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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Related
I have an iphone 4 now but i dont to play games on it due the small screen. Im looking a 2 scenarios. Keep my iphone and a actual handhelp system like the 3ds or psp vita. Then ive seen bestbuy has the play 4g for free with an upgrade. So im really wondering how are all of satisfied with the play as a gaming device and a phone? I really want the physical controls but does the obsolete hardware hinder it?
What is this obsolete hardware you speak of?
If you want actal high quality games buy a 3DS or PS Vita, If you want emulators get the Play. The real Xperia Play optimised games are nice but they are cheap and buggy iphone ports, so if you want high quality gaming get a hendheld.
People on here seem to try to deny it but yes the Play is somewhat sluggish as an android device when compared to such as the SGSII or the sensation xe and some newer games don't run great. Dead on arrival runs slowly, gta 3 has the graphics turned down and still suffers terrible frame rate drops regularly, and fifa 12 has terrible lag.
Having said that, I really wouldn't fancy trying to play those games on a touch screen, which is why I got the play!
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
Opinions are like buttholes - everyone has one.
Personally, I love my Play. I don't find it to be laggy at all, once I took the time to customize it. Never a big time gamer, I find I play a lot more games now that I have the Play than I ever did with the handhelds I have owned. It really comes down to what your expectations are. If you want a great phone that can do many things well including play some great games, get the Play. If you're going to want the hottest, latest game titles, then get a cheap phone that doesn't require a data plan, or stick with that I-don't-know-what-I-was-thinkin'-phone, and buy whichever game system you think will best serve your interests.
The Xperia play has never been that sluggish to me, and I'm a heavy app user too, It performs just like another android device, I also installed v6 supercharger, Xperia play is a good phone.
SERIOUSLY, Fifa 12 lags on your Xperia PLAY?
what have you been doing to your phone lately?
Yep, my Xperia PLAY has also been lag-free.
I have a GS2, Atrix and G2x available to test on at any given time, and Xperia PLAY runs games just as smoothly as they do despite being a single core. It's far from obsolete, and as someone who also came from 4th gen iDevices... I can safely say it's been MUCH better at everything.
jeah performence is one thing... but the other thing is the quality of the games...
compare Street fighter 3DS with Bruce Lee
compare Splinter cell Conviction with Splinter Cell 3D
compare Mario Kart 7 with "Shrek Kart" or what ever
And than look at Super Mario 3D Land and cry becouse you have a Xperia Play and not a 3DS....
Understand what i mean?
So now we are comparing a next gen deadicated portable gaming device to a cell phone.
Wake up man its a cell phone, compare to to other cell phones.
number2301 said:
People on here seem to try to deny it but yes the Play is somewhat sluggish as an android device when compared to such as the SGSII or the sensation xe and some newer games don't run great. Dead on arrival runs slowly, gta 3 has the graphics turned down and still suffers terrible frame rate drops regularly, and fifa 12 has terrible lag.
Having said that, I really wouldn't fancy trying to play those games on a touch screen, which is why I got the play!
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
narflynn619 said:
SERIOUSLY, Fifa 12 lags on your Xperia PLAY?
what have you been doing to your phone lately?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree with narflynn here. I have hard a few times that FIFA 12 lags terribly but I've played it multiple times and in fact use it to show off my phone and it never lags. In fact all EA games run silky smooth and perfect with NEVER a single problem. Gameloft games on the other hand are hit or miss.
I love emulators and have many on my phone. Nes, snes Genesis n64 neogeo cps1 cps2. This phone is awesome for emulators. If you love emus this is the phone. Rooting and unlocking is really easy. Trust me this phone may not boast top of the line specs, but I don't care. I love this phone.
My favorite games to play are:
Modern Combat 3
Shadowgun
Dead Space
BackStab
Grand Theft Auto 3
Sonic CD
Dungeon Defenders
These are just a few. I have way too many games on my phone to count them and thats not even touching the amount of emulator games.
If you get this phone I would recommend rooting it and removing all the bloatware, then using script manager run the V6 Supercharger (best thing I have done for this phone) and I only overclocked my phone to 1.2ghz just to give it a little bump. And flashing a SDcard cache size limit from 125hb to 4mb really made the phones accessing the SDcard much smoother (but this should be done on all android phones as Androids SD cache size is set at 128k) But this phone plays all those games just fine. I have not had any issues with Grand Theft Auto 3 or Fifa 12. Once I rooted and did those thing this phone just flies. Again... I love this phone. I have a PSP and have not touched it once since getting this phone, its got like 3 inches of dust on it.
Playing Onlive (with a good internet connection) is sweet with the Play's built in controller
swebosdev said:
So now we are comparing a next gen deadicated portable gaming device to a cell phone.
Wake up man its a cell phone, compare to to other cell phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it is a cell phone. But it is not onle a cell phone it is THE psp phone that everybody dreamed of... It should be compareable to handehelds, not to other phones.
The Hardware of the Xperia Play is graet for gaming but the software sucks in that point. Dont understand me wrong, i love android. But for gaming the Xperia Play should have a gaming mode that opens in fullscreen and cancels all and i mean all backround progresses and runs games from that. It could look like the psp menu. Than it needs much better programmed games, wich are not so cheap and buggy and not made for touchscreen and just get ported. If sony is able to make this things true, the Xperia Play would be a real psp phone and could be much better than a hendheld.
I know i sound kind of angry with my Xperia Play and that is true, right now i hate it a little, and not only becouse its broken. If it stays i am really going to get a 3DS. And maybe sell my play...
ps3taker said:
Playing Onlive (with a good internet connection) is sweet with the Play's built in controller
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Batman Arkham Asylum, Bioshock....
IE-coRe said:
Yeah it is a cell phone. But it is not onle a cell phone it is THE psp phone that everybody dreamed of... It should be compareable to handehelds, not to other phones.
The Hardware of the Xperia Play is graet for gaming but the software sucks in that point. Dont understand me wrong, i love android. But for gaming the Xperia Play should have a gaming mode that opens in fullscreen and cancels all and i mean all backround progresses and runs games from that. It could look like the psp menu. Than it needs much better programmed games, wich are not so cheap and buggy and not made for touchscreen and just get ported. If sony is able to make this things true, the Xperia Play would be a real psp phone and could be much better than a hendheld.
I know i sound kind of angry with my Xperia Play and that is true, right now i hate it a little, and not only becouse its broken. If it stays i am really going to get a 3DS. And maybe sell my play...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it shouldn't.
Its a Phone, there is a ton of basic functionality that is required to be running all the time.
I don't want to miss calls and texts and calendar alerts because I'm busy smashing up Dr Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog. I like that it plays games, but i NEED it to be a phone, as does most everyone else. I also like that I can do those things, and then hop right back into the game I was playing.
Aside from the fact that while the savvy public like us would understand how that mode works, the rest of the public would freak out that playing games blocks the ability for calls and texts to get through.
Where do you get psp phone from? Its a android cell phone with a playstation certified gamepad.
Thats it.
Thats all it ever was and all it ever will be. You hype it up so much just to disappoint yourself.
The xperia play is one of the best android based cell phone on the market. Who ever told you this was a psp should be shot in the face
Rogue Leader said:
No, it shouldn't.
Its a Phone, there is a ton of basic functionality that is required to be running all the time.
I don't want to miss calls and texts and calendar alerts because I'm busy smashing up Dr Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog. I like that it plays games, but i NEED it to be a phone, as does most everyone else. I also like that I can do those things, and then hop right back into the game I was playing.
Aside from the fact that while the savvy public like us would understand how that mode works, the rest of the public would freak out that playing games blocks the ability for calls and texts to get through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm your are right with that... Maybe it could cancel every backround activity except sms and calls. But enoungh about what could be. Fact is that the play is nice but not perfect.
swebosdev said:
Where do you get psp phone from? Its a android cell phone with a playstation certified gamepad.
Thats it.
Thats all it ever was and all it ever will be. You hype it up so much just to disappoint yourself.
The xperia play is one of the best android based cell phone on the market. Who ever told you this was a psp should be shot in the face
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its kinda a nickname that the play had before it was released. I have the Play now for 4 month now i wouldnt say that i am dissapointed. I does what it promises. I am just speking out what i feel right now.
sicmadek said:
I have an iphone 4 now but i dont to play games on it due the small screen. Im looking a 2 scenarios. Keep my iphone and a actual handhelp system like the 3ds or psp vita. Then ive seen bestbuy has the play 4g for free with an upgrade. So im really wondering how are all of satisfied with the play as a gaming device and a phone? I really want the physical controls but does the obsolete hardware hinder it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just buy the 3ds. The 3d effect is very cool and the quality of games will never be matched by cheap android games.
Mario kart 7>any racing game available in the appstore, even real racing.
from tapatalk on xperia play.
Apple has some great games that i would like to play but with a 3.5" screen my fingers will cover half of it. Im just Not a fan of playing games on a small touchscreen. A gaming device with a physical controller and still has all the smarphone functionality. Thats what i want. If rooting and tweaking cures the few flaws of the play i can do that.
Just a question that came up in rom threads. To get more insight into things. How many of use really use the xperia play for its gaming ability. Meaning, you REALLY want the gamepad used correctly. Some people use just the touch screen more and dont care about the gamepad as much. So just thought I would make a poll for devs to use later to get insight on how people use their xperia.
The gamepad is the only reason I chose this phone over the other Android phones offered by Verizon. And so far, it hasn't let me down. Of course, I'm a retro gamer, I couldn't really care less about the touchpads.
I use it often. At the mo playing Zelda on the Gameboy Advance emulator and loving it
brought to you by the XDA app on my badass Android toy
I use it for every emulator , every game. The gamepad is the sole purpose of buying this phone.
Yea I am all about the emulators myself. However I think the issue comes up on non stock roms with android based games that "optimize for xperia play" and how some roms may not work right on a gamepad. I just know I love the gamepad. Too bad GTA3 isnt working right.
YES... i had been hunting down this phone since i heard rumors of it, 2 years before its release, so i started to save up cash, i waited a while for it to drop price, when i finally had enough money , i got the white one, because everyone here would have the black one, anyways as soon as i got the phone the works, Boot loader on locking, Rooting, Custom Rom, Emulators/ROMS, im an old school gamer, so all the Pokemons, all the Marios, etc etc.
What i loved about the phone is that my younger brother got a Iphone 3gs and he did not wanted to buy the Xperia Play because " it looks so cheap" and to be honest it does, it took him 30 seconds of playing my Play to Regret getting the Iphone 3gs, as like me he is also a hardcore gamer.
So Gaming pad.. hell Freaking yeah... its the only thing i can bark at work,"hey my phone has this much processor","mine has this much screen", etc then i go "well how many of you have gaming buttons?" and i just laugh.
My last two phones I had purchased the GameGripper for both. Bit when I saw the xplay I jumped for it and haven't looked back. Now version where the hell is the info on the ics update?
http://www.game-gripper.com/mobile/default.aspx#Home
Sent from my R800x using xda premium
The gamepad is great for playing fighting games
The gamepad is one mayor thing that brought me to buy the phone.
As I consider myself a hardcore and casually retro gamer.
Many other reasons:
Decent screen size
Incredibly loud stereo speakers
Supports epileptic led mode (32hz/2000bpm)
Autofocus camera
Awesome processor and GPU (overclockeable to 2GHz!!!1!11one)
512 MBs of RAM
Easy rooting and bootloader unlocking
Comes with the best OS in the world
Built-in integration with Facebook
Some drawbacks:
SEMC skin kinda sucks compared to cooler ones
Comes with lots of bloatware
Brightness is NULL in the outsides of a sunny day
Battery does not last more than three days under default settings
SEMC launcher only has 5 homescreen slots
Built-in theme chooser doesn't do much
Front camera only works in outsides and is a 1.3 MP one
But overall, much better phone than any of those I have found people using on the streets (at least in my country).
I mainly use the phone with Onlive. Ever since it got support I've been wasting my money on games my computer can handle, but it's on my phone <3.
Emulators work rather well, it's just say I'm playing Majora's Mask I have to keep the virtual keys on screen for the c-buttons due to lack of mapping.
I just don't use the touchpads
Sent from my Xperia Play using XDA App
Thats the whole bloody reason why I got the Xperia Play because of the gamepad !
It stands out from the crowd.
Just cannot wait for ICS on the Xperia Play !
Anybody else excited ?
sufy1000 said:
Thats the whole bloody reason why I got the Xperia Play because of the gamepad !
It stands out from the crowd.
Just cannot wait for ICS on the Xperia Play !
Anybody else excited ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ICS is good but miui is better in my opinion.. I still use the gamepad just don't play any games that use touch pads
Sent from my Xperia Play using XDA App
I use my Xperia Play only as a gaming device. I don't use it as a phone (no sim card). I got it used super cheap. Onlive, FPse, etc.
Sent from my R800at using XDA App
of course...bought it because of the game pad..i have a lot of time to play games...even at work...
i don't use the touchpad because i haven't game where i need it (only in mupen64 i need them, but i'm not an hardcore player)
Do some of you still use a BT Gamepad on your XP? Was thinking of getting the onlive universal gamepad. Still having a full set of trigger buttons would be nice.
I thougt the game pad was cool but i actully don't use it so much and actully have another android phone.
That's the main reason I got it and it's great for my retro gaming needs. I use emulators mainly and only use the pads when I need to, like with Mupen64.
I can say I'm a little disappointed in the r800x model (stupid Verizon). My parents still pay my phone bill so I can't complain too much.
I'm moving to Canada this summer and I plan on getting one from whatever carrier I end up with (not CDMA though, I'm done with that mess). They are free with most contracts which makes it even tastier.
BTW any recommendations for cell carriers in Canada? PM me
I'm mobile.. and I'm a gamer.. so, I bought Xplay because it's a Gaming Mobile Phone which had "gamepad" on it..
If I don't use the gamepad, I would prefer Arc S or Ray than this..
I have always wanted an Android gaming handheld. At first I was looking at the generic chinese handhelds to play on, but I decided against it (too many problems,poor quality).Then I remembered about the Xperia Play.
I want to play N64, GBA, SNES (for sure). And the occasional 3D android game eg. Frisbee Forever, Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja, GTA III. The device I currently have is the Epic 4G Touch rooted and overclocked. But touchscreen emulators are terrible.
Is going from the Galaxy SII to the Xperia Play terrible? I will just be using the phone for the gaming functions, and as a internet device (wifi only). I am hoping although the Play is single core, it will be as smooth as my Galaxy. Thank you!!
It won't be as smooth as a dual core device, but you can run emulators up to ps1 (almost) flawlessly. For me, GTA III was a tiny bit laggy, but still playable.
As far as the u.i goes, you won't get GalaxySII smoothness or responsiveness, however you wont find a better emulation machine than the xperia play
Especially for very old systems like nes,snes, gameboy colour, sega, neogeo. There is an emulator for everything and they all run flawlessly on the play with the button (ps1 can be a bit flaky).
Thanks for your reply guys. PS1 emulation is something I'm not that interested in so that is not a worry. I have one more question though.
How do the analog sticks feel? I will be going to the store later today or in the week to try them out myself, but I just was wondering how you guys liked them?
If you want to play games, and have a cellphone in the same device, for sure, buy the Xperia Play. I came from a Optimus 2X, that isnt a Galaxy SII at all, but its a powerfull dual core too, and i dont regret. Xperia Play is a single core, but its the most powerfull one that I've have already seen, and runs smoothly the most of HD games. How its already saiyd in a above post, GTA III really get a bit of lag, but not much. Can be sure, the physical gamepad make a big diference. About the analogical touchpad, isnt so good to handle as a true analogical stick, but its better than nothing.
If you get an Xperia Play, I hardly recomend you to root and install DroidSail Super App2SD or a similar, because the 200mb of internal memory are ridiculous for a gaming device, and this app allows you to pass all the apps to sd card.
I wanted to play emulators too and i bought a chinese android console, and then i just read that the xperia play was better in emus and better quality and i sold the chinese console and bought an CDMA Xperia play to use as a console.
Then i loved it so much i sold my blackberry and my CDMA xperia play and bought a GSM xperia play and i now have all i want in my pocket. (phone, camera, divxplayer, console, mp3 player, tablet).
i think you wont regret it, if you only want it as a portable device, without cell phone recomend a r800a since its cheaper than the r800i
i use firmware 2.3.4 58, great batery life, last all day even if i msg a lot and play like 2 hours in the day. (on 2g, no wifi, no bluetooth or gps)
My answer may be biased since I don't like having to rub touch devices too long, but the analog touchpad is pretty frustrating at times. You basically tilt your thumbs in the direction you want them to go. Maybe you can adapt to it if you're used to using touchscreen analog in Android games, but for me they're frustrating.
No, you should not get the Play. The phone is obsolete already, there are no future updates expected from Sony, some of the best devs are leaving for other phones, official ICS was denied to us and the community is quickly dwindling.
If you want a great gaming device, get a handheld designed for that purpose. If you want an awesome phone, better take a look at what is being released in the near future, and stay away from Sony. By all means, don't waste your money on a phone that is already a year and a half old.
netizenmt said:
No, you should not get the Play. The phone is obsolete already, there are no future updates expected from Sony, some of the best devs are leaving for other phones, official ICS was denied to us and the community is quickly dwindling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have a point there, even though Sony promised some more GB updates.
I heard the PSP 3000 has the ability to run emulators too, so you might want to look into that.
Well, I went to the Verizon store. I installed N64oid on the Play. And quite frankly, I hated it. The analogs sticks are just not for me.
I have decided to just buy the Yinlips YDPG18. looks like a PS Vita, but runs Android. Thanks for all your help!
Compared to my old phone, a Motorola Atrix 4G (nvidia tegra dual core), the sony xperia play feels faster, smoother, and higher quality phone. I can't explain it, and the fact that you have a real joystick to play real games is an added icing.
Having said that, you should not pay more than $100 US for a nice used one. I am looking at you Amazon sellers, trying to sell an R 800i for $300, what ripoffs!
Sent from my R800i using xda premium
As I read around the Internet, I see mixed reviews of the Xperia Play. However, if there is one thing i've learned through forum dwelling, it's that the unhappy are 10 times more likely to speak than the content.
If you don't want to answer any of those questions down below this, at least answer the poll <3
How well does it act as a phone? Are its texting/calling abilities acceptable?
How are the games? Are there emulators that take advantage of the control pad? Are there a reasonable amount of games that use the control pad? How often do you play games on it using the control pad? (I care so much about the control pad because it is the reason i'm considering buying it )
Is it exceptionally far behind recent phones? (Obviously it is behind as it isn't exactly a new phone, but will it still be useable 2-3 years from now?)
How well does Android run on it? Does it run more smoothly on the port of ICS or on its default Gingerbread? Do either of those OS's have a noticeable impact (good or bad) on gaming (compatibility, framerate, etc...)?
Would you buy your Xperia Play again?
Any other comments and experiences you have had are very welcome as well. Thank you for your time! I'm sure this thread will help at least one more person in the future.
Redjericho said:
How well does it act as a phone? Are its texting/calling abilities acceptable?
How are the games? Are there emulators that take advantage of the control pad? Are there a reasonable amount of games that use the control pad? How often do you play games on it using the control pad? (I care so much about the control pad because it is the reason i'm considering buying it )
Is it exceptionally far behind recent phones? (Obviously it is behind as it isn't exactly a new phone, but will it still be useable 2-3 years from now?)
How well does Android run on it? Does it run more smoothly on the port of ICS or on its default Gingerbread? Do either of those OS's have a noticeable impact (good or bad) on gaming (compatibility, framerate, etc...)?
Would you buy your Xperia Play again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) The thing I like the best about Xperia Play is that it's not just good at being a game device. While I'm struggling to have any use for my PlayStation Vita, my Xperia Play's able to be an 'everything'.
2) The games are nice! Which is a very big deal for me. What I feared the most is that this would just be another OpenPandora, GP32, Dingoo A320, iControlPad or Gametel Controller; coming with all kinds of high tech, next-level hardware that people are wasting for all these old-ass games. I don't want to buy new technology for old software. I like seeing games that are actually able to take advantage of Xperia Play's full resolution and all it's methods of this-generation controls. What makes Xperia Play a winner to me is that it has all that. It's an excellent emulator, but you can get a good emulator anywhere... don't mean to be blunt, but that's nothing special. What makes Xperia Play special is that it's actually able to play the upper crust of this-generation smartphone games with dual analogs, high-res graphics and conventions of this generation. I'm playing games on it all the time... and shockingly enough, my shiny new PlayStation Vita isn't compromising that.
3) On paper, it seems like it would be far behind current phones because it's a single core. In practice though, it's running software (game and non-game) just as smoothly as the latest and greatest. Adreno 205 isn't very high-ranking on GPU acceleration, but practice always matters more than concept, and in practice I seldom see dips in framerate or hiccups in everyday use... and since it's got game controls, it's got a merit that those powerhouse phones don't. By all means, it should already be obsolete, yet everytime the next big 'benchmark' game comes out, Xperia Play has it's hands all over it. Then again, the same group of oblivious spec-counters talk **** about how every iPhone released is behind the curve at launch... yet single cores still hold their ground.
4) Android runs pretty silky smooth for me. What I will say is that you may not get the smoothest performance with that crappy standard launcher Sony puts on it's phones. With LauncherPro or ssLauncher, you see the Xperia Play being ridiculously smooth (those two launchers in particular also are a huge battery life savers).
5) I'd definitely buy it again. When I initially got this, it was a toss up between this and the Motorola Atrix. Now I see people with GS2's, Atrix, G2x, Atrix 2, GNotes that all fall in love with this single core phone I have (a few have even offered to trade their stronger phone for my weaker one that has game controls). I'll be able to upgrade again soon, and I'll likely just be using that for eBay fodder. As long as my Xperia Play continues being silky smooth and keeps providing a gaming experience that nothing else parallels, I don't see myself caring how strong phones get.
Do you like your Xperia Play?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the things that I don't like about it are cpu, gpu and ram because they are not appropriate for a gaming device.
but will it still be useable 2-3 years from now?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a gaming device, I think it will not be usuable for games because games in the future will require Android 4.1 + more than good hardware like (1GB RAM - Snapdragon S4 CPU ... etc)
Would you buy your Xperia Play again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
da
TLRtheory said:
1) The thing I like the best about Xperia Play is that it's not just good at being a game device. While I'm struggling to have any use for my PlayStation Vita, my Xperia Play's able to be an 'everything'.
2) The games are nice! Which is a very big deal for me. What I feared the most is that this would just be another OpenPandora, GP32, Dingoo A320, iControlPad or Gametel Controller; coming with all kinds of high tech, next-level hardware that people are wasting for all these old-ass games. I don't want to buy new technology for old software. I like seeing games that are actually able to take advantage of Xperia Play's full resolution and all it's methods of this-generation controls. What makes Xperia Play a winner to me is that it has all that. It's an excellent emulator, but you can get a good emulator anywhere... don't mean to be blunt, but that's nothing special. What makes Xperia Play special is that it's actually able to play the upper crust of this-generation smartphone games with dual analogs, high-res graphics and conventions of this generation. I'm playing games on it all the time... and shockingly enough, my shiny new PlayStation Vita isn't compromising that.
3) On paper, it seems like it would be far behind current phones because it's a single core. In practice though, it's running software (game and non-game) just as smoothly as the latest and greatest. Adreno 205 isn't very high-ranking on GPU acceleration, but practice always matters more than concept, and in practice I seldom see dips in framerate or hiccups in everyday use... and since it's got game controls, it's got a merit that those powerhouse phones don't.
4) Android runs pretty silky smooth for me. What I will say is that you may not get the smoothest performance with that crappy standard launcher Sony puts on it's phones. With LauncherPro or ssLauncher, you see the Xperia Play being ridiculously smooth (those two launchers in particular also are a huge battery life savers).
5) I'd definitely buy it again. When I initially got this, it was a toss up between this and the Motorola Atrix. Now I see people with GS2's, Atrix, G2x, Atrix 2, GNotes that all fall in love with this single core phone I have (a few have even offered to trade their stronger phone for my weaker one that has game controls). I'll be able to upgrade again soon, and I'll likely just be using that for eBay fodder. As long as my Xperia Play continues being silky smooth and keeps providing a gaming experience that nothing else parallels, I don't see myself caring how strong phones get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for your review! You basically covered everything that I have been searching far-and-wide to find. It's good to hear that it can also handle current generation games (for the most part) because it's always nice to have one or two pick-up-and-play mindless games, and the current mobile market excels at that.
I too believe that a device's specs don't mean much unless they are real world, so it's nice to hear from an actual user that it performs well. The main complaints I have read are lag of android and battery life, so to learn that I can improve it (at least a bit) is a very big plus.
Thanks for taking the time to help me out! Where there is one satisfied customer there is bound to be more, but I will stick around to see what others have to say as well.
Xperia-Play said:
Well, the things that I don't like about it are cpu, gpu and ram because they are not appropriate for a gaming device.
As a gaming device, I think it will not be usuable for games because games in the future will require Android 4.1 + more than good hardware like (1GB RAM - Snapdragon S4 CPU ... etc)
da
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't really see it as a replacement for a true gaming device. If I wanted to play polygon-packed, particle effect oozing games, I would spring for a Ps Vita (which I probably will get some day). As long as it can run a reasonable selection of game pad optimized games/emulators, i don't mind the lack of specs.
I don't really see it as a replacement for a true gaming device. If I wanted to play polygon-packed, particle effect oozing games, I would spring for a Ps Vita (which I probably will get some day). As long as it can run a reasonable selection of game pad optimized games/emulators, i don't mind the lack of specs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are right
I've
Sent from my R800i using xda premium
How well does it act as a phone? Are its texting/calling abilities acceptable?
Excellent. 100% a good PHONE.
How are the games? Are there emulators that take advantage of the control pad? Are there a reasonable amount of games that use the control pad? How often do you play games on it using the control pad? (I care so much about the control pad because it is the reason i'm considering buying it )
Games for Android are great. SO many games are Xperia PLAY optimized. Emulator games, imo, are where it's at. Most emulated games just downright play better with physical controls. I <3 <3 <3 playing my PS1 roms on it.
Is it exceptionally far behind recent phones? (Obviously it is behind as it isn't exactly a new phone, but will it still be useable 2-3 years from now?)
I think so. Yeah it will lag a bit, especially as newer Android versions will require newer hardware, but imo we're safe for another year and a half or two. Possibly more.
How well does Android run on it? Does it run more smoothly on the port of ICS or on its default Gingerbread? Do either of those OS's have a noticeable impact (good or bad) on gaming (compatibility, framerate, etc...)?
For me using a custom rom (TrueAncestor) it's *butter*y smooth. Plays my games excellently.
Would you buy your Xperia Play again?
I most certainly would. Actually, I just did, and I am NOT regretting that desicion AT ALL. I had bought a beat up used one first and it died, but I liked it so much I bought it again.
i'll buy it ,
if one day , xperia play 2 comes , i'll buy that too , for any price
game pad is really really special H/W on phone , all i need is game and game support
I brought my play specifically for gaming as I'm sure so did everyone who has got this phone, I think it is a really good phone for gaming although it does struggle with some larger games like nova 3 but all in all the games seem to run lag less and have yet to have any issues with gaming myself, the phone itself excluding gaming is great it runs smooth, looks nice and its awesome when u show it to ur mates then flip out the controller lol, I wasn't sure about buying this phone at 1st as it does have some bad reviews and with it only having a 1ghz single core processor it didn't seem that revealing, anyway I went ahead and brought it and im yet to see any faults with it in fact after seeing mine my bro sold his iphone4 to buy one and my mate sold his sensation xe to buy one aswel which on paper is a huge downgrade, like I said some large games like nova 3 for example do lag but personally I think thats not because the phone can't hack it but that the game itself is just made crappy but a little lag on some games is worth bearing for the fact that u have a controller. This is the phone for anyone who likes gaming and if u install a custom rom and kernel its even better, I love this phone and won't ever change it unless an Xperia play 2 comes out
Sent from my R800i using xda premium
Hi, for me it's the best phone out there not only for gaming cause it can everything what a modern android phone should can. I use it every day as a normal phone and everything is fine and if you are a gamer and retrogame fan like me then there isn't something better.
Of course there a lot of more powerfull phones but as said they're just phones, and yeah i tried to play on others but with touch it's impossible to play a good game!!
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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™
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?