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Proporta Week: Accessory Roundup for the Sony PSP
February 8, 2006
Clear Plastic Face Cover for Sony PSP
The Clear Plastic Face Cover for Sony PSP is just that—a budget accessory designed to protect the face of your portable gaming console. It attaches via the two small screw holes on the top of the device, on either side of the USB port. There is just a bit of assembly required; the kit comes with a small screwdriver, two metal screws, and two plastic washers. Installation takes about twenty seconds and was relatively simple.
Once the face cover is installed, it flips up when you want to play games and flips down easily when you’re ready to stop. This accessory provides minimal protection, so I would not recommend putting your PSP into a larger bag without a more complete carrying case. There are gaps along the sides and bottom where loose objects could get between the face cover and the screen. The design could have been improved by making it just a bit larger, so that it completely overlaps the screen, but I was glad to see that it has “feet” made of soft rubber or silicone that prevent the bottom edge of the face cover from coming into contact with the edge of the PSP, preventing potential scratches. You can get one for $12.95.
Proporta Four UMD Case
This is a perfect example of a great accessory—it’s inexpensive, durable, and works very well. The case is made of translucent clear plastic and has a very easy to use flip top. Just press on the top to flip it up, but you don’t have to worry about it coming open accidentally because it only opens if you press in the right spot. The case holds four UMDs right next to each other, with no space in between. About the only “downside” I can find to this case is the fact that you can see name/graphics on only two of the UMDs, assuming that you face the outer two out. This isn’t actually a “con” in the true sense of the word, because with most UMD cases you can’t see any of the games at all.
If you’re looking for the smallest possible case for your games, this is definitely the one to get. The price is right at $7.95, and this is perfect for packing several games or movies when you’re on the go or taking a trip.
Proporta UMD Cleaner
This accessory is actually a set; when you order you’ll receive a small bottle of cleaning fluid and a UMD-shaped cleaning device. The idea behind this product is to clean your UMD disks when they get dirty or dusty, so that they won’t eventually get scratched by debris. Place a UMD inside the cleaning device, label side down, and add a few drops of cleaning fluid to the small foam pad on the lid of the cleaner; it lines up with the opening on the UMD disk. Close the lid and use the small rotating handle to manually “spin” the UMD, cleaning the entire disk.
It sounds logical, but in practice the cleaner is difficult to use and doesn’t seem to do any actual cleaning. I had a hard time turning the handle and keeping the cleaner closed; the UMD kept trying to pop out. While there aren’t any components here that would actually damage your games and movies, I don’t think this is a really good investment of potentially limited accessory funds. If you invest in one of the UMD cases reviewed in this article, it seems rather unlikely that your UMDs will ever get damaged enough to require cleaning.
Proporta UMD Pouch
This small pouch holds five UMD games or movies, as well as two MS Duo memory cards. The exterior is made of a tough foam material that is rigid and does a great job of keeping its shape, even when strongly compressed. A single zipper secures the case, and there’s a small plastic pull to make zipping and unzipping easier. One end of the zipper has a small metal ring that you can use to attach the black nylon wrist strap included with the pouch.
Inside you’ll find a black interior with a series of dividers made of what appears to be grosgrain ribbon. The case is designed to hold five UMD disks, with three of them in divided compartments and the other two slipped in on the sides. There are also two MS Duo slots, one on each side of the case. They’re sized perfectly and hold the small memory cards securely, though they can be rather difficult to access unless you remove any UMD you might have happened to store on that end of the case.
This case certainly works as advertised, holding 5 UMDs and protecting them well. You have to line them up just right though, or the case won’t close. The two UMDs stored on the ends have to be pushed underneath the lip of the zipper closure before the rest of the case is compressed and zipped. It isn’t that big of a deal, but if the case had been made just the tiniest bit bigger overall this wouldn’t have been a problem. The Proporta UMD Pouch is $13.95 and is available only in black.
All of the Sony PSP accessories reviewed in this article are available at the Proporta online store. Remember, get 10% off plus free standard worldwide shipping if you type in the code “PKTGODDESS” without the quotes when you check out. That code is good for a limited time on just about everything that Proporta sells (excluding GPS), so hurry and cash in on the great savings!
