We asked, you told us: Sony should totally launch a new Xperia Play

With 2020 seeing the continued rise of smartphone gaming, the emergence of game streaming services, and the imminent debut of the PlayStation 5, it seems a perfect time for the likes of Sony to relaunch a dedicated gaming phone of its own. Its last official swing at a portable gaming phone came from 2011’s Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, an Android phone that borrowed its design from the PSP Go.

In September, images of the Xperia Play 2, a rumored canned sequel, made a surprise appearance online. Sony hasn’t officially confirmed that it had planned another device in the line, but the apparent prototype did get us thinking about the company’s mobile gaming history.

We asked readers if they’d purchase a rebooted Xperia Play should Sony relaunch the line. Here’s what you told us.

Would you buy a rebooted Xperia Play in 2020?

Results

Over 2,700 votes were cast in this one, and there’s an overwhelming winner. Nearly four-fifths (79.8%) of voters said they’d absolutely purchase a rebooted Xperia Play if Sony made such a device available.

While there are plenty of gaming phones on offer from a number of OEMs, none pack a slide-up screen and built-in controller buttons like the Xperia Play. If Sony were to rework a device for the modern smartphone era, it would pack modern hardware too. A slider with dedicated control inputs, an OLED display, a Snapdragon 865 chipset, and 5G connectivity could be a monster gaming device.

Read more: A PlayStation Phone should be Sony’s answer to Xbox game streaming

Some readers don’t feel this way, though. Around 20% of respondents said they wouldn’t purchase a rebooted Xperia Play. Considering the apparent prototype surfaced some nine years after the first device’s launch, it could suggest Sony wasn’t too confident in the product. Sony’s modern smartphones have also grown more conservative and refined with a focus on camera performance and video entertainment. Mobile gaming perhaps isn’t as prominent in its list of core principles as it once was.

Here’s what you had to say

• Connor Oud: If they made it with game streaming (xCloud, Steam Link, PlayStation Remote Play, Stadia) in mind, I’d buy it.
• Ahmed AbuBakr: I would instantly buy one, regardless of the price, I loved the first one. Hopefully, some Chinese brand comes up with a similar design.
• Batou2034: If they launched that now with Xperia 1ii specs it would sell hotcakes.

That’s it for this poll. Thanks to everyone who voted and commented on this one. If you have any additional thoughts on our results or the modern Xperia Play Sony should build, be sure to drop your comments down below.