Skype and Sony have announced today that the Skype video calling service will now available on the PlayStation Vita handheld entertainment system (PS Vita), effectively expanding Skype video calling capabilities to a mobile gaming device for the first time. The PS Vita, which launched in early 2012, will offer video calling capabilities and voice calling on both the Wi-Fi and 3G models. PS Vita users can download the application for free from the “Social” category of the PlayStation Store today across PAL territories.
From this morning’s press release:
?Our users appreciate being able to access Skype features wherever and whenever they choose,? said Manrique Brenes, senior director of emerging opportunities at Skype. ?With the launch of Skype for PS Vita, we are taking another step towards our ultimate goal of making Skype video calling available on every platform, all over the world, and meeting the demands of existing PlayStation users to offer video on a gaming console.?
Skype on the PS Vita runs in ?background mode? for users while gaming or using other applications, and users will have the ability to ?pause? a game, conduct a call and then return to their previous activity. Additionally, the PS Vita features both front and rear facing cameras, which allows users to switch back and forth between the two during a Skype call. This is a great benefit of never missing a call even when playing a game or using another app.
For more information on Skype for PS Vita, please visit the PS Vita website or www.skype.com.