Sony announced plans to offer a “PlayStation Certified” programme for Android hardware manufacturers, which it says is designed to offer “necessary support, including development support as well as logo licensing, to ensure the delivery of PlayStation quality experience across various devices.” This comes alongside the launch of its PlayStation Suite software initiative, which will see PlayStation content made available for Android devices later this year – initially this will be based on versions of games for the first-generation PlayStation. Android 2.3 or above will be required as part of the PlayStation Certified programme, and it is possible that the strategy could lead to the creation of both smartphones and tablets with PlayStation-branded gaming capabilities. This will enable Sony to extend its PlayStation brand beyond dedicated games devices, to attract more casual gamers and to participate in the growing smartphone games market.

Unsurprisingly, the move sparked a significant debate about the anticipated launch of a PlayStation phone from Sony Ericsson, which is widely expected to take place at next month’s GSMA Mobile World Congress. With the PlayStation Certified programme enabling other manufacturers to offer devices with PlayStation branding, Sony Ericsson will certainly have lost some of the USP of its own proposition. The recovering handset manufacturer is well positioned to be first out of the blocks, however. While Sony Ericsson has previously offered devices using Sony’s Cyber-shot and Walkman brands, this has been on an exclusive basis. Sony also announced an update to its own portable PlayStation device, which it is currently referring to by the codename NGP (pictured). This device will include integrated 3G connectivity alongside WiFi, which the vendor says will “enable infinite possibilities for users to connect, share and play with friends wherever they are.” Sony did not state if this will include voice capabilities, however, or whether it will primarily be data-centric.