Reviews

JAVOedge UMD Skin Case and Replacement Soft Joysticks for Sony PSP

December 11, 2006

UMD Skin Case

I’ve seen quite a few UMD cases, from hard plastic snap-on cases to units designed to hold as many as eight disks at once. Until I saw these new cases from JAVOedge, my favorite UMD case was from Intec—made of black plastic, each Intec case holds three UMDs with a minimum of fuss or bulk. Unfortunately the opaque design makes it impossible to see what is actually in the case, meaning that you have to open each one and flip through the disks if you’re looking for a certain game or movie.

The skin cases from JAVOedge are made of silicone and come in very bright, fun colors. Each one holds a single disk securely, yet pulling out the UMD in very easy. A cutout at one end allows you to see a portion of the disk so that you can identify it easily. The other end has a rounded cutout that enables you to grasp the UMD with your thumb and pull it out of the case. The back of the case is exactly the same as the front, except that there’s no disk window cutout; after all the whole idea here is to protect the disk from scratches and dirt.

I’ve been using these cases for a few days now and absolutely love them. Since each one is so small, I can tuck them just about anywhere, be it purse, gear bag, or backpack. The bright colors ensure that they don’t get lost in the bottom of the bag, since most bag manufacturers still seemingly insist on using black linings. You can get a pack of six in assorted colors (white, pink, orange, yellow, green, and purple) for $8.99 at the JAVOedge online store.

Replacement Soft Joysticks for Sony PSP

One of my least favorite aspects of the Sony PSP is the analog nub—it’s very hard and can actually become painful during long gaming sessions. Of course I could limit my Loco Roco and/or Lego Star Wars sessions to about 20 minutes at a time, but where’s the fun in that? Thankfully JAVOedge has a solution in their soft replacement joysticks for the PSP. Installation is a breeze; just slip your fingernail under the existing analog nub and pry it up. You’ll see that the attachment point on the device is rectangular, so just line up the well on the replacement stick and press it down. The whole process takes about eight seconds at most, and the reward is more comfortable gaming.

The effect is difficult to describe in words; while the nub didn’t feel particularly soft before installation, the difference on my PSP is quite noticeable. I can play games for a longer amount of time without any thumb cramping, which is horrible for my productivity but good for my thumb, of course. There’s only one problem—this replacement joystick is thicker than the OEM version that comes with the PSP. That’s no problem at all if you don’t use a case with your device, or if you use one that isn’t particularly form-fitting, like a pouch. Unfortunately I use a Capdase aluminum case, which means that there’s absolutely no extra room for the extra height. The case will close, but not fully; and I don’t like that idea because that creates the possibility that the case could come open in my bag.

I recommend JAVOedge’s soft replacement joysticks quite highly; it’s up to you to determine if they’ll work for you depending on how you like to carry/store your PSP. If you leave your device “naked” all the time, then by all means pick up this product—they’re a fabulous deal and really do enhance your gaming comfort. If you use a form-fitting case however, this product may not work for you. Of course at only $4.99 for a package of six, you don’t have much to lose; you can also get them at the JAVOedge online store.

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