Archive notice: This article was originally published on January 31, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Owners of the Playstation Portable (PSP) can now also use Skype through their device. As Sony and Skype announced yesterday, Wednesday, the latest PSP generation will automatically be converted into a VoIP device by a firmware update to version 3.90. Alongside calls to other Skype users, the paid SkypeOut service can also be used, allowing inexpensive telephone calls to landline and mobile connections. Skype does not, however, share the concern that the PSP WLAN connection could cause voice-quality problems.
“We have voice quality over WLAN very well under control. From the outset, we optimised the voice engine so that it can also cope with difficult connections. Whether PCs, notebooks or WLAN-capable mobile devices are involved is secondary,” Gareth O’Loughlin, General Manager of Mobile and Hardware Devices, reveals in conversation with pressetext. Cooperation between the two companies was an obvious choice, according to O’Loughlin. While Skype wanted to gain a foothold on a range of mobile platforms, Sony had been looking for new and interesting communication options for its PSP users.
A bitter pill is that the VoIP functionality upgrade can be carried out only by owners of the PSP-2000 series. Sony attributes this restriction to the low RAM values of the 1000-series models. Two accessories are also required for operation. In addition to the PSP headset, the remote control for the PSP headphones must also be used. As John Koller announced in a video blog post, however, the company intended to introduce a new bundle tailored to the Skype functions in the near future.
