Sony announced today that the open beta version of the PlayStation Suite software development kit will be released in April, with the full version following later this year. The company aims to invite more development to its Android-based Suite, inserting itself into the mobile market.

The closed beta has been running in the United States, the UK, and Japan since November, and the open version will have taken feedback from it into account. The open beta aims to expand to larger markets before launching the full SDK later this year. It will cost $99 annually, and opens access to publish on the PlayStation Store. Plus, developers who have begun creating content in the closed or open betas can continue those projects.

Sony also promises more updates for the PlayStation Suite itself will start later this year, including a better presence for the Suite on the PlayStation Store. So far the line-up of PS Suite enabled devices includes several Xperia phones, along with the Sony Tablet S and Tablet P.

Sony's move into the mobile market has been tentative, even as mobile devices prove an increasingly tough challenge for dedicated devices like the 3DS and newly-launched PlayStation Vita. Sony may be hedging its bets a bit with a half-measure like the Suite, but without more content it will be difficult to keep up with the loads of iPhone and Android games already on the market. Inviting more developers in with a relatively inexpensive SDK should help, but it's still an uphill battle.