Sony's portable video games console, the PlayStation Portable. The company says it will add the Skype telephone service to its slim PlayStation Portable handheld console in Japan this month, enabling users to make free or low-cost telephone calls.

Sony will start selling microphones for the PSP-2000 in the Japanese market on March 19 as part of its efforts to broaden the appeal of its video game consoles amid fierce competition with rival Nintendo.

After a system software update planned for March 18, PSP users will be able to chat for free to other Skype users and, for a charge, call landlines and mobile phones anywhere in the world, Sony's game unit said in a statement.

The service was started for the PSP in Europe and the United States in January but Sony was forced to delay the launch in Japan because the microphones did not meet the Skype specifications.

Skype, which was bought by eBay in October of 2004, uses a peer-to-peer (P2P) network to enable users to make free Internet telephone calls to one another through their computers.

Users can also use the service to call landlines or mobile phones at low rates.

The logo of the Sony Playstation 3 is pictured at a party held by Sony celebrating the new Playstation 3 game console in Berlin March 22, 2007. Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 will double its installed base this year, posting the strongest growth of any video game console and narrowing the gap with rivals, research firm iSuppli said on Thursday.

Worldwide sales of the PS3 are expected to be 10 million units this year, compared with 12.2 million units for Nintendo Co Ltd's (7974.OS) Wii and 7.5 million units for Microsoft Corp's(MSFT.O) Xbox 360, iSuppli said.

As widely expected given its strong sales, lower price and games that appeal to a broader audience, the Wii is in line to become the industry leader with a total global installed base of 30.2 million units.

"In this stage of the new-generation video game console market, consumers are showing they'd rather be entertained and pay less for their consoles than shell out more for the latest and greatest technology," iSuppli analyst Pam Tufegdzic said in a report.

The PS3, which has lagged the other consoles due to its high price and dearth of blockbuster games for most of last year, would double its base to 20.3 million and by 2011 would lead the industry with some 38.4 million users.

The Xbox 360, which has struggled in Japan and faces a tough battle in Europe where the Sony brand has dominated, would see its user base grow to 25.7 million units by the end of 2008.

(Reporting by Scott Hillis, editing by Maureen Bavdek)

REVIEW

Sony has always pushed the PS3 (PlayStation 3) as an all-round entertainment console, with a remit that goes well beyond the realm of gaming. And its striking design certainly makes it look at home in the living room - even if it is larger than the PS2, the diminutive Nintendo Wii or the Microsoft Xbox 360.

The console comes in two versions. The £425 model (which we tested) has a 60GB hard disk, built-in 802.11b/g wireless networking and MemoryStick, SD, and CompactFlash slots. A cheaper unit, which is not expected to launch in the UK until later this year, omits Wi-Fi and the media card slots, and has a 20GB drive. You can replace the hard drive on either version.

Both versions provide a Blu-ray slot drive (more information here), HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) output, gigabit networking, four USB 2.0 ports and built-in Bluetooth 2.0 support.

At the heart of the PS3 lies a powerful, multicore Cell processor that will impress even hardcore PC gamers. On games such as NBA 07, the PS3’s vastly improved physics and environmental effects are used to devastating effect. It’s far ahead of the Wii (which is at a similar level graphically to the PS2) and the Xbox 360.

The games

Internet connectivity and HD movie playback aside, consoles are all about the games - and exclusive franchises such as Halo (Xbox), Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation), and Zelda (Nintendo) can cement gamers' allegiance to a single console. Whether a PS3 launch title will become such a classic remains to be seen, and its range of games is still comparatively small – but the ones we’ve played so far have been ridiculously fun.

The PS3's wireless, motion-sensitive SixAxis controller lacks the Wii's excellent force-feedback feature. The controller connects to the PS3 wirelessly via Bluetooth (within a 65ft range) and can recharge its batteries (which Sony says will last for 30 hours) when plugged in via the supplied USB cable. The console supports up to seven players at a time.

PlayStation online

Thanks to the PlayStation Network, you can see when your friends are online in order to chat with them by video, voice or text, or to join them in multiplayer games. You can also get retro games, games demos and media content at the PlayStation Store.

The XMB (Xross Media Bar) interface is surprisingly responsive; it feels snappier than the Xbox 360 dashboard, and has a less cluttered layout. Launched from the XMB, the PS3’s internet browser isn’t the speediest thing on the planet, but it did load pages reasonably promptly. You can set bookmarks, browse through your history and make text bigger or smaller. Browsing is easier if you plug in a USB keyboard.

The PS3 carries an intimidating hefty price tag, but think about it this way: it seems almost economical compared with a standalone Blu-ray player, the Xbox 360 with its HD-DVD add-on or a Media Center PC.

Verdict

The PS3 truly is technologically superior to both the Xbox 360 and the Wii, providing stunning graphics that will impress the most cynical of gamers. It's also a pleasure to use, with an intuitive, friendly interface. But this won't be a must-have console until Sony and its partners deliver with some compelling games.