Guess what babies? All your wildest dreams are about to come true (provided they don't get
too wild). That's right, according to new PR for Sony's upcoming CES showing,
Skype is apparently coming to the
PSP. Details are scarce at the moment (i.e., nonexistent), but the company makes clear mention of a Skype client for the handheld game system on its CES 2008 promo site, which is pretty official -- though we're gonna hold our breath a little till we see a press release. Obviously, we'll be hearing a lot more about this when the big show kicks off this month, but until then at least we can all sleep a little better at night knowing the PSP is about to get yet another succulent function. Just hit the read link and click on the controller icon, all you need to know is listed in the sidebar.
Update: Thanks to some sleuthing by the crew over at
UberGizmo, a perverse and exciting little easter egg has been found in the PSP promo video which accompanies this new info. For literally one frame, Sony all but confirms Skype on the handheld with a nearly-subliminal image that reads "Make calls with Skype." Check the image after the break and see for yourself.
[Thanks, Jorge H]
posted Jan 2nd 2008 5:10PM
Ok i was looking VERY forword to the new PSP update 3.90 but to my suprise i found out that its only for the 2000 series. I WAS VERY DISAPORNTED-sorry for spelling on some words
do u guys now when is is comming out..
...still no keyboard
I would like to see a keyboard for the PSP, even though it wouldn't fit or feel as nice as the Xbox360's CHATPAD (since the usb is on the top).
However, the typing system PSP has for entering data isn't really bad once you know how to use it. I had to set up the wifi for all my cousins this christmas and it went without a hitch.
THE SKYPE FOR PSP - or another VOIP should have been on the system from the start. In fact, I wouldn't be suprised if PSP started coming with headphones that had built in mics.
Imagine being able to sit in a library (or in a wifi equipped airplane, train,bus,etc) and chat over Skype like you were using a cellphone?
I have alot of Chinese friends in China who use Skype in their businesses and until this addition for PSP, I never saw myself ever possibly getting a Skype account. PSP could open A LOT of doors with this for a lot of people.
PSP could theoreticaly become a cheap Skype alternative.
If they were REALLY SMART, they would make a skype account for PSP a cool $10 a month. Even better - a PREPAID card.
I could see millions of subscribers going for that.
You're proposing a monthly charge for a free service? The only time I incur a cost with Skype is if I'm dialing a land line. Skype-to-Skype and IM are free.
@Flashpoint
please see:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/27/logic-3-psp-keyboard-unplugged/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMzl3ELO9jE
SONY not wanting the PSP to compete with its other product lines, like the fugly MyLo, halts the PSP just short of brilliance.
but there is always the possibility of more firmware updates and more zany attachments.
skype to skype calls are free but i think he means skype to landlines or cellphones for $10 a month.
Okay, maybe he is referring to cell/land line phones. His suggestion is still ignorant.
Wal-Mart already sells prepaid Skype cards and you can also use a credit card or direct debit from checking.
Skype Pro runs three bucks a month and covers cell phones and landlines in the US and Canada.
So I guess I'm missing how his suggestion is "REALLY SMART". Prepaid cards are available and you get unlimited domestic calling for $3/month instead of $10/month.
R.I.F.
It still amazes me how much this thing can do. Even the internet radio addition was cool. Not super fancy but actually useful.
The functionality of the PSP really is astounding. Even more so with 'remote play' capability using your PS3 connected to your media on your PC via DLNA.
This rumor is likely real, and has been planned for awhile. A firmware dump last Feb(07) showed that Skype was refereed to within the official firmware.
Link
http://pspupdates.qj.net/Skype-functionality-coming-to-the-PSP-/pg/49/aid/82280
More interesting, DarkAlex's revealed that there is a '3G' 3rd generation PSP being refereed to in firmware 3.8
http://www.qj.net/Mathieulh-PSP-3-80-firmware-reveals-new-psp-model-in-the-works/pg/49/aid/110060
PSP - Jack of all trades, master of none.
There is No master of any technology: every product is aimed at different people
e.g. iPod vs Zune: Different players, I prefer iPods, but many prefer Zunes,
or PSP vs. DS: Neither is better, it depends on what games people prefer:
for Mario and Zelda, the DS; for God of War & Syphon Filter, the PSP.
I disagree.
Sony should never have released a gaming product without two analog sticks. It hampers almost every game. I owned one, and bought several games, but they always felt compromized (Metal Gear, Syphonfilter, and especially SOCOM, to be specific) Not only would the market for PS1 ports be much larger, but they would have had more interest from developers. It's a dual-analog gaming world, and I see it as a shortcoming.
UMD movies were a flop, and it takes too much time to rip DVDs and convert them to PSP-compatible files, not to mention that you need to purchase additional memory from the get go. Even then, the functionality isn't that great. The same goes with the music section. Sony makes PMPs, so the PSP should have greater capability in that area.
The browser is sub-standard. The photo presentation is alright, etc.
Like I said, jack of all trades, master of none. I still hold out hope for PSP2.
Why are people voting superfresh's comments down?
He's not trolling, just saying he doesn't like about the PSP.
Personally, I entirely agree that the thing that really hurt the PSP was not having another analog stick on the right side (heck, even just putting the one on the right side would be much better than it is now). It's likely why there are few good games, developers are probably scratching their heads trying to figure out how to make a control scheme that works.
Yes, I wish the psp had 2 analog sticks too, but it doesn't completely ruin the psp. Besides, you only really need 2 analog sticks for fps's, and the control scheme in SOCOM and Renegade Squadron works fine for me.
It doesn't take that long to rip DVD's, and the time is a small price to pay to watch free movies in portable form. And you can get a 4GB memory stick for under 50 bucks. Kinda expensive, but 4GB is all you really need: more than enough to fit 2-3 movies on my PSP. I really don't need more: A good dvd rip in psp format only takes up about 1GB, so I keep a bunch of my movies on my computer's harddrive, then choose what i want to watch when i go on a trip.
Even if you don't agree with everything I said above (everyone's entitled to their own opinion), you gotta admit that PSP is still a master of homebrew ;)
@Mr. Vage
I was wondering the same thing
Music:
so far there are no play lists
Gaming:
is pretty solid now.
Emulation:
no heavy duty PS1 emulation because of the missing analog {I would prefer to not remote play PS1 games I own when I should be able to run an image or the like if I went all out and owned a every system I would expect special treatment, any rpg fan would love to run FF7 on the PSP} {unofficial emulation for what I've read is kick-ass}
Internet:
Internet Browser constantly goes ram hungry and is slow to render webpages {though I like the default fit to screen features of the include broswer, I think Opera would be a better choice, RSS is a nice touch.
Video:
The official software tools {that I don't use or have even tried} should have been included to add value make it easier for the "Average Joe" to use. If video cables were include for the original PSP maybe UMD movies may have not been such a flop {still doesn't justify $20 pricing for kid movies}.
all the features combined makes it good, but it doesn't excel at any one feature.
Ummm no that's entirely true. I couldn't have phrased it better myself. It DOES everything, just it doesn't do anything WELL.
Ok... How is it that you think the PS1 had analog sticks? The original controller came with no analog sticks. That's right 0. Analog sticks weren't on the PS1 controllers for at least the first year of release. Almost every single game on the PS1 works without any analog sticks. In fact Final Fantasy VII, mentioned by CosterMonger, DOES NOT USE ANALOG STICKS!!! It doesn't even use R2 or L2.
I think I've proved my point.
:)Have a nice day!!!:)
@Talyor
Sorry for the run-on-sentence, but FF7 isn't a down-loadable game from the PS store, I don't want to have to remote-play.
Ape Escape?
I guess that's why there is a port.
I stand corrected on the dual-analog debate, Touché
No built in microphone though...
It would be nice for PSP to have a built in mic - if not, a pair of headphones with a built in mic.
Imagine someone holding their PSP up to the side of their face and talking in it like it was a damned oversized Blackberry.
The PSP already has this. If you buy the PSP headphones (not the ones that come with it), there is a mic that is used for SOCOM and some other games.
Too bad the PSP doesn't have Bluetooth. That would be a perfect match up with Skype.
Why the hell can't Sony, or any other company invent a WiFi headset, for not just the PSP, but for PDA's, Computers and The iPod Touch (see article on VoIP)????
re: Jamma
The main reasons are:
1. Wifi chipsets are designed to transmit 100m or so, and thus are overengineered for a short range product and use much too much power when idle. Making a specialized wifi chipset for a niche product (wifi instead of bluetooth the defacto standard for headsets) isn't profitable for anyone.
2. Wifi has high latency. Not too high for VoIP, but given a choice, you'd want something a little faster since you have to add the latency for every hop between you and the guy you're talking to.
3. If you made a wifi headset, first you'd have to join it to the wireless network your PSP is connected to. It's messy enough entering WIFI authentication keys into a PSP with a gamepad, imagine doing that on a headset.
A better option is to make a PSP with bluetooth so you could use a bluetooth stereo headset when gaming/watching pr0n. Or connect your PSP to your TV, and use a PS3 gamepad with it (poor man's PS3 if you're using remote play, but hey, you could play warhawk in the bathtub if you wanted to).
here's your bluetooth for PSP http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.9675
Hmm, this might push me to get the new PSP, not that i have the old one, but my DS is getting kinda stale, and the browser isnt as powerful as the PSP's. would snatch it in microseconds if it supported USB keyboarding, as i wont have to boot my computer to check my email
I have no idea why sony didn't include a second USB on the bottom of the PSP.
If I WAS WORKING IN SONY DESIGN, you could bet I woulda put out a foldup keyboard with a touchpad on the right side so you could unfold it, plug the PSP into it and browse the web. The PSP would be a better ultraportable webdevice than an EeePC.
Imagine having a foldup keyboard with a touchpad hooked to the PSP with the PSP camera pointing in your face for webchat and making YOUTUBE BLOGS.
goddamn you SONY - HIRE ME !
I struggle to find where to go to get ther firmware upgrades, let alone get the radio functionality. I've got 3.51 firmware on mine. I do see the RSS though.
Ahahaha!!!
You sound a little anxious :P
Never mind:) I found it under Netwrok Undate. Such a logical place!
I just hope that they add skype to the older PSP now.
...and what on earth is skype???
Put down the Pokemon and step away slowly.
the ds has a web browser???
I said put down the Pokemon!
Yes, the DS has an Opera net browser but it was only officially released in Japan (I think). Oh, and there are also home brew VOIP programs out there for DS, so you can also make phone calls on your DS if you like.
hahahhaha
The DS Browser IS available here in the US as of June 8, 2007.
Actually you can't get the DS browser anymore. It was pulled from the market by Nintendo due to poor sales and customer complaints.
Sony phone, sony phone, sony phone...
Comon everyone...
Sony phone...
Sony has tons of phones...
I think you mean PS Phone....PS Phone....
which one?
So.ny.Er.ic.ss.ons...are phones
Man I was already thinking pf getting a PSP because it can do so much, but skype on a PSP that is too awesome!
If it goes official I'll be buying one!
Not just Skype but Skype with video calling once you add the PSP's camera. Who said long distance romances don't work ;^)...
If they ever do roll out a USB keyboard for PSP and add skype I'll definately get one too! It will be like my old Xbox, I use it all the time but never play games on it!!!!
That's the problem the PSP has had from day 1. It's MEANT to be a discounted games console (in the mould of the Gillette Razor - cheap or loss leading basics, overpriced consumables = profit) so Sony can sell you more games. The more neat things it does, the less likely people are to buy it to buy it for the games.
If it wasn't for that, it would have shipped with a USB keyboard, external HDD via USB and a mouse from day 1. They can do that stuff easily, but they won't as it interferes with Sony Games profit margins.
The flip side is that the more hardware they sell, the more casual gamers they will get but I admit I never buy games for mine any more, the games aren't generally that great compared to full size console or PC games and I don't need the portability these days. I bought mine when they came out fully expecting a keyboard to give me a decent web browsing and email client and it's just not happened.
Skype is nice though, turning it into an IP phone is long overdue, didn't BT announce a deal for the UK about a year ago now? All gone a bit quiet on that front...
But the more consoles they sell, the more developers will want to make games.
Mr Noisy, what are you talking about? A MOUSE on a PSP?..... : shakes head: I do not even what to know how you came up with that......
There have been rumors about this since last February when associated files were found in the 3.10 firmware. Sony has a tendency to load SOME function files before the function itself is fully enabled. They also did this with the camera and GPS.
so is this only for the newer PSP or are still waiting for sony to tell us more info?
"succulent function"
Yeah, I'd like to see someone using this thing as a phone. You're a clown, dude. CLOWN.
So what? With the DS you can go cooking with mama.
Oh hey, maybe soon the PSP will get some games too.
old joke. The PSP has had great games since Killzone Liberaton and Tekken 5 in 2006
There are tons of great games from 2007 : syphon filter: Logan's Shadow, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops, Medal of Honour Heroes 2, Wipeout Pulse, Socom Tactical Strike, Final Fantasy Tactics, Crush.
and in 2008, God of War and Crisis Core
not to mention DOWNLOADABLE games such as Beats and syphon filter combat ops, and tons of PS1 classics
What's a Zune?
Get a Mac!
@ dtrain
Another old joke. the Zune is great for people who don't like iTunes, or want features such as an FM radio.
Oh, and if you're gonna reply to my posts, reply to the right one at least, or even better don't reply at all, as I detest trolls
Oh, you forgot Daxter, Sid Meier's Pirates, SOCOM 2, Star Wars: Renegade Squadron. Those are great games that I own ;)
There's quite a bit of good games, not a ton, but more good games than I (or most people) can afford.
And if a game sells enough copies, it goes onto the "Greatest Hits" list and the price gets knocked down to 16-20 bucks. Not bad if you compare them to DS prices.
Oh, plus I can play all the Gameboy Advance, Sega Genesis, NES, SNES, Neo Geo games I want for free. And after awhile, I'll also be able to play N64 and Sega Saturn games (emulators are still under construction for those)
where have you been? that argument would have worked before, but if you'd check out the selection now, you wouldn't be complaining.
Skype FTW!!!
Sony...please make this a memory stick download or something and not a lame 'points your web browser to an embedded app' thing like the internet radio.
Any word yet on Tivo? Sony's new PSP promo features a bus with a Tivo ToGo banner ad during a section called "Watch and record live TV." Record direct to memory stick, perchance?
JET
I doubt that will happen, Sony are trying to push their own Location Free TV service
Already happened, it's called TiVo togo, but it doesn't work like LocationFree. It also requires a one-time fee ($25) and your TiVo needs to be plugged into your PC/mac.
Though there is another service that requires a fee and an application download for both PSP and PC and is officially supported (I think), but I'm not sure what it is.
sony-skype-Ngage
ha ha ha! suck on this DS
Umm! Yeah I hope you guys realize that Sony is actually late to delivere this they said at a press conference in 2006 that they would be adding voip. It was supposed to be a feture last winter.
http://pspupdates.qj.net/Upcoming-PSP-Firmware-Release-Schedule/pg/49/aid/23144
If this is th real deal and skype works like it does on a PC and linux machine then I'll buy one.
Never owned a cell phone nor will I.
Viva la Skype on PSP!
Put this on a useful device, that actually has a keyboard...
The iPod touch and or the iPhone.
are you blaming Sony for putting Skype on the PSP instead of an iPod?
PSP based mobile network (UMTS) or mobile internet (IEEE 802.1?)
Only thing I wish for with the next psp design would be if they can have mic, bluetooth and just like Mylo, a slide keyboard. a touch screen would be nice but not require, same goes with the second analog stick. If I asked for the analog stick I might as well ask for the secondary triggers since my thumbs will be busy the joysticks.
Im more of a Nintendo guy myself, but this is freaking awesome! Now THATS a neat idea...
yay! I lov my psp.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY YOU KNEW THRE WERE RUMORS ABOUT THE CELLPHONE, THAT WHEN YOU PLAYING ANY GAME AND SOMEBODY IS CALLING YOU IT SAYS INCOMING CALL. FROM THERE YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO PAUSED THE GAME THEN TALK TO THEM, LEAVE MESSAGE, OR IGNORE IT! IF THEY DO REALLY THAT IT WILL BE AWESOME BECAUSE THEY ONLY PAUSING THE GAME RATHER THAN STARING ALL OVER YOU FILL ME EVERONE !