Although Hirai acknowledged the growing popularity of gaming on mobile devices like the iPhone, he seemed unconvinced that these handhelds appeal to the same audience as the PSP. “The games being played on Android and Apple platforms are fundamentally different from the world of immersive games that Sony Computer Entertainment, and PlayStation aims for,” he explained.

“Depending on the game,” Hirai continued, “there are ones where you can play perfectly well with a touch panel. But you can definitely play immersive games better with physical buttons and pads. I think there could be games where you’re able to use both in combination.”

The Sony boss went on to discuss the long-rumored PlayStation Phone, suggesting that a PlayStation-branded smartphone would require careful marketing in order to avoid confusion. “We don’t want gamers to be asking, what’s the difference between that and a PSP,” Hirai told the Times. “We have to come up with a message that users will understand. It would have to be a product that keeps the PlayStation’s strengths intact.”

This isn’t the first coy response from a Sony rep regarding the gaming/phone hybrid, either. Just last month, Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg said of the numerous alleged PlayStation Phone leaks, “There’s a lot of smoke, and I tell you there must be a fire somewhere.”