with an OTG cable . To play games and have the playstation feel with a much better device . That way I will be able to play all my favourite hd games without any lags,overclocking ,light roms,tweaks and whatever . Is this a good idea. The xperia play has reached its limit isn't it time to move on ? Android games are fast developing and the xperia play cannot keep up. Very soon it won't be able to play better Android games. Please share your thoughts.
BY THE XPERIA GAMER
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I am sorry I dont get the point of doing this with such a great effort
what is the point?
You are sitting in front of a desk, you hold a ps3 controller, and you look at a 5 inch screen and play some games on a device powered with battery.
May I ask? why not use that controller and play with ps3 with a 47inch TV?
It's all about mobility!
at home I play PC Games and I dont need this kind of configuration. It's silly to sit at home and play on a 5 inch screen.
On the train or bus, yes I need to play with a controller and I need to make calls. but i will never take ps3 controller with me.
this is the point of buying xperia play!
i have been thinking of getting this phone or swap for my iphone as i do like playing games on a portable device i was wondering if it is still worth getting and how are you people finding it
huzi7868 said:
i have been thinking of getting this phone or swap for my iphone as i do like playing games on a portable device i was wondering if it is still worth getting and how are you people finding it
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The xperia play is a great phone and ghe best for gaming but its pretty outdated specs wise.if you don't care about specs and just want a good gaming phone than go for it. But if you want want a newer phone with good specs then get something newer like an s3 or something more affordable. But if you like gaming and don't care about old hardware and outdated software ( its stuck on gb unless you wanna flash a custom rom) then go for it
Sent from my r800x using xda developers app
Who cares about specs this phone runs better and is more stable then most phones on the,market lol plus you can overclovk the crap out of it
Sent from my Sony Tablet S using xda app-developers app
its the only phone in the market that has a real life playstation touchpad yes it may have lower specs than the one thats out there, but the feel of having android phone + a playstation certified gaming gadget can never be traded by anything else out there. this phone will be my best and will forever be cherished by a gamer like me :angel:
i was worried about the ram its only 512 ive hardly had a phone with 512mb my current other phone is atrix dual core and 1 gb ram i also have an iphone which i dont want
This phone might have low ram and bad specs, but games still go much faster on the xperia play then on other devices with better specs.
And if games start to lag, unlock your bootloader, then flash a kernel and overclock.
Still lag, debloat your phone.
Still lag, flash tweaks eg AdrenoBooster
I am a proud play owner.but get galaxy 3 or HTC one and you will be happy.the play I will give it half a year and it will be dead.I am play owner from the start my first android phone.I hate Sony for what they do to this phone and not releasing xplay 2!!
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app
The gpu is a beast cpu sucks ass but as you know when playing a game the gpu does most of the work and the cpu barely gets off its ass thats why all Sony devices have ****ty cpu psp ps3 etc
Sent from my LT28i using xda app-developers app
I would go with a newer phone I believed the xperia z is PS certified so you get exclusive games and its 5" 1080p full HD so games will look amazing on there...I know I would so swap my play for a newer phone in a heartbeat as I'm not a big gamer
sent from my Sony Ericsson Xperia Play™(r800x) Running Slimbean 3.0 using Tapatalk 2™
crazymonkey05 said:
I would go with a newer phone I believed the xperia z is PS certified so you get exclusive games and its 5" 1080p full HD so games will look amazing on there...I know I would so swap my play for a newer phone in a heartbeat as I'm not a big gamer
sent from my Sony Ericsson Xperia Play™(r800x) Running Slimbean 3.0 using Tapatalk 2™
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I believe the Xperia z would be an awesome phone choice for someone with gigantism or something 5 inch display like come on thats ridiculous. You cant even hold it in your hand comfortably. Maybe soon they will come out with phone backpacks cause unless you have ganster pants that monster is not going to fit in your pocket.
Sent from my LT28i using xda app-developers app
Playing games on a touch screen device is good but not the same as playing on xperia play
Its not worth getting xperia play. A few weeks ago I thought it is worth to have an xperia play for gaming, phone, bluetooth, etc all in one little device... With all those I listed above is what I use on my xperia play it became a burden because it drains the CPU resources to do certain for instance gaming, and because it lacks ram, internal memory. I felt it was wasnt worth it a long run. Get a ps3 controller with a stand and be done with it.
well, its almost 2016 and I don't give a crap about specs on my phone, maybe on my pc for heavy gaming like shadows of mordor. But if you really love games F... all others. sure you can be gay and get a moga controller or other, but then you need a stand for your phone(unless it has one) then you have to carry a controller around like a putz! why do I really need to walkaround like a gay batman with a fanny pack in lieu of my utility belt? and ram? who cares root it unlock the boot loader and use sd card ext give your self whatever size you want good god! oh the X-play successfully use the 64 gb sd( I know cause its in mine 4 years now) is that the only defense new phones have that and speed? So what you had a 90 ghzx 32 gb phone SO??? IT DOES NOT HAVE A BUILT IN DUAL TOUCHPAD CONTROLLER. like one guy said ramp up the speed a little to alleviate sluggish response. I run mine a 1300 MHz (don't want to burn up the processor) and its almost 2016 , but with a controller, I get to play DS games (almost all of them ) all snes, genesis, Gba , and now PSP games and N64 games (quite a few) run (most of them) and all of the PSX library too then all the other games out there for android and the small handful of x-play exclusives. dead space dungeon hunter 2 3 and 4 shadowgun GTA 3 AVP minecraft PE all angry birds rainbow 6 HD ,backstab, Aidens crons man the list goes on.
So if you are agamer, don't get anything else period because it has a controller and the massive list of highly functioning emulators to go with it. ( seven consoles in one plus android games). if you just want a really powerful phone get a Z or i phone 6 or some Shiite because you know that you need that raw power for your texting and twatting. LMFAO but you already know what youre going to do , so just do it and stop asking questions.
Mo3bium said:
well, its almost 2016 and I don't give a crap about specs on my phone, maybe on my pc for heavy gaming like shadows of mordor. But if you really love games F... all others. sure you can be gay and get a moga controller or other, but then you need a stand for your phone(unless it has one) then you have to carry a controller around like a putz! why do I really need to walkaround like a gay batman with a fanny pack in lieu of my utility belt? and ram? who cares root it unlock the boot loader and use sd card ext give your self whatever size you want good god! oh the X-play successfully use the 64 gb sd( I know cause its in mine 4 years now) is that the only defense new phones have that and speed? So what you had a 90 ghzx 32 gb phone SO??? IT DOES NOT HAVE A BUILT IN DUAL TOUCHPAD CONTROLLER. like one guy said ramp up the speed a little to alleviate sluggish response. I run mine a 1300 MHz (don't want to burn up the processor) and its almost 2016 , but with a controller, I get to play DS games (almost all of them ) all snes, genesis, Gba , and now PSP games and N64 games (quite a few) run (most of them) and all of the PSX library too then all the other games out there for android and the small handful of x-play exclusives. dead space dungeon hunter 2 3 and 4 shadowgun GTA 3 AVP minecraft PE all angry birds rainbow 6 HD ,backstab, Aidens crons man the list goes on.
So if you are agamer, don't get anything else period because it has a controller and the massive list of highly functioning emulators to go with it. ( seven consoles in one plus android games). if you just want a really powerful phone get a Z or i phone 6 or some Shiite because you know that you need that raw power for your texting and twatting. LMFAO but you already know what youre going to do , so just do it and stop asking questions.
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It's funny how android fanboys basically jack off to specs but a single core phone from 2011 still keeps up in gaming lol. You can even install up to jelly bean and have everything working kitkat and lollipop work but the touchpads are still being worked on. If the Xperia play could be modded to have LTE everyone would probably still have it. Yes other phones have bigger screens and are faster but if it is gaming that is your passion the play is THE ONLY WAY TO GO. Like this guy says you can use the sd as ram lol. It will be slower doing some things but gaming with that controller just can't be matched. If Sony made a derivative of the Z that had a gamepad I'd buy it the second it came out lol. Because my plays flex cable went out when I was away I had to get a new phone aka the Ion and now I have a z3 which is nice because it has alot of awesome features but I still have and still use a Xperia play! Gaming on a touchscreen really sucks.
Someone even modded the remote play apk so you theoretically could play your Ps4 on your Xperia play if you have the Sony files on your rom!
Sent from my D6603 using XDA Free mobile app
i like my 3ds, but for me, no xplay no game!
Don't get the Xperia Play now.. move on and get a z5 and a PS controller attachd to it or something.. this phone will be dead very soon.. Gaming wise. as a phone its still good. newer games demand more from the phone which Play cant give.
huzi7868 said:
i have been thinking of getting this phone or swap for my iphone as i do like playing games on a portable device i was wondering if it is still worth getting and how are you people finding it
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Well for me the Xperia Play has been the best phone ever made, the build quality is amazing the design is perfect, the speakers are great, battery life outstanding, the Camera is still great for today standards and the physical controls just make the difference, no other phone in the market offers all that.
My advice is, get an Xperia play if you mainly care about gaming and only use your phone for basic stuff like moderate messaging, phone calls, whatsapp, listening to music, taking some photos.
If you use a lot of Facebook, email, surfing the web, google app and other heavy apps then I advise to stay away from the Play, the single core and the 512mb of ram are just not enough for multitasking, no matter how much you tweak it, the experience will be annoying. Mainly due to poorly optimized apps from developers, for instance the Facebook app will make the XPlay unusable.
let me add to that many of the apps that I use.. have a min. requirement of 4.0.4+ or ICS+ and if we use Xperia play for real gaming.. we have to stay at GB or 2.3.7 .. so u would have to choose between Apps or Gaming.. so yes
Gaming wise this phone is the best.. that too cant play newer games I believe.. as time will pass newer games will have a min requirement of 4+ too I believe.. so this phone is loosing the battle everyday in that sense.
saqibkhan said:
let me add to that many of the apps that I use.. have a min. requirement of 4.0.4+ or ICS+ and if we use Xperia play for real gaming.. we have to stay at GB or 2.3.7 .. so u would have to choose between Apps or Gaming.. so yes
Gaming wise this phone is the best.. that too cant play newer games I believe.. as time will pass newer games will have a min requirement of 4+ too I believe.. so this phone is loosing the battle everyday in that sense.
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Why do you have to stay below jelly bean I believe everything works. I'm not sure about kit kat tho. But the majority the VAST majority support down to ICS which our plays do have. You can mod ICS or pick up a rom to make gaming epic. Just trust me on this one.
https://youtu.be/T7uJ_ylow3k my awesome youtube channel so many vids! 237 to be exact
not sure if anyone still visits this thread, I just got an Xperia Play (R800at) today. been playing around a bit with it (I collect unique cell phones still looking for a nice inexpensive LG Thrill (in good shape lol) and I'm done lol)
Anyway, was looking on here to see what mods and such were available. hate the low memory. wanna kill off the FB app as I prolly wont use it there. just wanna load some emu's and a streaming music app (Soma FM) . also, probably a silly question, did the market end for this phone? (the game market I mean. both the playstation app and the xperia play app (the one that starts when you open the controls) wont connect to download)
Also whats the best root method?
Hi everybody!
I'm gonna to buy a new telephone and i am thinking to buy the Xperia Play but...
This smartphone was launched three years ago and his technical specifics are not """good""" at our times...i have got a HTC One S at this time,but i always wanted have an Xperia Play.
So finally...the question is...buy an Xperia Play can still have sense in 2014?
The telephone is still good for actual video games and PSone emulation?Or maybe is the case to spend my money in other powerful devices that they haven't a built-in pad?
well if i was you i wouldnt buy this phone
it can run psone games and some other games well but there are too many unsupported games that you can even think about that big number
i cant play most of the games that i want on this phone. lack of newer android versions is still here (but we are going to recive functional 4.4.4 build soon)
It's brilliant for emulation on gingerbread.
Anything up to PS1 and 'some' N64.
If that is your focus, then it is a perfect.
Everything else on the Xplay is adequate.
But it has obviously been bettered in every single department (apart from the physical controls) by other phones now.
It's heavy and bulky too.
Do not buy this phone it is terrible. Very slow and flex cable breaks easily. It is a lot less powerful than your htc one s.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
well flex cable doesn't broke that easily
i have the phone from the first days of release till now and after too many drops my flex cable is only damaged a little (when i open the gamepad you will see black screen for a very short time)
but i agree about the speed. its awful. but kitkat is running well for atleast till i receive my m8(i declined the order and im going to buy it from a shop soon)
If you have a one s there is no point at all of buying an xperia play.
Sent from my One X using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I just bought one for pocket gaming and emulation and think it's the perfect device for just that. As far as phone functionality goes, I would not use it. Don't get me wrong, the devs probably have awesome options for a daily driver, but modern hardware just beats it fair and square as far as I can tell.
My advice, do what I did and find a cheap one on eBay and use it as a WiFi only gaming device on the go and buy a newer phone for everyday use. Maybe just stick with the phone you have and get a Bluetooth controller, but in my opinion, avoid this for a daily driver unless you are absolutely are certain you want it.
Sent from my XT1058 using XDA Free mobile app
thatdude02 said:
I just bought one for pocket gaming and emulation and think it's the perfect device for just that. As far as phone functionality goes, I would not use it. Don't get me wrong, the devs probably have awesome options for a daily driver, but modern hardware just beats it fair and square as far as I can tell.
My advice, do what I did and find a cheap one on eBay and use it as a WiFi only gaming device on the go and buy a newer phone for everyday use. Maybe just stick with the phone you have and get a Bluetooth controller, but in my opinion, avoid this for a daily driver unless you are absolutely are certain you want it.
Sent from my XT1058 using XDA Free mobile app
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other than speed 4g vs 4glte and camera options and heavy gaming, why can't this phone be a daily driver if you're doing normal stuff?
I check facebook, gmail app works great, internet is fine, calls are great, and gaming (there's over 450+ optimized games plus all the emulation from Mame, snes, etc. i'm using the ginkitkat rom it it's been updated this year and a new update is coming.
if you're doing normal stuff, I think this phone still rocks.
Absolutelly agree. Most of people are doing the same thing for last five years - browsing internet, checking mails and "facebooking" + calll and SMS - and they still need better and better phones. Galaxy S3 is old, I need S5, because it has so many features I will never use. Of course that make sense.
Flex - I have second Xplay now. On first I broke my touchscreen, so I sold it and bought new before an year. The old one I had one and a half year and never had any problem with flex and my phone fell on the floor many times.
Games - Until 2013 I could play almost everything (even Asphlat 8). Only few games were for 4.0+ or they were slow on Play. In 2014 this phone is really out - after three years it was awaited. Most of newer games are for 4.0+ and are too much HW hungry and if they are for 2.3+ then without Xplay controller support (I remember only Trials Frontier in last half year where controller works). But most of big games with Xplay support and smooth gameplay are from 2011 and 2012 - GTA 3, Vice City, Max Payne, Asphalt 6, 7, Modern Combat 3, 4, Gangastar Rio, NOVA 2, 3 and all other big game from Gameloft, Shadowgun, Battlefield, FIFA 12 (I think this is the best game for Xplay), Dead Trigger 1 and 2 (it was recompilled for 2.3 by fans), Reckless Racing 1, 2, Mini Motor Racing, Virtua Tennis, NFS Most Wanted, Race of Champions etc. And few bigger games from 2013 like Carmageddon, Gangstar Vegas or Re-volt have Xplay support too. I hate playing games like racing, FPS on touchscreen and for this is no better alternative.
Emulation - I spent days only by playing Advance Wars from Gameboy Advance and Colin McRae Rally 2 from PS1. Official PS1 emulator from Sony can handle only small amount of games, but FPSe and ePSXe - this combination run everything. And there are many other emluators - I tried only Gameboid for Gameboy Advance and some N64 emulators (not much succeded), but if you want you can play 10 years only games from old systems. I played only Advance Wars, Tony Hawks serie, ColinMc Rae, Granturismo, NHL 2001 and FIFA 2000 (nostalgy, FIFA 12 is much better) - and even these are fun for hundred hours.
Speed - It is slow? Absolute nonsense. I tried Galaxy S3, Xperia T, we have Nexus 7 at home and I can say Xplay has as fluid system reaction as any of them. Of course, it has only 512MB RAM so if you want to play games you cannot have Facebook or Facebook Messenger installed cause they are absolutely crazy optimized. I'm using Gin2Kittkat last year with Lupus GB v12 (480p) and Smartwatch MN2. I customized this ROM, make some changes in lupus menu and it is so smooth.
I love my Play. I got it for Christmas in 2012. It would be nice to have more RAM, internal storage and 4G, but they aren't deal breakers in my opinion. Mupen64 plays some N64 games well with the touch pads, and N64oid is compatible with more games using the D-Pad. I am seriously considering buying another one when mine dies.
I would personally say no and get a more recent phone, the Xperia Play hardware does well with most emulators but I have noticed it struggles with newer Android games, even with a custom ROM. Not to mention the poor battery life as well, makes it hard to use as a phone.
Buying a phone with a bluetooth gamepad will be my advice. I have the HTC One M7 and use a Moga Pro gamepad with it, and while I find gaming on it great, I do have to admit I miss using the Xperia Play's built in gamepad. If you do plan to go this route, I suggest getting a phone with dual front facing stereo speakers, it makes the gaming experience much better.
if you're a gamer, the xperia play is still the best phone for the gaming experience. yes there are newer games out there, and my wife owns the new htc one, but the gaming experience doesn't come no where near the xplay. you just have to find games you haven't played (there's over 450+ optimized games). you could buy the gamepad but it defeats the purpose imo.
asphalt 8 on my z tablet doesn't beat 6 on the xperia play. neither does fifa 14 on any phone beat fifa 12 on the xperia play in terms of the experience. if bigger screens, better pictures for facebook, faster speeds and 4glte is your thing, yes the newer phones are the way to go. in terms of pure gaming, xperia play still rules. star battalion, bruce lee, and now king of fighters 98 , pew pew, mini moto, gun commando, plus a ton of emulations are just games on the xperia play that no stock phone can take. there isn't a new game out there that has made me switch yet.