Skype, Facebook Coming to PlayStation Vita

The Sony PlayStation Vita portable console will include a number of downloadable social apps, including those for Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Skype.

The apps will be free via the PlayStation Store, Sony said in a blog post.

"PS Vita users will have the opportunity to talk with friends and family around the globe with free Skype-to-Skype voice calling, as well as take advantage of Skype's low-cost calls to landlines and mobiles internationally," Skype said in its own announcement.

Sony also said the PlayStation Vita software lineup will include Resistance: Burning Skies, a new version of the Resistance franchise developed specifically for the PlayStation Vita. It "takes full advantage of the system’s dual analog sticks and features an all-new hero and story written by William C. Dietz, author of Resistance: The Gathering Storm and Resistance: A Hole in the Sky."

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe also announced a new title, Escape Plan, which the company described as a " touching adventure where you use touch controls to guide our newest characters 'Lil' and 'Laarg' through a dark labyrinth of puzzles and traps."

Ubisoft will also have a brand-new Assassin's Creed for the PS Vita, while EA Sports will bring FIFA to the platform.

Sony unveiled the Vita, previously known as the PlayStation Portable 2, at this year's E3 gaming conference. The device will have an OLED touch screen, dual analog sticks, back-mounted touch panels, and front- and back-facing cameras. While 3G will be available through AT&T for $299.99, Sony will also offer a less expensive Wi-Fi-only option for $249.99.

Recently, Sony confirmed that the Vita will hit stores in early 2012, missing the holiday season here in the states. It will, however, launch in Japan by the end of the year.

Today's news comes amidst predictions of the Vita's demise; two gaming executives reportedly said recently that the console will be a "train wreck."

Also today, Sony announced that it is discounting the price of the PlayStation 3 by $50 in North America and Europe, effective immediately.

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Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

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I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

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Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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