Sony handheld to offer net calls
Owners of Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld console will soon be able to make voice and video calls over a wireless internet connection. — Using a soon-to be-released camera and microphone, gamers will be able to call other PSP owners and some BT phones.
Context & Ripple Effects
BT announced the same day that it is supplying the communications backbone for the service, framing the deal as its push into advanced consumer communications on non-phone hardware. The pairing puts BT's network behind a games console rather than behind a handset, and the Engadget pickup within hours shows how far the story travelled beyond gaming press.
Sony's plan rests on a soon-to-be-released camera-and-microphone accessory that converts the PSP into a Wi-Fi calling endpoint, per the confirmed terms. It lands alongside a busy stretch of PlayStation news — firmware 1.80's 1080p upscaling and an 80GB PS3 for South Korea — plus an analyst-rumored PSP refresh that Sony has not confirmed.
First-order effects
- PSP owners gain a use case well outside gaming: once the accessory ships, they can make voice and video calls to other PSP owners and to some BT phones over wireless internet.
- BT gets a new consumer-facing voice and video channel delivered through Sony's installed base, extending its reach onto a device class it does not manufacture.
Second-order effects
- Rival handheld makers face pressure to match the feature set — if a games console can carry calls, Nintendo's competing portable is measured against a device that doubles as a communicator.
- Mobile operators lose a slice of the personal-communications market whenever calls ride free over Wi-Fi instead of paid cellular minutes, with BT itself straddling both sides of that shift.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, handheld consoles evolve into general communication platforms sold around software ecosystems, with telecom partners like BT providing the routing layer.
- Voice and video calling decoupling from dedicated phones points toward regulation and pricing models built around internet access rather than telephony lines.
The trend: Handheld gaming devices are becoming Wi-Fi communication endpoints, with telecom operators partnering with console makers to deliver calls off their own networks.