Sony may launch its much anticipated PlayStation Portable smartphone in North America and Europe by the spring, according to media reports. The device would be based on Sony’s handheld PSP Go game console, made by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications and run Google’s Android operating system.

Sony hopes to take on Apple’s iPhone, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry and Nokia devices by offering the first smartphone that is based on a portable game console, with a set of controls that allows very advanced gaming.

The PSP Go, launched in November 2009, already features software downloads through a wireless connection, allowing players to also browse the Internet, watch movies, play music and read books and comics.

The new PlayStation handset would similarly work with Sony’s online media platform, the company’s answer to Apple’s iTunes.