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HTC: Yeah, we'll give Sony's 'PlayStation Certified' a go

The handset maker is the first non-Sony vendor to support the PlayStation Certified program, which right now is little more than a curated market for mobile games.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
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Roger Cheng
Sony's E3 presentation yesterday. James Martin/CNET

Sony just got an ally to help with its mobile gaming initiative.

The company said yesterday that handset maker HTC had signed on to support its "PlayStation Certified" program with the intent of bolstering the mobile gaming capabilities of its devices.

The PlayStation Certified program is Sony's attempt to stand out in the crowded mobile arena, although it is currently little more than a curated app store using a well-known brand and games that are available elsewhere. The PlayStation Certified concept was a key part of the Xperia Play smartphone, which was a flop. By expanding to multiple vendors, Sony is hoping to build an ecosystem for developers.

HTC's decision to sign on goes along with its strategy of enhancing some of its core features, including the use of Beats for audio and improved camera. Its One series of smartphones are the first HTC devices to fall under the PlayStation certification program.

Sony said it is working to push for the development of more mobile games under the program. The initial run of PlayStation Certified games differed little from other mobile app stores, and disappointingly didn't include actual PlayStation games. While Sony insists that was never the intent, it was confusing for consumers looking to get classic PlayStation games on their phones.

Sony said it plans to accelerate the expansion of PlayStation Certified devices and content.

The company also renamed its PlayStation Suite into PlayStation Mobile.