Skype App Goes Live on PS Vita Today

New app adds video chat, pushing Vita to straddle the line between phone and game console.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Sony and Skype announced that the online communication service has come to the PS Vita. The Skype app, which will be available on PSN by the end of the day, adds video chat to the console's long list of features.

At the moment, the app will only be able to make calls and initiate video chat, but Skype will update the app over time, possibly adding chat or SMS. The people Skype did say that they have no plans to add in-game chat functionality.

The app can use either one of the Vita's cameras, so you can either let someone see you, or show them what's going on around you if you're chatting in public. The apps does work with the Vita's 3G service, so subscribers can now use the device as a fully functioning video-phone.

Operating in the background, Skype can push notifications about incoming calls to players in the middle of a game. Like switching from a game to a call on any smartphone, starting a video chat will pause the game, so there's no need to worry about messing up on account of a poorly timed call.

Does adding Skype make you more likely to pick up a Vita? Tell us what you think in the comments!

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