Sony PlayStation Suite Becomes PlayStation Mobile, Coming To Certified HTC Android Phones

Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC is going to make handsets that will be certified for Sony PlayStation Suite. Yes, it has just been announced that the Japanese multinational conglomerate will be partnering with HTC to create phones for a new program, named as PlayStation Mobile.

Sony announced the partnership at the E3 video-game trade show in Los Angeles Monday.

There's no official word yet about any specific handset model. However, as The Verge noted, it was the latest HTC One X, which was held up as an example of the collaboration, while being also featured in a slide promoting the joint venture.

HTC is focused on delivering innovative mobile experiences for people everywhere and SCE's immersive world of gaming will bring compelling entertainment to HTC One customers across the globe, said HTC Chief Product Officer Kouji Kodera.

Announced last year, the PlayStation Suite's developer program went into open beta in April, allowing developers to download the free Suite SDK to create apps and games for the PS Vita and PlayStation Certified devices.

The focus up until this point, however, had been on Sony Ericsson - now Sony Mobile - devices, said The Verge. The move to third-party partnerships, particularly with a manufacturer of HTC's stature, changes the program's potential drastically, and could open up a significant new venue for PlayStation Mobile gaming.

As per a physical control panel goes, Ben Reid of Redmond Pie thinks that HTC should not include it with any of its future PlayStation certified devices.

I firmly believe the whole idea is to offer slick, impressive gaming capabilities while also keeping the device looking like a smartphone - as opposed to a games console with a cellular chip, Reid said.