Skype and Sony Bring Free Phone Calls to PSP

Following the success of Apple turning a music player into a mobile phone, now Sony is attempting to go one further in turning a video game system into a free phone. Sony announced that it is teamed up with Skype, eBay's instant messaging and Internet phone service, in order to bring low or no cost telephone calls around the world by way of the Internet to users of Sony's slim PSP-2000.

PlayStation Portable users will be added to Skype’s 260 million-member network after a system software update scheduled in late January. Then with a memory stick, a wireless Internet connection and a Skype-compatible audio input device, PSP users will be able to chat using instant messaging, and make voice calls to other Skype users for free.

Users will also be able to make calls to landlines and mobile phones anywhere in the world for a low fee according to Sony. Using the PSP-2000, Sony's latest hand held game system released in September of 2007, gamers will enjoy lighter and smaller systems; 33 percent lighter and 19 percent slimmer then the original PSP model. No packaged fee schedule has been announced yet though that is said to be shortly forthcoming.

Skype and Sony Bring Free Phone Calls to PSP

Sony and Skype team up to bring free telephone service to a PlayStation Portable near you.