Given RIM has already revealed PlayBook's QNX-based OS will be rolled out across its mobile handsets, the firm has begun laying the groundwork for the transition, launching a closed beta for the BlackBerry Tablet OS native SDK.

The tools are specifically being pitched at games developers, offering them the chance to code titles for the platform in C/C++, the Standard Template Library and Open GL ES 1.1/2.0.

Anything EA does...

"When you check out games like Need for Speed: Undercover or the new Dead Space from EA, what you are seeing is the Native SDK in action, providing the framework for EA to build incredible gaming experiences on our platform," said director of developer relations at RIM, Mike Kirkup.

"We are incredibly excited to see what the broader developer community can do when provided with access to these tools."

Kirkup adds the native SDK comes equipped with QNX's Momentics tool suite – an Eclipse-based integrated development environment designed to provide memory profiling, app debugging and memory usage statistics.

Just when BlackBerry PlayBook OS will hit handsets is unclear, however. It had been expected BlackBerry 7 was the name for the QNX-based platform, but it has since been revealed the new OS is actually an upgrade for BlackBerry 6.

Instead, BlackBerry Tablet OS is expected to launch on the firm's phones branded 'BlackBerry 8' at an as-of-yet unspecified time sometime in 2012.

Studios looking to apply for the closed beta need to fill out a form on the firm's website.

[source: RIM]