Posted by Vicky on May 11, 2008

We’re glad that SCEA finally confirmed the availability of Skype-compatible PSP headsets at retailers today. When we first discovered the peripheral, it was supposed to release last month for $20. Well, looks like things have changed. The peripheral is now available at a MSRP of $30 at your favorite retailer. We checked amazon.com, buy.com, and GameStop — and it appears that buy.com is still your best bet.

The new headset offers stereo sound, an adjustable microphone, and a lightweight design with soft ear cushions. It’s the easiest way to get Skype working on your PSP. For more information on how to use the VoIP service, check out installation guidelines in the full post.

What you’ll need

You want to get Skype running on your PSP? Great! Make sure you have the following things before you get started:
* PSP-2000 series system (sorry, but the PSP Phat will not work!)
* Firmware update 3.90 or later
* Headset with remote control
Wi-fi access is required.

Register for a Skype account

If you already have a Skype account, you can simply log-in with the same credentials. If you don’t have an account, you can visit Skype to download the program, or you can register from within the PSP interface. Go to Network on the XMB, and click on the Skype icon.

Signing in

Once you sign in, you’ll have access to all the features of the Skype program. Here, you’ll be able to see your Contacts List, dial a phone number, and manage your account.

Managing contacts & making free calls

Your Contact List is the most important part of Skype on PSP. Here, you can see what other Skype users are online. If you want to add a contact, simply hit Triangle, and you’ll be able to enter a friend’s screen name. Here, we see Chris Grant is online. We’re going to send a chat invitation by hitting X on his face.
Calls between Skype users are absolutely free. If your PSP-owning friends register with Skype and sign-on, you’ll be able to chat with each other for free.

Making paid calls to regular phones

You can also make phone calls to real phones (including cell phones). However, this is going to cost you. You’ll need Skype credit in your account for this to work. Rates start at 2 cents a minute. To add Skype credit to your account, or to find out more about Skype’s paid services, click here.
Skype is a good alternative to regular phone calls, especially if you have to call internationally. Simply set the country and enter a phone number as you would regularly. For demonstration purposes, we’re going to call my cell phone.

Receiving calls from Skype

When you call someone through Skype, the recipient won’t have to pay any extra fees. They’ll be able to communicate normally. If you have a decent enough connection, they won’t even notice that you’re not using a real phone to call them! Word to wise, though: Skype phone calls do not appear with Caller ID.

Other things you can do

Once you have Skype set up, you can do a number of other things. For example, you can send and receive voicemail messages. You can also set up a SkypeIn account, which will give your Skype account a real phone number. We use Pamela (pictured, left) to help record our Skype conversations — perfect for those of you that want to podcast! In fact, we use Skype every week on the PS Nation podcast.

Source : PSP Fanboy

Posted under Play Station Portable (PSP)