PSP firmware update rings in Skype

PlayStation Portable firmware update 3.90 is now available for download in Europe and the US--and it comes with free phone calls.

The Internet telephony service is available only on the new Slim models due to the memory limitations of the original hardware; the PSP Slim has twice the RAM, at 64MB, of the original PSP model. Once the firmware has been updated, users need to register for the service, and use a headset and remote control to chat.

Calls are free to other Skype users on the Internet anywhere in the world, or users can pay to call landlines and mobiles.

The 3.90 update in Europe will also add a Go!Messenger icon to the PSP's dashboard, although the service itself will not be available until the end of February. Go!Messenger, originally announced at last year's Leipzig Games Convention, will add voice- and video-chat functionality to all PSP models, as well as "numerous other features."

[UPDATE] Firmware 3.90 for the PSP is available for download in Europe right now, and the US version is also now live.