Alleged Photos Of 'PlayStation Phone 2' Leak Online

2011 was a big year for the tech world. It was during this time that Android took a big step over the iOS in terms of market share, the iPad dominating the tablet scene, the launch of Google+ and the start of RIM’s decline as Blackberry no longer had its usual flair to consumers.

It was also during this year that Sony took the growing Smartphone community by surprise by introducing what The Verge described to be a “true gaming” phone. The “PlayStation Phone,” or the Xperia Play as it was officially known, came with all the bells and whistles every gamer would want, plus the benefits of a modern-day communication device.

Unfortunately, the Xperia Play came out as mediocre at best. Endgadget, who wrote a March 28, 2011 review of the device, praised the handheld’s “flawless” sliding gamepad and PlayStation-like directional, control and shoulder buttons. However, they were not keen on the Xperia Play’s hardware, display and battery life, among others.

“As it stands today, on the day of review and the precipice of its launch, the Play is looking out on a pretty barren gaming landscape,” said the outlet.

Fast forward to today, those who were expecting that Sony would release a “PlayStation 2” were greeted by alleged photos of the device that, unfortunately, never saw the shelves of retailers. The Verge said the photos were shared by an Xperia subreddit user who found a listing on Idle Fish, a secondhand goods store based in China.

The seller said the device was only a prototype and “there’s no way to verify its authenticity.” But for what it’s worth, the supposed “PlayStation Phone 2” looked like Sony had put in some work to deliver what they were supposed to deliver.

Photos of the Smartphone showed that it retained the original sliding gamepad mechanism. It also has a D-pad, a set of standard PlayStation buttons alongside the L1 and R1 shoulder buttons and a “3D button” akin to ones found on the Nintendo 3DS.

The alleged “PlayStation Phone 2” also replaced its predecessor’s hardware buttons into capacitive, a stark change to the design mostly found on Xperia phones from 2012 onward, said the outlet. It also matched renders of the Xperia Play 2 that were picked by gadget followers in 2012.

But then again, Sony didn’t feel that the Xperia Play 2 would reach greater heights, let alone gain the attention of fans who were disappointed with their first offering. 2011 also saw Sony launching the PS Vita, a PSP variant that sold 4 million units by the end of that year.