PSP firmware update rings in Skype

Gamers can now make free calls to other Skype users via their PSPs--but only with the Slim model.

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.

167 Comments

  • Berlin17

    Posted Jun 5, 2008 6:34 pm PT

    I love this. All the trendy places i go have free wi-fi to use on the psp. I call alot of my friends in Brazil and france. Its too expensive with a phone. I use skpe anyway. I want to get that cammera. I am def. going to buy a psp slim now.

  • ur2cool51

    Posted Mar 10, 2008 6:50 am PT

    its cool

  • jariaya1

    Posted Feb 29, 2008 10:11 pm PT

    Its cool and all but i have an origanal so that sucks

  • jgon_9

    Posted Feb 15, 2008 9:05 pm PT

    Nice to see yet another firmware update with another great new feature. It is sortof tempting to upgrade my original PSP for a new one.

    Gotta agree with paladin75. Sony is doing a lot for the PSP. They gotta show some love for the PS3.

  • grant4500neo

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 7:24 pm PT

    this sucks for people with the origonal, i'm not going to pay 200 dollars just to make calls.

  • GANGSTASAN

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 1:26 pm PT

    Well, that's great news, although nothing special for me, since I only have the original.

  • ClassicPlayer

    Posted Feb 1, 2008 2:23 pm PT

    Nice to hear that Skype is coming to PSP, now the only thing is when will Firmware 3.90 or later be able to play more PS games from the PS Store?

  • paladin75

    Posted Feb 1, 2008 6:06 am PT

    it seems cool to me. also they got online radio now also. sony should put as much time and effort on the ps3 as they do on the psp, then maybe ill actually play it.

  • Ryouji_kaji

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 11:05 pm PT

    Okay, I really got to say I don’t understand where all these arguments and winging are coming from. Sony have taken the time to provide a feature that may/is helpful to many. Yes the main goal is to drive up sails of the handhold by providing a mobile Skype phone. However this is still beneficial to all of us that already have a PSP, at least they didn’t go and make another model just to have the feature. Those people saying that I don’t want to spend the money on something slimmer take a look, your missing features.

    And why is that? Because it’s not just slimmer. Sony didn’t pull a DS Lite, with no hardware upgrading. Sony added more memory, better power conversion (so if you stick in an old battery it last twice as long), the ability to plug it into you TV, and yes is smaller and lighter. When I went back to holding an original PSP it felt like a brick! And I’m so glad they moved the WAN switch, just wish they move the power too. At any rate the trade in and the extra cash were worth it. Heck you’ve probably got some old games you don’t play any more trade them in too, save cash.

    In regards to Skype, I haven’t used it yet but I intend too when I get the mic kit. I do have the mic that came with Talkman but I’m not sure if it’ll work on it. People who say just use a mobile phone, the difference is Skype is free to call other Skype. But even if you want to called a mobile or a house phone its still cheaper. To call a house phone its just over a penny and a half a minute, a mobile is a bit more. But I wouldn’t use it for that anyway. You can use it outside of you house if you get wireless broadband. I’ve seen ‘3’ doing one for £10 a month but that’s not to say it’s the chepest.

    Some may be saying ‘there then Skype isn’t free’. However unlike a phone top up you can use the wireless network with anything else, like a laptop. And there are plenty of places where you haveaccess points like Starbucks, Macdonalds, cafes, and pubs ever. So you’re not just paying to talk. And people complaining about trading in for a slim PSP because of spending the cash, but still want Skype and suggest buying a mobile. They are not always cheaper, some of them go into extortionate prices and god knows how many times I’ve seen people with two or three phones, even the same model of phone, kids even!

    So I applaud Sony or actually putting time and effort into this for us. At least they’re trying to make the PSP more useful. I hardly ever touch my DS, but my PSP goes everywhere with me. People who don’t want the feature, or can’t be bothered with upgrading, don’t get pissed with Sony for trying to make their product better. And if you think others won’t use it, instead of wasting your time and energy complaining, tell people about it. Then they may get it, even on their home PC, and you can talk all you want without spending a penny, even if their on the other side of the world, and you don’t want your entire contact list popping up as soon as you sign in messenger.

    Good job Sony, keep the great idea’s coming!

  • eaglesfan36

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 5:49 pm PT

    i concur.... i just don't feel like puttin the money out there for the attachments.......you can hardly say what i do to get money a "job".

  • tenik2000

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 5:19 pm PT

    I being under 18. I have no cell phone and this will be a great way for me to call home when i am on a church trip or school trip. I am actually very excited about this feature and i don't under stand why people are bashing it

  • Xeiphyer

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 3:28 pm PT

    The only time I'm likely to use the internet on my psp is when I'm at home, so I might as well just use my computer + Skype to call people. Or you know.. Do it the 'old fashioned' way.. and you know.. USE A PHONE.

  • PumpkinBoogie

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 9:55 am PT

    @ SPD_WeBmAsTaH,

    You hit the nail on it, everybody that's upset that their phats can't have Skype should really just look at it like this: "so what". I mean seriously, how many of us actually use Skype on a consistant daily basis that it would even matter? It's like you mentioned the capability is only gonna be as good as the internet connection you have, which for most people is usually at home or a friends house or whatever--unless you live in a country, i.e. Japan, where you can, if you have a compatiable system (like my JP PSPhat does....don't do me any good in US tho, LOL), use the PlayStation Spot feature for free internet access, then the Skype feature would pretty much be useless out in public. Want a better solution? Just pick up cell.....

    So it doesn't really matter to me; however I am in agreement with others in that I do wish that Sony had offered some sort of messenger option for the US consumers like AIM, Yahoo, IMUV, MSN, or whatever. Now that would have been a feature that would've been hot to see added.

  • espndave

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 8:27 am PT

    This is pretty cool, but will the US get the Go!Messenger as well? I just downloaded 3.90, but I'm thinking of a good screenname for it before I sign up. Also, does anybody know if you can get calls without having to be only on Skype? For example, does my psp have to be on Skype the whole time to recieve calls or can i have my wi fi on and be doing something else and Skype will still function. I guess I'll just see when I sign up unless anyone else has an answer.

  • gulamh

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 8:17 am PT

    You can just use this 'Go!messenger' for voice calls between psp users when its up and running right, but I guess you can't make phone calls to actual phones without Skype.

  • Hvac0120

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 8:08 am PT

    It would be nice if it was available on the original PSP models. I don't want to go out an purchase a new one. I guess since I don't know anybody using Skype it wouldn't be any good for me anyway. Might as well update my paper weight tonight anyway.

  • worthyofnote

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 7:43 am PT

    Cool. But I doubt it makes much of a difference when everyone and their grandmother owns a cell phone nowadays. Then again, maybe it's a step in the direction where like the ipod, the psp may eventually have actual mobile phone capabilities and service offered by big name companies. It's just a matter of time before someone decides to try and cash in on it.

  • kdt55

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 7:32 am PT

    Cool, but what about the good games?

  • VirtualTofu

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 7:16 am PT

    What the PSP 3000 model feature 128MB or something.

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 5:56 am PT

    Honestly...how many people are actually going to truly use this for more then a novelty.

    Forget the $3 / month it costs to actually use Skype (unless you only call other skype users) you also have to be connected to the net and have the headset.

    Or...

    ...use your cell phone.

  • Forelli_Boy

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 5:25 am PT

    I don't know if I should be offended that Skype won't be available on the Value Pack PSP-1000 I've had since 2005. I should rather be offended that Skype was the one chosen for the PSP, even though I have MSN, YM, AIM and even ICQ and GoogleTalk accounts. Sheesh.

  • xXKINGPINXx

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 5:09 am PT

    guys please don't be stupid
    The only reason why SONY didn't put skype capability in the original PSP is because of the hardware limitations. SHEESH
    so stop whining.
    If you want scype badly just buy the new slim PSP -_-

  • diablobasher

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 2:50 am PT

    I bought the slim not long ago. While the device itself is impressive, it's small, very very light, nice screen much better than the original PSP.

    However, for every good point is a bad point, it is nowhere near as sturdy and unbreakable as the original, it feel flimsy. And you get what you pay for, a PSP. That's it, all you get is the console and the charger.

    In the original, you got a charger, slipcase (like the ipod sock things) and a demo.

    I'm impressed with it overall, but to be honest, i'd rather have a NES emulator, and the ability to play my own ripped PS1 games than Skype. Which you cannot do easily with the slim.

  • leperphiliac

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 2:26 am PT

    How cheap are sony, trying to get people to buy the new slim, this is a low as microsoft.

  • Krammin

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 1:13 am PT

    Awesome!!!!!!

  • mariomusicmaker

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 12:34 am PT

    Hey sony. i got an idea, why dont you say **** you to all those who adapted early to the psp ( same thing with the ps3 and ps2) and make some features avalible to the lesser majority of customers who recently got a psp???! man im still pissed about not being able to play new ps2 games.....

  • padrenes86

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 12:26 am PT

    that sounds excellent

  • SPD_WeBmAsTaH

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 12:16 am PT

    It's not like it really matters though. Since you can't get an internet connection literally everywhere you go, or you can't access the internet at some places because you need an account there, people won't really care. If you're at home and you want to use that feature a lot, then just use your computer and stop whining if you don't have the PSP SLIM. Pretty much, your home is the only place you can use it, at least for a lot of people.(Wi-fi). A lot of people still don't even have a wireless router so that's one setback. The whole point is to get you to buy a SLIM and then go from there.

  • Endo101

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 11:54 pm PT

    People who are angry that this will not work on the old one, and dont want to buy the new one, just remember the slim PSP is only the second handheld release for Sony, whereas nintendo has had how many handhelds? Game Boy, Play it Loud Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Micro. DS, and DS Lite. Not to mention all the accessories to go with all that junk, Game Boy Camera & Printer, Super Game Boy, Transfer Pak, Game Link Cable, Game Boy Four Player Adapter, Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable, Game Boy Player (for advanced), e-Reader, Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, Game Boy Advance SP Headphone Adapter, Play-Yan (for music and video) The DS has, Rumble PAK. Magnetic Stand, Opera Web Browser, Memory Expansion Pak, Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector, Nintendo MP3 Player, DS Camera, Slide Controller. So honestly, upgrading to the Slim is not that much money.

  • RealMido

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 11:13 pm PT

    although it is a nice feature , I feel that PSP is going away from gaming more and more

  • G4m3_0n

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 9:38 pm PT

    curse sony screwed us over again...

  • rpgfreak15

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 9:31 pm PT

    That's so awesome. Oh well, i'll stick with my R4 modded DS Lite

  • Phantom_2

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 9:06 pm PT

    *cries because i have psp phat instead of slim* WHY!!! i wish they could put is on the phat

  • IIBlackknightII

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 8:02 pm PT

    Update!.

  • PumpkinBoogie

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 7:26 pm PT

    @ JMan0948

    I'm with you. I mean really, what the hell do I need to spend another $160 or more for a damn handheld that's only slightly "skinnier" than my perfectly fine ceramic white psphat? What, just to make some Skype calls? Please....

    Matter of fact, I'm doing the DL of my firmware (and yeah, it's 3.90) right now and it's certainly not the new one. So go figure, ....

    UPDATE: well just completely did the install of 3.90 and yeah it doesn't have the Skype on mines.....no biggie though, at least I've done my regular ol' firmware update, LOL.

  • InfinityMugen

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 7:02 pm PT

    I dont believe hardware limitations prevent Skype being released on psphats.

  • JMan0948

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 7:01 pm PT

    Wow, for those saying what's so "difficult" about trading in the original for a new one just to have silly voice chat.... it's not about "difficulty" it's about the cost. And new systems that are released slimmer don't usually come with new features that make the person want to buy it other than the fact that it is usually cheaper. Handhelds are different and will never get the same recognition that consoles get, so people will never see the justification for trading/buying the new versions if the old ones work just fine. Who's with me?

  • camejodog5

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 6:58 pm PT

    nooooo i dont have a slim PSP NOOOOO!!

  • gocanes222

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 6:57 pm PT

    Ohhh I got a fat PSP. It's cool though. Not many people I know have the slim. But the other things that are part of the update are nice. Scene Search in video, and internet radio are cool. More Playstation network titles, anddddd more Remote Play connectability. Great!

  • bobhoggy

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 6:47 pm PT

    skype is used on myspace im too

  • InfinityMugen

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 6:44 pm PT

    No worries. I believe that Skype will come to psphats one way or another.

  • eaglesfan36

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 6:38 pm PT

    u didnt answer my question

    i wanted to know what you needed

  • ctg867

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 6:02 pm PT

    Sucks it's Slim only, but I got a Slim, so I'm good. The RAM thing makes sense. This is sorta like the video out, it just doesn't work on the old PSP. Though I'm glad their bringing Go!Messenger to all PSPs. Shows their not trying to segregate the market. If it can be done on the original PSP, I guess it will. Wootness. Go Sony!

  • Xavilt

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 6:01 pm PT

    nice

  • fiercedeity901

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 5:34 pm PT

    well i got the PSP Slim as my first PSP...so this is GREAT news...this sounds like an awesome feature...i might use it to prank call some of my friends, lol

  • incredibilistic

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 5:34 pm PT

    While I like the idea of Skype the fact that you have to be connected to the net in order to make/receive calls is sort of a bummer. It would've been better if Sony just released some sort of attachment that transformed the PSP into a full blown cell phone that can do it all without a net connection.

    But maybe they're just introducing the idea before the next iteration of the PSP, which I'm hoping will be the PSPhone. If successful it could be, at the very least, a competitor to the iPhone. One thing they really need to work on is the PSP's browser. In its current state is sucks. No scroll bar? Come on Sony.

    Otherwise, love my PSPhat and doubt I'll be springing for the Slim model any time soon.

  • sniper_99

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 5:34 pm PT

    damn I got the fat one

  • supersonicGO

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 5:28 pm PT

    great! oh wait I have the original psp.

    "memory limitations of the original hardware" : ( ouch

  • footfoe2

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 5:06 pm PT

    sooooo where do i get the stuff you need for it?

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