Report: Sony To Announce PSP Skype Functionality

Long rumored as an eventual update to its handheld, the official site for Sony's presence at the forthcoming CES show has revealed that VOIP provider Skype will be bringing integrated voice chat to the PSP in North America. The PSP's role in portable communication has long been promised -- its first E3 showing included numeric keypad peripherals for phone dialing -- but despite an announcement in May and further details in August of a partnership with British Telecom and Go!Messenger kit for European users, nothing has yet been announced for North American owners. The Go!Messenger kit will allow instant message functionality, and, by adding a headset, voice chat and voice messaging. Using Go!Cam, the PSP's attachable video camera, users will also have the ability to make video calls to their friends and leave video and voice messages. It's not yet known how much of this functionality is being prepared for North America, but Sony's CES 2008 site contains references to a new application that will let PSP users "call friends, talk trash to fellow gamers, or catch up with acquaintances via Skype for PSP system." This year's CES will be held next week starting January 6th, so more official details and announcements should be expected in the coming days.