Sony PlayStation Suite Bringing PlayStation Games to Android

Sony Computer Entertainment is about to get a leg up on the competition, as its PlayStation games are about to spread to another platform -- one that isn't Sony's.

Today Sony revealed its PlayStation Suite for Android smartphones, which will serve as both a mobile gaming platform and store by incorporating the existing PlayStation Store. This will allow Android smartphone users to directly download and play original PlayStation One titles on their devices.

The PlayStation Suite seems to be intended for next-generation phones (or at least current generation smartphones that can be upgraded); it requires users' devices to be equipped with the latest Android OS 2.3, aka Gingerbread. At this point, only one model, the Samsung Nexus S, runs this version of Google's operating system.

Sony's move should bolster the Android OS as a mobile gaming platform, but it faces tough competition from Apple's iPhone -- the many thousands of game titles in the iTunes App Store has made the iOS a very popular choice for gamers.

A New PlayStation Portable, Too
The PS Suite will be coming to the next-generation PlayStation Portable (codename NGP), which was also announced today by Sony.

Access to the PS Suite from this device should be relatively easy, as the 5-inch touchscreen device will be equipped with both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity.

Notably absent from Sony's docket today was the announcement of the much-rumored PlayStation phone, an Android OS-based device from Sony Ericsson specifically designed to be a mobile gaming console. Still, this smartphone, which will supposedly go under the name "Sony Ericsson Xperia Play", might be scheduled to launch at the Mobile World Congress in mid-February.

Stay Tuned
When it comes to the specifics of the PS Suite, details are still light. There is no news yet on when the service will actually be made available, what devices it will be compatible with, or what PS One titles will be available for download at launch.

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