This time last year, Sony (then Sony Ericsson) officially brought PlayStation to Android with the introduction of the gaming-focused Xperia Play. As the so-called “PlayStation phone”, the Play has access to enhanced games optimized for the platform. More recently, Sony’s discussed broader plans for gaming on Android, with the announcement of its PlayStation Suite. Alongside Sony-made handsets like the Play, the company will assign handsets produced by other manufacturers the PlayStation Certified designation, affirming device compatibility and performance while granting access to Sony’s exclusive collection of PlayStation apps. Today a rumor claims that HTC may be among the first companies to produce phones receiving this certification.

We haven’t heard of any specific HTC hardware that might seek PlayStation certification, only that HTC could announce the news soon, and the first phones included as part of the program may arrive in the second half of the year. We’re especially curious about what this could mean for HTC hardware, and if the company will fully embrace the release of a gaming-centered smartphone with the a model featuring Play-like hardware controls.

With HTC trying to reduce the total number of smartphones it releases, concentrating on just a few high-profile models, it’s interesting to consider the possibility of one such phone being so gaming-focused. Could manufacturers be about to reconsider the importance of the smartphone gaming market?

Source: Pocket-lint

Via: Android and Me