'PlayStation Phone' hits US on May 26 for $200

In February, Sony Ericsson finally took the wraps off the Xperia Play, the long-rumored "PlayStation Phone." During a presentation in Barcelona, Spain, the company announced that the combination Phone and gaming handheld would go on sale the following month in a variety of territories. However, the phone didn't arrive anywhere until April 1, when it hit parts of Europe. Later in the month, it spread to Canada, but remains unavailable in the US.

That will change next week, as Sony Ericsson has announced that the Xperia Play will be available in the US on May 26--next Thursday--for $200. The price is contingent on the buyer purchasing a two-year voice and data plan from carrier Verizon, which start at $40 and $30 per month, respectively. Preorders begin this Thursday via Verizon's online store.

The portable, which has a PSP-like control scheme accessible by a sliding panel, will come preloaded with seven games, including: Madden NFL 11 (EA Sports), Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior (Digital Legends), Asphalt 6: Adrenaline (Gameloft), The Sims 3 (EA), Star Battalion (Gameloft), Crash Bandicoot (Sony PlayStation), and Tetris (EA). A total of 50 games will be available for download at launch.

The Xperia Play runs the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system and offers full access to more than 200,000 applications on the Android Market. It also supports Adobe Flash Player and sports a 4-inch multi-touch display. Camera-wise, it is equipped with a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera for shooting and a VGA front-facing camera for video chat and self-portraits. The phone also can be converted into a mobile hotspot that will support up to five devices.