Pin It

How to Setup Skype on PSP

nigmatech | Jan 8, 2010 |

0 Comments | Rating: 0

So you like PSP, right? You like to take it everywhere with you. This allows you to play your favorite games, watch videos and listen to music anytime you want. That is awesome and I just love the level of mobility of this little black brick. To tell the truth, if I was told seven years ago that video games which took a whole TV and a console to play could be kept in my pocket, and on top of that I would have my music and movies there, I would not believe. However, now we have it all, and even more.

Surprisingly few people know that their PSP has ability to connect to Internet using Wi-Fi. Yes, you can sit in the car and browse Internet, or you can fly on a plane and chat with your friends over PSP. Of course, you will need a Wi-Fi hotspot for that, but the progress is not standing in one place. And wait, there is more! Unfortunately (or maybe luckily) PSP is not a communicator, but Sony's device now comes with preinstalled Skype. Yes, that very Skype that allows us to make free calls to other Skype users or simply call any landline really cheap.

All we need for our free communication now is some kind of Wi-Fi Internet connection that can be found almost anywhere these days. I do not suppose that many of you remember the days, when people used to ask strangers in the street where was the closes payphone (neither do I, but it is so nice to play smart), but I suppose you can easily imagine, how in a couple of years or months we will not be surprised to be asked where is the closest Wi-Fi hotspot.

Here you will get a simple (and hopefully interesting) rundown on how to take advantage of your PSP Skype.

Things You Will Need

- Skype account (free);
- PSP 2000 or more modern;
- PSP firmware v3.90 or higher;
- if you have PSP 2000, you will need headset and remote.

Step 1

If you do not have a Skype account (and I think that everybody on Earth should have one), then you need to register it using your normal PC (or your super-duper high-tech PC, which will not make any practical difference at the moment). This is plain and simple: go to the Skype homepage (guess what is the address?) and register there. This is absolutely free, and can be done within some minutes. Now you are free to call anywhere.

Step 2

The next step is pretty obvious: get a PSP. However, not every PSP is good enough for our task of connecting to Skype. Original (heavy one) PSP, unfortunately, will not make it. You will need one of those PSP 2000 or PSP 3000 with larger RAM. When you have made sure that you have a suitable PSP, get the latest firmware (not older than v3.90). Now you know that you have Skype on your PSP.

Step 3

Nope, not the end even now. It turns out that there is one more problem to take care of. The thing is that PSP 3000 has a built in microphone, but if you have PSP 2000, you will need to get one of those slim and lite Sony headsets made for PSP and a remote control 2000. They cost around $20 altogether, so that is not that much of a problem. Personally I would advise anyone to get such a headset to preserve your privacy while talking in crowded areas. You should connect it to the PSP's video-out port on the bottom-left of the unit and that is all... at least for a moment.

Step 4

You will find Skype application in the "Network" section. When it asks how you would like to connect, just choose the fastest available Wi-Fi connection and make sure that the WLAN switch is turned on. Then type in username and password and voila! If you have done everything right, you will now be connected to your Skype account, isn't this beautiful? All your contacts will automatically be displayed on the PSP screen, and you will be able to start chatting, as if using a netbook.

Step 5

Controls are simple and intuitive: if you scroll to the contacts and hit X or Right button you will get the list of your fellows that are online. With Triangle you can access options for a particular contact (call, block, rename or remove).
So, that was pretty much all the headache connected with getting Skype running on your PSP. I am glad to have walked you through this and hope that it was a pleasant and useful trip.

See you later and have lots of fun!