Skype to be Available on Sony’s PSP

It is official now: PSP, the hand held game console from Sony, will have Skype connectivity. Sony has put to rest, all the rumors of the impending addition through a press release. However, you can have Skype connectivity on your PSP only if it is the slim version.

the rounds is late January. In its press release, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said the Skype features would be available to users of its new slim and light PSP(R) handheld gaming console, the PSP-2000 series.

As of now, there are over 246 million users registered for Skype worldwide. With the Skype connectivity, your PSP will have a number of new features. For one, you can avail free voice calls with other Skype users. You can manage your list of contacts through Skype; you can go through your existing contacts and also make new additions to your current contact list.

You also get to use other Skype features such as Skype Presence, which allows you to check whether anyone on your friends’ list is online and whether they are free to talk to. Another feature you have access to now is SkypeOut™, through which you can call landline or mobile numbers anywhere across the world, though you need to buy Skype credit for this feature.

You can also use SkypeIn™, an optional feature through which you can receive calls on Skype from mobile or landline phones across the world (you require Skype credit for this feature as well). Besides, you get to view and alter your Skype settings right on your PSP now. You can check and alter features for username creation, SkypeOut, voice mail, as well as call forwarding.

If you have a PSP Slim, you can access Skype on it from late January by updating the system software on your console. The update itself is a simple process. Once you perform the update, you will see the Skype icon on the network category of your consoles home menu.

If you do not have Skype yet, all you need to do is click the Skype icon on your console and register. If you happen to have a Skype account already, you can straightaway sign in to Skype right on your PSP. To do so, click the Skype icon and then enter your Skype username and password.

To access all the features that Skype has through your PSP, you will have three technical requirements – a Memory Stick Duo™, an audio input application that is compatible with Skype, and also a wireless Internet connection.

While the Sony press release says you can access all Skype features, there is no information on whether this includes the optional feature of conducting video calls using the optional video camera.