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14 years ago I began my journey in this industry, first cutting my teeth over on Android Central. In that barmy year of 2011 one device stuck out to me — the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. A smartphone with a dose of PlayStation gaming.
Fast-forward to 2026 and its spirit lives on, albeit not through Sony. AYANEO, known for its extensive range of handheld gaming PCs and other portables that run on Android, is bringing it back with the Pocket Play.
The sizzle reel up top is all I need to see to be really excited about this device. It's not the first time a company has tried to do a gaming phone in recent times, but none of them have been like this.
See the nostalgic clip below of the Sony Xperia Play and you know exactly what I mean. A full controller sliding out from behind the display, no need for fiddly touch controls or external accessories.
The state of mobile gaming back in 2011 wasn't great, albeit Minecraft Pocket Edition was a standout. But the idea behind it was perfection, and though I never personally owned an Xperia Play, the time I did spend with one left me coveting it.
The landscape in 2026, when we expect to see the AYANEO Pocket Play, is very different, and lends far better to this type of hardware. We've got true console quality games on mobile now, including the recent appearance of Red Dead Redemption.
We've got cloud gaming, too, of course. The AYANEO Pocket Play would be absolutely perfect for a spot of on the go Forza Horizon 5, wouldn't it? Or how about a spot of retro gaming?
What's yet to be said is, well, much of anything. There's no idea on price, availability, or the hardware inside. Just that it's a smartphone with a slide-out panel containing a D-Pad, ABXY buttons, and two touchpads.
It looks incredible, though, and I'm glad to see, finally, a company bringing the spirit of the Xperia Play back to life. The original was too far ahead of its time (something we've said a lot about our beloved Windows Phone, too), but in the modern age, it could really thrive.
Follow along on its Kickstarter page if you're interested. I know I am.
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