Crystal Clear Case for PSP Slim

User Reviews about PSP SLIM PROTECT & PLAY

It fits perfectly for the psp 2000 series and it is protecting the whole psp. I would recommend it for those who want have a protective case for thier psp. -- Perfect

This review is about as descriptive as humanly possible. At its end, you should know EXACTLY how this sucker works and if it's right for you.

For those uncertain which PSP this is intended to fit: This is for the PSP 2000 system. That's the one with the "Sony" logo and inignia on both upper corners of the system. Note: The 3000 model is the one where there is only ONE "Sony" logo, at the top left corner. Also, the 2000 has about a centimeter-long silver band on its UMD drive panel. The 3000 model's band is roughly a third of a centimeter. And for the few of you who have the 1000 model: that's the version with a bunch of little holes for speakers at the top of the console, right above the screen. Both the 2000 and 3000 models have only 2 small holes for speakers.

Now, on to it:

I bought this casing for the PSP primarily because i wanted to protect its screen.

Why this is a better solution than a screen protector (skip ahead if you already know this):
I have had experience with screen protectors on my older handhelds and i have found that they are just an overall hassle. They are usually costly for thin sheets of plastic and they can be hard to apply. I once applied a protector (Hori brand, i believe) to my older PSP's screen and it was hard to align it perfectly so that it was straight and not slanted. If the positioning was even slightly off, i'd have to try to reapply it. There would be air bubbles underneath it no matter what i did, and the only way to then alleviate the problem would be to smooth the bubbles out with my fingers - and that doesn't work nearly as well as one might think with some protectors because they essentially "glue" to the screen. Which brings me to my next point, the "gluing/suction" action some protectors have. When i decided to remove a screen filter from my older DS model (i think also Hori), the damn thing left behind this ridiculous sticky residue that was annoyingly hard to clean. It's kinda like the gunk band-aids leave behind if you keep them on for too long. Annoying. My last point is that with screen protectors, if you don't handle the exposed under-surface with extreme care, and just "happen" to get dust or a single hair cuticle on it, you're going to get very angry. Cleaning it without getting ever more dust on it is nigh impossible. Clean shirts, soft cloths, tissues, towels, virtually everything in my house, i discovered, had some sort of tiny lint or something on it. Just remember that the underside of a screen protector is sticky and rough. Not as sticky as a bandaid, mind you, but sticky enough to keep and hold the smallest particle of dust. I ended up throwing my protector out, because even WASHING it with water wouldn't remove the dust/hair.

Anyway, enough about crappy protectors. This is why this casing is awesome:
It covers your PSP's screen and backside, exposing only what's most necessary most of the time. Here are the things that remain accessible with the case on: All face-side and L/R buttons(obviously), headphone jack (both plug-holes), power jack (tested; it connects well, but not perfectly, if you're playing while charging, your hand may disconnect the charger connection), power switch (this is a must, of course), memory stick port, WLAN switch and mini USB port. So, would it have been easier to just say EVERYTHING's accessible? Yeah, but then you'd still get people wondering "even THIS though? No, he must have forgotten to mention it" - So, to those people: No, everything is accessible with this sucker on. Basically, once this clamps down, it never has to come off. Unless you want to trade up the battery pack. So only if you're getting your PSP 'Pandora' hacked or are buying a new battery, you'd have to take off the case.

Now onto the workings: This is basically a two-piece casing. It comes in two seperate coverings out of the box; one for either side of the console. You conjoin the two from the top part of the console by "inserting widget A into socket B" - You're basically forming a hinge (i really can't explain it any other way - just know that it's extremely simple and easy) and then it can clamshell-style open and close. You slide your PSP in, close the case, and there's a locking mechanism at the base (bottom) side of the case that snaps shut and keeps your handheld in, nice and tight.

And if, for some reason, you wanted to look directly at the screen, there's a latch near where the "PSP" logo should be (between the Home and Start buttons) that lets you "pop" open the panel protecting the screen. Don't know why anyone'd ever want to do that, but the option's there. Some of the more finnicky buyers will worry that dust might get in through the panel's sides and get caught on the screen. Rest assured, finnickers, the panel "snaps" shut, sealing those would-be side-openings from letting anything in. You could probably pour water on the entire front surface and it wouldn't be able to seep in - well, maybe not, but it gets the job done in regards to lint/dust shielding. Oh, and did i mention the screen panel actually comes with its own little plastic screen protector already applied? Yeah, in the event that the case were to get a little scratched during shipping (and it probably will a bit), Playtech was nice enough to protect the protector. The screen protector won't be applied too professionally, but it's a temporary thing, so it's okay. As long as the actual beautiful PSP screen remains untouched, everyone's happy.

Similarly, you can open the UMD drive with the casing still on as well. The middle part of the backside opens out with the UMD panel. There's another sort of locking mechanism at work here. So when you open your UMD drive, the casing itself, sort of attached now, basically opens with it. Another feature you can do with this same back panel is that it can be used as a prop/kickstand, to let you view movies at a comfortable angle. How that works is basically: When you pull open your UMD drive, the panel comes out with it, right? But it's more loosely attached at this point because of the angling, so you can actually continue to pull the panel out (it detaches from the UMD-door) and it swivels all the way around and can be positioned to hold your PSP's weight. With a tiny bit of force, you can snap it back to the original case. If i upload some pictures, i'll show how this works. I wouldn't use this feature because the case isn't exactly built for this to work for too many times and it will eventually wear out.

Also worth note: There are little holes cut for the speakers, so rest assured; the volume will not be muffled. So, the item comes exactly as it looks in that little picture. The plastic casing itself is comfortably and reassuringly thick, so you know it isn't "really" cheap. I mean, for like $10, it's a good material, people.

EDIT: I thought it was hard to remove once closed, but i was wrong. It's actually easy to open.

EDIT: I was wrong about the connection for the power jack. You do kinda have to push hard to keep it charging while playing. To fix this, I took a nail, heated it up over an open flame, and used it to "push" open the plastic opening, making the hole bigger. The whole process took 5 minutes, but i can see how this would be a negative to people.

PROS:
- Protects your screen
- *ALL* inputs are accessible
- You can swap UMDs with it on
- Screen panel comes preinstalled
with screen protector out of the box
- Easy to use
- Back panel doubles as kickstand for
movie-viewing pleasure
- Fits your PSP2000 quite snugly, so it
doesn't rattle around
- Doesn't scratch your PSP
- Leaves openings for speakers, so no
muffled sound
- Essentially never has to come off

CONS:
- Locking hinge may wear out after
being opened and closed over and
over, but this will take a long time
and you won't be opening and closing it
often anyway
- I don't know if this'll fit a PSP3000
- Power jack may disconnect if playing while charging (even though it'll still be in, the connection won't register unless you push it in more)

Edit: Added 13 pictures with some notes for even more explanatory power. Yeah, i try to be quite thorough. If i encounter any more problems with the case, i'll post them. -- Almost Perfect. My Hyper-Detailed Review

Just as described and expected shipping. Been 3 months now and the product is working just great. I do recommend for all PSP-2000 user. Once you get a scratch on the screen, you can not do anything about it. -- PSP 2000 Slim Case = GOOD ^_^

I love it. It's not as fragile as I thought it would be. I like the fact that it holds & protects my PSP at the same time. I don't have to "take it out" to play - unlike other PSP cases. -- love it!

this product is highly reccmmended for anyone with a psp slim. it protects your gear while allowing you to enjoy it- much like the crystal cases for ipods...just a plain good idea.

i have one of the huge psp branded plastic cases and it's just not as comfortable to use (although it does hold a couple games and props up for watching umd movies). this case offers the the best all around usability and protection in one.
-- psp slim protect and play a good product