PSP phone due "before Christmas" sez Sony Ericsson boss

Just doesn't explain exactly which Christmas he means...

28 August 2007 23:22 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Remember that patent we showed you a while ago for the PSP phone? We reported that Sony Ericsson had filed patents for mobile phones with specific gaming features.

One design showed the phone having a swivel screen that moved in a gaming friendly 90 degrees and controls similar to the PSP.

Well it appears that the patent wasn't just a covering-the-bases stab in the dark from the mobile phone company, but will become a reality.

Sony Ericsson games boss Peter Ahnegard got chatting to Pocketgamer at the recent Leipzig gaming conference and talked about gaming on phones.

It seems that what's been holding back Sony Ericsson from developing a full-on gaming phone is that they haven't wanted to disappoint consumers with a half-hearted effort.

"The latest craze for slim handsets doesn't really go hand-in-hand with gaming comfort. Console controllers are bulky for a good reason and have been designed with specific elements in mind, e.g., the need to be hardwearing, ergonomically comfortable, etc."

"The same considerations go into our phones and there are lots of elements that affect gaming performance, from the spacing between buttons to joypad position."

"We have to accept that some devices simply won't be appropriate to drive some games and, in many cases, gaming or other entertainment content isn't the prime concern behind the design."

But - hold the phones - when asked: "Does that mean we can look forward to a PlayStation branded handset soon, say before Christmas?" the answer was more revealing.

Ahnegard said: "It's obviously something that we're looking at but right now I can't really comment. Before Christmas, certainly ... but exactly which Christmas I can't confirm".

Well, there you have it, from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Sony Ericsson will eventually develop a gaming focused phone in time for a Christmas in the future.