The Android-based smartphone will be available to U.S. consumers first starting in March from operator Verizon, with other operators worldwide expected to shortly follow, said Steve Walker, head of Sony Ericsson marketing.

Walker said that the Xperia Play finally realizes “the dream of high-quality mobile gaming.”

As seen on Sony Ericsson’s recent Super Bowl advertisement, the Xperia Play has a slide-out game pad, with two analog touch pads, two shoulder buttons, a digital D pad and an area with the four PlayStation icons, which are buttons with a circle, cross, square and triangle.

"You keep your hands on controls rather than all over the screen," said Aaron Duke, product manager.

More than 50 gaming titles will be available when the Xperia Play launches, including Guitar Hero, Assassin’s Creed, Dungeon Defenders: Second Wave second wave and Dead Space. The device will ship with games from the PlayStation one.