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This or the Droid X2

N

Nfinity

Newbie
To begin, I'm 53% Xperia Play, 47% Droid X2, and I'm posting this in the hopes that the scale will be tipped even further in the Play's direction.

I am debating between the two aforementioned phones. One properly plays the SNES games of old (touch screen controls for the emulators will never suffice) and the other is hopefully future proof. Which to choose?

I never use my phone for gaming strictly due to the fact that I used to be a hardcore gamer, and strict touch screen controls just feels so... handicapped. (Not to mention the pick-up-and-play-for-2-minutes style of mobile games)

So, the real questions plaguing me are:

1) Will the Play actually be kept up to date, or suffer the fate of all the Galaxy phones?
2) Will the Play receive above average support from modders, hackers, etc?
3) Will this phone, with it's decent processor and GPU, stand the test of time (At least for the next 2 years), or will it take the path of my current phone, the unsupported, slow and clunky Omnia 2, as dual core processors become the norm?

Finally...

4) Will it play the translated version of Mother 3 smoothly and without lag?

On a final note, I have no intention of playing any games outside of those that are pre-PSX emulator compatible, so I have no interest in the Play's hardware controls being compatible with any Android games.

I know that none of you can read the future, but I'm sure a few of you have had previous Xperia phone and Android experience, and thus are prime counselors. Any and all input is appreciated. Thanks!
 
Based on your perspective, you seem more leaning to the Droid X2.

Sony support = I think Sony will make an effort to update the Play and feel this is a good stepping stone device for similar devices in the future. This provides motivation for updates. It already has Gingerbread, so is way ahead of most other devices out of the gate.

A "Play 2" with a dual core seems likely, but hard to tell when it would ship (end of year?). The 8255/8655 already handles current emulators well, but a dual core handles N64oid a lot better (My gTablet and Iconia plays all games that work smoothly- most are not smooth on the Thunderbolt). The good news with N64 on the 8255/8655 is that all the main Mario games play great (not Mario Tennis or Golf- they have bad glitches on all devices).

BTW, the reason I mention the Thunderbolt is the same chipset in the Play and the gTablet and Iconis have the dual core Tegra 2 (in the Droid X 2).

Between the two devices, both are Android, so no Apple dynamic (Android wins). If your main focus is games, the Play seems best. The Droid X though has some stuff that makes it a good choice for other stuff.

1. 8gb or 16gb internal storage
2. 4.3" display- This makes using a virtual pad easier, but still not anywhere as good as a gamepad.
3. Dual core

That seems about it, since both devices have bloatware, but not sure if DX2 has Gingerbread or not. DX2 does have Blurr though... not so good IMO.

Seems that if games are not a number on priority, the DX2 would be the better option. Still, the gamepad on the Play a dead sexy.
 
Thanks for the responses! It's really coming down to what's more important to me; A portable Super Nintendo, or faster web browsing.

From what I've experienced, the 1ghz single core processors are pretty snappy, and I've read the the Play's is no exception. From anyone's experience here, does the dual core make a huge difference, or just a slight one? Are we talking second or minutes differences when rendering and loading web pages (especially when flash is enabled)?

Thanks again.
 
Nfinity said:
Thanks for the responses! It's really coming down to what's more important to me; A portable Super Nintendo, or faster web browsing.

From what I've experienced, the 1ghz single core processors are pretty snappy, and I've read the the Play's is no exception. From anyone's experience here, does the dual core make a huge difference, or just a slight one? Are we talking second or minutes differences when rendering and loading web pages (especially when flash is enabled)?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
personally i dont think dual core makes a blind bit of difference today in mobiles
 
I don't think Dual Core is going to be a really huge feature till early 2012

it just something to have really, for ppl to brag about

Like having a 4g phone...even though you live in a 3g only area

a feature that will never be used
 
Most applications and games on Android do not, and likely will not see dual core support until 2012 or so.
 
Sweet. Rushmore had me a 50/50, but now the scale has returned to a more pro-Play position of 40/60. The thinking process continues...

As I ponder, have any of you had any experience with stock browser on a dual-core phone, like the Atrix? Thanks!
 
having a dual core isn't very useful nowadays if you want it for games because you'll be playing the games on a touch screen. i would much rather have decent hardware and good controls than the best hardware with bad controls
 
Kind of seems absolute to me, since though the 8255/8655 is a solid single core, observations of comparing games with the Thunderbolt and my Tegra 2 devices (gtablet and A500) show the following:

1. N64oid and FPse perform MUCH better on the Tegra 2 (no comparison). Example is for N64oid, every game that works on the app, plays smooth, using the Tegra 2.
2. Tegra 2 will be getting exclusive (and possibly very good) games. Apple devs are already working on Nividia specific ports of games.

Still, if you are not a gamer, I agree with the observations of dual core devices in the current Android app ecosystem.

added:

Tegra 2 seems a perfect fit for the Play and its intentions (gaming).
 
Great! After reading about Google's intentions of making updates for phones faster and universally available, that KO's one of my worries. I'm already sure that the Play will be hacked/rooted/modded/tweaked/etc. by many, so that worry has pretty much faded, too. Now it's down to the basic question;

Do I want the "Jack of all trades, master of one" (Play), or the future proof, web browsing speed king (X2)? One thing's for sure; If the Play isn't released within a week following the rumored May 26 release date, then SE pretty much made up my mind for me. I can't take much more of Windows 6.5! :(

P.S. Thanks for the responses. In regards to the 64 emulators, I'm never going to use one. NES, SNES, GBA and PSX are the only emulators I'm interested in. So the Play's inability to play one smoothly is not a concern. :D

Can anyone confirm that the Play runs 95%+ plus of the games on those aforementioned emulators smoothly and without lag or sound choppiness?
 
Krislawl said:
nearly all NES, SNES, GBA games work. but ps1 games are less, maybe around 75% work well.
Click to expand...

That is about right :) N64 is the weakest at about 10%, due to some games not working on the app and most playing slow on single core. Tegra 2 shows its CPU muscle with N64oid. Not to say future updates will not improve the results on the Snap.

Added: No harm no foul if folks do not mess with N64. App is a tad picky anyway.
 
Thanks for the replys, guys. I'm most happy to hear that the SNES emulator works well, as that will be my focus of emulation gameplay. As much as I loved the N64, the only real game that I'd really want to have with me on a phone would be Extreme G 1 and 2. I've already heard from someone on this board commenting on how it doesn't quite cut it on the Play. I'd have to agree with you on your dream phone, Rush: The Play with a dual core processor, 4g antenna, 16-32gig Rom with at least a gig dedicated to apps, 1+ gigs ram, and a nice Super Amoled Plus screen to boot (Not to mention an 8-10 gig camera with dual led flash and 1080p video recording). Oh yes, the price of that phone would hurt SO BAD! :D
 
Do not forget PC Engine / Turbografx, since TONS of great shooters and Galaga 90 :) Plays great on Plays chipset.
 
Looks like Verizon made up my mind for me when they didn't bend backwards far enough to justify my famliy staying with them. I'll admit, they bent pretty far, but nobody can match Sprint's prices right now for family plans. I won't get into it, but let's just say I'm saving money and getting more of everything. It's too bad, too, as we've been customers for over 10 years.

So, Nexus S it is, and so far I'm in love. Still, I really do miss those dreams I had of playing Mother 3 anywhere... Oh well. Enjoy your Plays everybody! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit jealous. :o
 
my phone lineup has been, Droid, eris, incredible, dx, thunderbolt and now the play. IMO the play is my fav phone to date. my two gripes are...

1. haptic feedback is pretty much nil
2. no dev's yet working on anything it seems like :(
 
I checked the Droid X out....

Don't get me wrong, it is pretty fast and all that but i just couldn't see myself buying it
after i already owned a Droid X

It is not a significant enough upgrade to me....

I got my play and I love it....I still have my Droid Charge
 
b00sted4fun said:
2. no dev's yet working on anything it seems like
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Well, 60+ games are already claiming to be "Xperia Play Optimized" to some degree. For just having launched in the US market today, that's not too bad. EA and Gameloft both have some games Play ready as well, but they do need to push out the rest. Sony definitely needs to get on the ball and start flooding the market with more PS1 games. Of course, I'm greedy and I want them to find a way to run PS2 or PSP games on here as well, but that's just crazy talk. :p

carmendiva said:
I got my play and I love it....I still have my Droid Charge
Click to expand...

Congrats! As someone with a current-gen phone, we'll expect a post with your opinion after you've had some time to Play with it... ;)
 
I'm still having a tough time trying to decide between the Xperia Play, Droid X2, and the Incredible 2. I have my iPhone 4 on eBay, and I'm gonna swing by Verizon tomorrow to try out each one. But I'm leaning towards the Play mostly because of stock Android and unlocked bootloader. But the X2 is tempting with that Tegra2, and the Incredible 2 is tempting with the great hardware and size.
 
Enk said:
But the X2 is tempting with that Tegra2, and the Incredible 2 is tempting with the great hardware and size.
Click to expand...

I've been on this rant a lot lately, so forgive me if this sounds familiar. Touchscreen gaming will NEVER be as good as having actual buttons. For example, a golf game that wants you to click to swing. How accurately can you make that click on a touchscreen - you have to hover your finger some distance above the screen. The distance is going to vary all the time, so you will never get a precise repeatable press. With a button, your finger rests on it until you press - and so the press is always the same distance. I realize I'm talking millimeters here, but in a game involving timing, those millimeters can matter. Also, touchscreen games involve pressing on the same screen you're trying to look at - or the developer has to reserve part of the screen for some controls. Having hardware buttons below means your view is always unobstructed.

If the gaming reasons don't sway you, then the Play is probably not the right fit for you. Will the Play be as fast as the Tegra2 - nope. But, how fast do you really need for moving screens and bringing up web pages? I thought my Fascinate was fast enough, but the Play is even faster. For me, the difference in speed of those devices compared to the Play is not significant enough outweigh the giant leap forward in gaming controls compared to using the touchscreen.
 
dewalist said:
Well, 60+ games are already claiming to be "Xperia Play Optimized" to some degree. For just having launched in the US market today, that's not too bad. EA and Gameloft both have some games Play ready as well, but they do need to push out the rest. Sony definitely needs to get on the ball and start flooding the market with more PS1 games. Of course, I'm greedy and I want them to find a way to run PS2 or PSP games on here as well, but that's just crazy talk. :p
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I meant like unlocked bootloader/CMR custom roms etc. i know still early in the game but xda forums is a fricken ghost town on the phone, it does not spark my hope :(
 
b00sted4fun said:
I meant like unlocked bootloader/CMR custom roms etc. i know still early in the game but xda forums is a fricken ghost town on the phone, it does not spark my hope :(
Click to expand...

I agree, I hope there is lots of support for it. The bootloader is unlockable which is nice, but I'd love to see custom ROMs like CM on it. And I just don't know if it's going to have that big of a following. People are too caught up with specs and it's not really a top spec phone so I don't think it will sell as well as the other high end handsets.
 
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