Following months of hype and speculation, the Xperia Play has finally landed, as the world's first PlayStation Certified smartphone. Sony Ericsson claims it is the "closing thing to a gaming phone that you'll get today", and if its specs are anything to go by, it looks like they're right.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play sports a 4 inch 854 x 480 touchscreen display, featuring leading-edge graphics performance thanks to its Andreno 205 GPU. However, it's underneath the display where things get exciting, as the handset reveals slide out gaming controls, including the four iconic PlayStation keys. With Sony's PlayStation Suite onboard, the Gingerbread handset runs PSP and PSOne titles, including Asphalt Racing, Guitar Hero and Fifa 10.

Asides from its gaming capabilities, the Xperia Play still excels as a "smartphone", with Sony Ericsson labeling it "the perfect combination of communication and entertainment". It may not pack a dual-core processor, but with Android 2.3 onboard, the handset still comes equipped with social networking integration, GPS powered by Google Maps and access to the Android Market.

Media-wise, the handset sports a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, capable of recording WVGA footage. There's also a front-facing camera on the front, ideal for videocalls or for using as a make-shift mirror.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play also features HSDPA and WiFi connectivity, up to 32GB of storage and a 1500mAh battery, for hours of endless gaming.

The handset, available in both Black and White, will launch in April, and will be available on all major UK networks.