Gamers now have another use for the PS Vita's camera besides trash talking friends (and enemies). Today, Internet-telephony giant Skype announced a PS Vita-specific app that utilizes its video-calling and calls-to-landline services.
The calling service works on 3G and Wi-Fi models of the Vita in the background.
That means "you have the capability to 'pause' a game, conduct a call and then return to your previous activity - so you never miss a call," Skype said in a blog post. "Plus, with a little Skype credit you can make low-cost calls to landlines and mobile directly from your PS Vita."
There's one catch: The free-to-download app isn't available yet in the PlayStation store so it is hard to know exactly how this service performs on the gaming device. The product is, however, expected to roll out today, according to the head of partner product management, Helen Blackburn.
The app is not available to European or Asian users until tomorrow, April 25.
In related news, the company announced yesterday the availability of its Skype app for Windows Phones. In February, PCMag reviewed the Skype for Windows Phone beta app where it landed 3 out of 5 stars. Last October, Skype officially became part of Microsoft.
So now you have the developer and owner of the Xbox gaming console and Skype, Microsoft, providing video-calling services for its major competitor in gaming, Sony, the maker of the PlayStation Vita. When it acquired Skype, however, Microsoft said it would not restrict the service on other platforms.
For more, see PCMag's full review of the PlayStation Vita and the slideshow below.