Given its close ties with PlayStation, news that Sony Ericsson has embraced the open nature of Android to give Xperia Play owners access to the platform's bootloader might be considered surprising.

Such access should allow owners both to load custom ROMs onto their devices, as well as flash them to install any new versions of Android that follow.

Runaway ROMs

It's a set up that's likely to be warmly received on a purely practical level, helping Xpera Play owners keep up with the latest developments on Android rather than face any future fragmentation issues.

However, users will also be able to use access to such tools to abandon Google's OS altogether, installing rival platforms if say they so choose.

If that sounds like a particularly risky move, it's worth pointing out that bootloader access is set to be limited to handsets that aren't locked to specific carriers, ruling out anyone who purchases Xperia Play on contract.

[source: MobileGamesBlog]