Sony Delays Skype on PSP in Japan

Although Sony planned to roll out Skype VoIP support for its PSP game systems in Japan this month, plans are now on hold as the company retools its microphones.

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.