RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook is one of the more anticipated of the current wave of tablets.

Hardware-wise, it's an OMAP 4 architecture with dual-core Cortex A9s running at 1 GHz with 1 GB of RAM and an Imagination Technology GPU supporting OpenGL ES 2.0.

However, it uses a new operating system, a version of the QNX Neutrino real-time OS which RIM has labelled the BlackBerry TabletOS.

It's a very small, very fast architecture, which has been used by device manufacturers who want to build their own OSes, as well as in industrial control situations such as nuclear power stations and mass transit systems.

Obviously, it's going to be a new experience for game developers.

Play with PlayBook

Giving at talk at GDC entitled 'Getting your games on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet', John Thomas, RIM's manager of handheld software product explained more about how developers could interact with the hardware.

The BlackBerry TabletOS is a native platform that's also built for the ground up to run WebKit and Flash.

This is provided through multiple runtimes which are available for developers to use: native C/C++; Adobe AIR for Flash and Flex; and BlackBerry's WebWorks for browsers.

WebWorks is a branded runtime from RIM, which is based on WebKit. It's highly compliant in terms of HTML5, JavaScript and CSS, and means you distribute directly via web browser, bypassing the need for app stores.

Developing using AIR results in content that is made available as a standalone app, distributed via the BlackBerry App World store.

Gimme game

Most important for game developers is the C/C++ support, which includes the standard Eclipse integrated development environment, and an just announced x86 simulator.

"We are working with a lot of top suppliers to provide game engine support for PlayBook too," Thomas said.

Not specific companies where named but most obvious would be the Unity engine, which as well as web is also used by plenty of iOS and Android developers; with Unity treating smartphones as a key business focus.

It's a similar situation with French outfit StoneTrip and its Shiva3D engine, and of course, Epic Games and its Unreal Engine 3, which is available for iOS and Android, as well as all the consoles and Sony's NGP handheld.