I found that quite a number of people online were critical about Xperia PLAY, so I decided to write this to drive away the misconceptions!
There are several reasons why Xperia PLAY is the perfect gaming and multimedia smartphone, as given below:
1. Advantages of Snapdragon SoC (Scorpion Processor and Adreno GPU):
Xperia Play has a single-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor and an Adreno 205 GPU, however this doesn't put it behind the other SoC's out there (explained below)
Many people believe Adreno to be weaker than NVIDIA Tegra2 or PowerVR, but that isn't the case!
The truth is that the latter two seem good on paper and benchmarks, but their practical performance isn't up to the mark.
i. Adreno GPU is efficient and powerful:
Game developers find Adreno a better GPU when it comes to complex game effects. It handles them in a faster, better and power efficient way.
ii. Adreno is friendly to the battery:
Consider NVIDIA's Tegra2 GPU, which requires a heavy dependance on the CPU for it's optimal performance, and that reduces it's battery efficiency.
Follow the link in Techdread's thread to find a thorough comparison from Game developers' point of view.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1243036
iii. Snapdragon SoC has hidden tricks up it's sleeve
Adreno GPU and Scorpion CPU has some really cool optimizations up it's sleeve, which makes it better in most tasks than the other options.
e.g. Adreno has support for Hardware acceleration in Flash content. In a video test result, Snapdragon on Xperia Arc played a 720p Youtube video perfectly, whereas other major dual-core devices lagged!
See video below:
http://phandroid.com/2011/06/15/qua...re-tegra-2-for-flash-content-supremecy-video/
Paul Jacobs, Qualcomm's boss says that Single core snapdragon with latest drivers outperform the current dual core processors.
"Looking at benchmarking tests for our single core product, it outperforms against dual core products from our competitors,’ said Jacbos.
He added: ‘The performance that you can get is literally much more than just counting the number of cores on a chip - it about how these cores work together seamlessly and efficiently. Compared to our competitors' [dual-core chips] they use 50 to 75 per cent more power to deliver the same perfomace compared to our single-core CPUs.’
iv. Snapdragon has DEVELOPER SUPPORT
Snapdragon is widely being supported by developers and alot of games for it are being made.
What hardware advantage does any SoC give the device if it has little developer support??
How many times have you seen these words on game threads: Make this for SGS2 please!!
v. Xperia series has the latest drivers for Snapdragon and Adreno, getting the most out of them.
(vi. BONUS : Custom kernel from DoomLord can boost the already-so-efficient CPU to 1.9 GHz B-) )
2. Dual-Channel RAM:
Xperia Play is the currently the only device that possesses a dual channel DDR2 memory working at 300 Hertz. This increases the performance as data can be passed much faster between components such as the CPU and the GPU, and enables it to perform heavy duty tasks optimally, and to keep a constant 60fps refresh rate in games.
3. PlayStation Controls:
Of course everyone knows what this is about
The physical controls are of great advantage in gaming for obvious reasons.
The virtual analog controls got mixed reviews, however they are awesome in my opinion. I always find myself using them rather than the buttons.
Moreover, they can also be used for key mapping in emulators, giving a great plus value!
4. Havok Game Engine:
Don't miss out this beast!
Havok game engine has debuted on Android via Xperia Play. This helps developers make great games with accurate physics and realism!
About Havok:
Havok™, an Intel® company , was founded in Dublin, Ireland in 1998, and is the premier provider of interactive software and services for digital media creators in the games and movie industries. Havok works in partnership with the world ’s best
known game developers, including Microsoft®, Nintendo®, and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Havok’ s cross- platform, professionally supported technology is available for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation ®Portable), Xperia™ PLAY, Wii™, PC Games for Windows.
Havok’s combination of superior technology and dedication to delivering for its customers has led to the company’ s technologies being used in over 300 of the world’ s best known game titles, including Halo Reach, Assassin’ s Creed Brotherhood, Epic Mickey, Fallout New Vegas, Uncharted 2 , Demon’s Soul and Bioshock 2 . A further 130 games are in development. Havok products have also been used to drive special effects in movies such as Clash of the Titans, Watchmen, Quantum of Solace, Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix, and The Matrix. Havok has offices in Dublin, San Francisco , Copenhagen, Calcutta, Munich, and Tokyo.
5. 3d Stereo speakers with xLoud
Gaming isn't fun without good sound effects. Many people entirely depend on their headsets for gaming and multimedia, due to the lack of good speakers in the phone.
Xperia Play's speakers, especially after the xLoud update, are AWESOME. You wouldn't need to depend on your headsets for gaming anymore, the speakers really take care of all!
They are also perfect for watching movies or listening to songs.
6. Xperia PLAY exclusives and game library
Sony Ericsson has made deals with a great number of game companies, including Gameloft, EA, Glu and Polarbit. A great number of games are out in no time at all, and more are on their way.
Often, Xperia Play gets the game a month or two earlier than the other Android models.
Xperia Play also has PlayStation titles coming to it, and Sony Ericsson recently announced more AAA titles to be on their way.
Xperia Play's massive game library is much larger than Tegra's.
7. Sony Ericsson's multimedia and entertainment experience:
Sony Ericsson provides a unique, unparalleled experience in multimedia and entertainment fields. It has got a great deal of experience from Cybershot and Walkman products, and has always been ahead of the other brands in these categories.
Xperia PLAY, with it's awesome sound quality and a decent camera reflects these results. The camera, though not SE's best, is still decent overall and faster than the other Android models.
I have the experience of developing top camdrivers for SE's cybershot series, and find that Xperia Play's camera is pretty decent.
Other SE goodies like TimeScape, Facebook inside Xperia etc. are also great if you use them.
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This is enough to prove that Xperia PLAY really is what it's supposed to be - the perfect gaming and multimedia smartphone!
Imo people were disappointed because in the initial release it was laggy and it took alot of time to boot. And alot of features missing like 5MP HD or no zoom.
Hackers fixed that of course.
Sent from my Xperia PLAY R800i using XDA App
If I was on any other phone I would only be playing angry birds because I hate touch screen controllers that take up precious screen realestate..
Xperia Play <3
Sent from my R800i using xda premium
Cat_On_Droid said:
Imo people were disappointed because in the initial release it was laggy and it took alot of time to boot. And alot of features missing like 5MP HD or no zoom.
Hackers fixed that of course.
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Well it wasn't laggy and didn't boot up slower than Galaxy and other models out there.
People were mostly annoyed with the lack of a dual core chipset, claiming that better ones were out there. That's what most reviewers said. But in reality, there is much more to the Xperia than meets the eye
subcu1ture said:
If I was on any other phone I would only be playing angry birds because I hate touch screen controllers that take up precious screen realestate..
Xperia Play <3
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Agreed!
One inch or more of the screen is accounted for when using touchscreen controls.
Xperia Play's controls give a big-screen experience!
hasaan6545 said:
Well it wasn't laggy and didn't boot up slower than Galaxy and other models out there.
People were mostly annoyed with the lack of a dual core chipset, claiming that better ones were out there. That's what most reviewers said. But in reality, there is much more to the Xperia than meets the eye
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No not at all. Like cat said, when the play was first released. Alot of the disapointment came from bad firmware and a lack of support from sony game wise. I don't know any1 that was disapointed in the H/W. We all knew that the scorpion chipset and adreno 205 was a good match for any mobile CPU/GPU combo on the market ATM!
hasaan6545 said:
e.g. Adreno has support for Hardware acceleration in Flash content. In a video test result, Snapdragon on Xperia Arc played a 720p Youtube video perfectly, whereas other major dual-core devices lagged!
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Er... from the video i dont see how the xperia arc was playing 720p video smoothly? If anything it was choppy as hell. It was the HTC incredible that pulled off a smooth run. Do explain.
2ndly can the xperia play play a 720p video smoothly? If yes which format? mkv? avi ? mp4?
- Best gaming device.
Yes. The controls make the difference.
- Best ultimedia device.
Lol no. Where's the video output (remember that near ALL Xperias have HDMI output)? Where's the HD video recording? Where's the native support for more advanced video formats like MKV? Etc.
lcw1980 said:
Er... from the video i dont see how the xperia arc was playing 720p video smoothly? If anything it was choppy as hell. It was the HTC incredible that pulled off a smooth run. Do explain.
2ndly can the xperia play play a 720p video smoothly? If yes which format? mkv? avi ? mp4?
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play can play 720p in any format easly .....
Miles Wolf said:
- Best gaming device.
Yes. The controls make the difference.
- Best ultimedia device.
Lol no. Where's the video output (remember that near ALL Xperias have HDMI output)? Where's the HD video recording? Where's the native support for more advanced video formats like MKV? Etc.
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The play has native support for quicktime formats....
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3775
AndroHero said:
No not at all. Like cat said, when the play was first released. Alot of the disapointment came from bad firmware and a lack of support from sony game wise. I don't know any1 that was disapointed in the H/W. We all knew that the scorpion chipset and adreno 205 was a good match for any mobile CPU/GPU combo on the market ATM!
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Well i was talking about most reviewers like CNET etc, they had a go at the processor and GPU.
lcw1980 said:
Er... from the video i dont see how the xperia arc was playing 720p video smoothly? If anything it was choppy as hell. It was the HTC incredible that pulled off a smooth run. Do explain.
2ndly can the xperia play play a 720p video smoothly? If yes which format? mkv? avi ? mp4?
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Take a look at the blogpost and the video again and you'll get the point.
The video whose link i posted does not have Xperia Arc, it has HTC Incredible which has the same chipset as the Arc, and it performed better than the other dual core ones.
The video Qualcomm posted at their official site had Xperia Arc, and there they claimed the same thing.
Anyway, Xperia Play can play 720p perfectly for almost all formats, best being mp4, mov etc. Others can also be played well if you've a decent video player. MX Video Player (optimized for ARM Neon processors) and Vital Player work best. Try them, you'll like it
Miles Wolf said:
- Best gaming device.
Yes. The controls make the difference.
- Best ultimedia device.
Lol no. Where's the video output (remember that near ALL Xperias have HDMI output)? Where's the HD video recording? Where's the native support for more advanced video formats like MKV? Etc.
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I agree on the TV out stuff, but apart from that, Xperia Play is great. Mkv native support isn't much needed, it works perfect with fast Software Codec. Try MX Video player.
Besides, Xperia has great display and stereo sound quality which most others lack. and you can still view your media files on Bravia TV via Wifi.
With a bunch of plus points, it does make up for the few limitations that it has, and it's a great multimedia package overall!
AndroHero said:
play can play 720p in any format easly .....
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Really? I own one and cant get it to play 720p video files smoothly. Esp mkv formats.
Pray tell me which player you use?
I see no connection with xperia play in the apple website you posted?
lcw1980 said:
Really? I own one and cant get it to play 720p video files smoothly. Esp mkv formats.
Pray tell me which player you use?
I see no connection with xperia play in the apple website you posted?
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i use mobo player is awesome Look on the back of the box, it says it a quickime cerified device. That website just shows quicktime compatable formats
AndroHero said:
i use mobo player is awesome Look on the back of the box, it says it a quickime cerified device. That website just shows quicktime compatable formats
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i use moboplayer too but even 720p mkv anime playback is laggy. I even downloaded the arm7 codec already. any tips?
lcw1980 said:
i use moboplayer too but even 720p mkv anime playback is laggy. I even downloaded the arm7 codec already. any tips?
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when your on the main screen, go into setting and set it to software render mode
AndroHero said:
when your on the main screen, go into setting and set it to software render mode
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hmm still have audio sync issues.
Strange, I watch at least 1 720p file a week. Never had a problem with Mobo. I haven't download any extra add ons just the main app. What file types are you using?
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
Blue ray quality rmvb format lags for me but it plays other HD files fine
Sent from my XPlay using XDA App.
kupo5131 said:
Strange, I watch at least 1 720p file a week. Never had a problem with Mobo. I haven't download any extra add ons just the main app. What file types are you using?
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
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mkv file h264 encoded.
Miles Wolf said:
- Best ultimedia device.
Lol no. Where's the video output (remember that near ALL Xperias have HDMI output)? Where's the HD video recording? Where's the native support for more advanced video formats like MKV? Etc.
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Those are pretty lame points. I would have gone with SAMOLED Screen, but meh.
How often really, have you or would you plug in your phone to your tv? I have a freakin computer, ps3, wii, and digital cable connected already, why on earth would I need my phone on there as well?
HD recording would be nice, but it's nothing tragic. And it's not like it's technically impossible.
Otherwise, I agree with the OP. The screen while not the very best out there, it's still pretty damn nice. The speakers is what really makes it, I can't think of a single phone out there that even steps close to the Play in this respect. I never wear headphones with this thing, because it sounds great! Be it NES, PSX, Music, Videos, anything, it has high frequency response which means full sound, plenty of amplification, very little distortion at high volumes, and because there's two of them, you get stereo sound.
When I hear multimedia, I think picture and sound. Even though the screen isn't the best it makes up for that in the audio department. It's definitely up there in the multimedia department.
hasaan6545 said:
Besides, Xperia has great display
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Meh, no. It has a lot of ghosting.
The Xplay is a good device, but please, don't say it's the best Multimedia device.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of content for cardboard so far (
There's a ton of apps in the Play store. Just search VR. You can also watch 360 videos in YouTube.
ProntoJr said:
There doesn't seem to be a lot of content for cardboard so far (
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The New York Times has interesting vr content for Cardboard:
http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2015/nytvr/
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...ke-flight.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/op...l-reality.htm
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lithium630 said:
There's a ton of apps in the Play store. Just search VR. You can also watch 360 videos in YouTube.
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Anything on youtube which shows the Cardboard icon:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzuqhhs6NWbgTzMuM09WKDQ/playlists
Streetview also has a Cardboard mode:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.street
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Also vrse. Content from many sources:
http://vrse.com/
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shakingearthdigital.vrsecardboard
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Best Google Cardboard apps: Top games and demos for your mobile VR headset
December 24, 2015
By Sophie Charara
http://www.wareable.com/google/the-best-google-cardboard-apps
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Thanks for sharing. I hadn't bothered with cardboard yet since I heard there wasn't much to do on it. I'm also still waiting for a phone vr holder from kickstarter I backed ages ago...
Any favorite apps?
I have developp a game which name is PianoVR for Cardboard (a piano in VR)
Before start development I test many apps and may be my favorite is Space terror vr. But I haven't Blutooth joystick then i use a other phone like a Blutooth joystick.
Here are list of some of the best VR and google cardboard apps
1 Google Cardboard
2 Fulldive VR
3 Sites in VR
4 Google Street View
5 YouTube
6 Cardboard Camera
7 Roller Coaster VR attraction
8 Discovery VR
9 Within
10 InMind VR
Source: Best VR and Google Cardboard Apps
I would add our own app, Camarada VR, to the list. It allows anyone to create 3D VR video. Not too many videos there at the moment, because it's very new.
Anyone Tried to Sideload Daydream to Cardboard?
May I suggest "NOMone VR Browser" ? it's a free SBS browser that turns any web content to VR content. The possibilities are endless. you can almost do anything on the internet while wearing your cardboard
What do you plan on using the apps for?