Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play has seen a dramatic price drop at UK retailers, with some online outlets offering the gaming smartphone at almost half it regular price.
The price cuts on the Sony Ericsson phone follow a dramatic reduction announcement for the 3DS last week, which is set to have its RRP slashed by a third later this month.
Sony chairman Kazuo Hirai signalled yesterday that Sony won't engage in a price war with the 3DS, and the company's rival handheld PlayStation Vita looks set to launch at £229 (with 3G models going for £279).
Hirai's comments have led to claims from Japan-based analysts that the platform holder risks "major failure".
Comments
27 comments so far...
Imaduck on 5 Aug '11 said:
This smelt like a needless product doomed to bunk from day 1 unfortunately.
ilovenewtech on 5 Aug '11 said:
I got mine two days after launch and I have to point out how super awesome and fantastic it is. Never again do I wait bored for appointments and ques etc. Comfotable in your hand and awesome software make it a winner for me. Everyone that has had a go on it has walked away talking of upgrading there phone to it. It is awesome!!!!!
Awesome Xperia Play's for everybody!!!!!
martinawatson on 5 Aug '11 said:
Super awesome to have you back on the ultimate forum from beyond the bonkers zone making super awesome comments with a beyond bodacious viewpoint , may the cvg happiness team greet you with flowers and garlands, singing and dancing , and merriment which travels upto and beyond the super awesome zone. This is a win win situation for everyone, go team ilovenewtech, go team martinawatson , go team CVG and all the loyal and trusted followers........and er cheers mate
ilovenewtech on 5 Aug '11 said:
I bow before thy's awesomeness martinawatson while sending the life, love and awesomeness to you and all through CVG. martinawatson you are spreading the awesomeness to everyone you come into contact with. You are awesome and you rock!!!!
Go team martinawatson and his super awesomeness yeah!!!!!
Go team it is super awesome to be back with all of you yeah!!!!!
Fr33Kye on 5 Aug '11 said:
Ahh the xperia play. Sony's backup plan. Looking forward to seeing how this and ps suite does.
damoxuk on 5 Aug '11 said:
Not a bad piece of kit - just poorly marketed/executed. Maybe if they allowed trophy support on there games like windows phone it might have done better. But as a smartphone it's decent and at that price could sell well (could).
runadumb on 5 Aug '11 said:
This is the price it SHOULD have launched at! At this price it makes sense and I can recommend it for those of you that love gaming. I paid £265 for mine, which I felt was fair.
I've said this a million times, as a smartphone it's only decent, mid-range, but add in the gaming factor (through emulators of course) and it becomes a truly wonderful device. I don't think I can return to the slate form factor again now, regardless of how awesome the Nexus 3 will be. SE truly have me by the balls
PS SE really were smoking lots of the special stuff pricing the xperia play so high. It was the most expensive Android phone on release and O2 had the Galaxy S2 £100 less for a brief time. A phone that p**ses on the play from a great height in every single regard except a slideout game-pad.
Did Sony really think the playstation brand was really worth such a premium? Yes, they did. Well guess they learned a lesson. I hope now it sells and we get a much better 2nd version.
toaplan on 5 Aug '11 said:
How about an "ambassador program" for us who paid +500€ ? Some free Psone downloads would be appreciated... Sony must have cut the price too, this kind of cut can't be just retailer-driven. A couple of months in the market and almost 50% off. These days it's not such a good idea to be an early adopter...
RustySpoon80 on 5 Aug '11 said:
I actually got phones4u to give me a Xperia Play +£10 in exchange for a W995 (walkman phone).
Im on a £18 a month contract for 18 months. A Steal.
NEO_SUPERMAN on 5 Aug '11 said:
Oh s**t, not this guy again!!
His positivity makes me realise what a miserable old cynical git I have become.
DAEDALUS79 on 5 Aug '11 said:
Lol at anyone who paid full price I guess
ilovenewtech on 5 Aug '11 said:
NEO_SUPERMAN you are super awesome, you rock. You feel the love and awesomeness coming from me and everyone else through the awesomeness of CVG. Go team NEO_SUPERMAN yeah!!!!!
NEO_SUPERMAN for everybody!!!!! 
ilovenewtech on 5 Aug '11 said:
Got mine free on contract, so super awesome. Besides I love my Xperia Play and would have paid top dollar for it anyway. Xperia play rocks in a super awesome way!!!!!
dangermou5e on 5 Aug '11 said:
ilovenewtech welcome back!
And as always There is no charge for you awesomeness.........Skadoosh!
ilovenewtech on 5 Aug '11 said:
All love and awesomeness going out to the awesome dangermou5e. You my awesome fellow forum poster rock in the most awesome of ways. Go team dangermou5e yeah!!!!!
dangermou5e for everybody!!!!! 
Have a slice of super awesome cake!!!!!
Lady Gagagged on 5 Aug '11 said:
Friend of mine has a kick ass Nokia 3220. He can make phone calls on it and it has the SNES Zelda ring tone and Snake built in.
rbt2 on 5 Aug '11 said:
Hehehe.
Sounds like my superhappyawsesome kinda fone.
NEO_SUPERMAN on 5 Aug '11 said:
I feel your love filling me up and flowing through me!
Not in a gay way...
ilovenewtech on 5 Aug '11 said:
I knew you would get in the super happy awesome feeling. Go team rbt2 yeah!!!!!
rbt2 for everybody!!!!! 
Go team awesome NEO_SUPERMAN. Keep feeling the love flow through you my super awesome friend!!!!!
NEO_SUPERMAN for everybody!!!!! 
alan666 on 5 Aug '11 said:
well thats still more than i paid for my Andriod mobile & 3DS combined
a3HeadedMonkey on 5 Aug '11 said:
I love my Xperia Play. It's every retro gamers dream phone.
toaplan on 5 Aug '11 said:
It sure is good for retrogaming, and I'll be using it for many years, if the buttons last. Right now it's my primary phone, and later it could serve as a secondary phone. So it didn't feel like a bad investment, rather a long-term one. But of course now I'm a bit upset, and hope that Sony would offer some kind of compensation for us early adopters, like Nintendo so elegantly did after their price cut. And this was a much bigger cut! If there's only silence, I won't be among the early adopters of the Vita. I've started using the 3ds more now that the eshop has got going, so I've started drifting towards a wait and see-approach towards the Vita anyway...
Fenbops on 6 Aug '11 said:
Ive had my xperia play since launch and its a fantastic gaming phone!! I dont regret picking it up instead of an iphone4 or any other smartphone
Playing Crash Bandicoot on the bus and in work is awesome! The emulation is great too, nearly completed Metroid Fusion on my play, nice crisp visuals and the pad is ohhhh so dreamy 
Zelda Ocarina of time next i think!
Just 1 request sony, pull your finger out and get FF7 on the android market place!!
ilovenewtech on 6 Aug '11 said:
You have a beautiful soul a3HeadedMonkey. Retro gaming for everybody!!!!!
gmcb007 on 6 Aug '11 said:
So....much...love...can't...be...cynical....
ilovenewtech on 6 Aug '11 said:
gmcb007 that is the power of the awesomeness, I feel your love. The power of awesomeness and love for everybody yeah!!!!!
Deders on 6 Aug '11 said:
I love my Xperia Play touchscreen gamin blows. Its all about the full controller hidden inside! O