Skip to main content

Sony Delays Skype on PSP in Japan

Sony Delays Skype on PSP in Japan

Sony Computer Entertainment had announced with much fanfare that it was planning to bring Skype VoIP voice communication services to its PSP line of handheld gaming devices in Japan; the feature would potentially give the PSP a needed edge on the unstoppable portable gaming juggernaut that is the Nintendo DS. However, now the company has delayed Skype for the PSP in Japan indefinitely because the two microphones the company planned to offer for use with the service don’t meet Skype’s specs.

Sony offered no guidance when Skype service would be available for the PSP in Japan, saying only that information will be “announced in due course.” The service was scheduled to debut in Japan January 24.

Sony had planned to offer two microphone products for use with Skype service, a pack with a single mic and another with two microphones.

Sony apparently still plans to introduce Skype service for the PSP elsehwere in the world this month, since the headsets Sony is planning to package with the service outside Japan meet Skype’s specifications.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Cities: Skylines 2 devs offer DLC refunds as console ports get delayed
A screenshot from Cities: Skylines 2's Beach Properties DLC.

Cities: Skylines 2 developer Colossal Order confirmed that it will be offering refunds to people who purchased the Beach Properties DLC, adding more content to the Ultimate Edition version of the game, delaying the launch of Cities: Skylines 2's console ports and its first expansion, and focusing on free updates and patches in the short term.

It did so while making a massive apology in the wake of the PC city-builder's messy launch and first DLC release. When Cities: Skylines 2 initially released last October, it was very unpolished and felt a bit inferior to the original Cities: Skylines. At the time, I wrote, "It’s OK to wait until the game is a little more stable and has as vibrant a community as its predecessor." Although Colossal Order has been patching the game, it reignited ire against the city-builder in March by releasing a $10 Beach Properties DLC, an underwhelming asset pack that didn't even add beaches to the game.

Read more
PlayStation Portal 2: 8 features we want in Sony’s next-gen handheld
A PlayStation Portal boots up.

After the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita, there wasn't much hope that Sony would create another handheld system. Both consoles failed to establish themselves as meaningful parts of PlayStation's ecosystems despite having passionate fan bases. That's what made the initial reveal of the PlayStation Portal so surprising, at least until we knew exactly what it was. As an accessory, the PlayStation Portal is a decent device for some situations. It makes remote play easy and combines all the cool features of the DualSense controller with a great display. However, it does leave a lot to be desired for those hoping for a bit more from a new PlayStation device. Should Sony decide to iterate on this novel idea, there are a few features we think it needs to have to be a true success.

We're not going to ask Sony to completely overhaul what it established with the PlayStation Portal.  For as much as we'd love for a fully dedicated handheld like a Vita 2, that's just too far beyond what we can hope for.
Wi-Fi 6

Read more
PlayStation VR2 production reportedly paused by Sony
PlayStation VR2 headset on blue background.

Sony is reportedly pausing production of the PlayStation VR2 headsets because it has a backlog of unsold headsets.

This report comes from Bloomberg, which claims that PSVR2 sales have slowed every quarter since its February 2023 release, causing stocks of the device to build up. It says Sony has produced 2 million headsets but reportedly hasn't sold through them yet. As a result, it's apparently pausing the production on new units until it works through some of that backlog, according to Bloomberg's anonymous sources.

Read more