Gamer Graffix has been producing a steady line of quality
skins for both stationary and mobile consoles alike, from systems
like the Xbox and PS2, to portable systems like the GBA, and
even to non-gaming products like the iPod. The company has
recently introduced a line of skins for the Sony PSP. These
skins, however, are good for more than just the aesthetics.
But first, we should get to that. The skins are very high-quality,
with detailed, crisp images displayed all over the face of
the skin, including great patterns and pictures that give the
PSP a cohesive look, rather than a spaced, sporadic mix of
images and half-cut-off shapes. They are made of a durable
epoxy, and while it feels a little plastic-y, they by no means
feel cheap, and it is also washable if you spill anything on
it or get it dirty in any way (plus the shine from the plastic
looks really nice). They come in a solid face skin and three
separate pads for the back (which are surprisingly thin), so
you may space the skins as you wish, and not interfere with
any of the switches or slots on the back of the PSP. Even with
the skins on, it still fits in most PSP cases. The entire skin
is presented very well, and serves its function of making your
PSP look great.
However, the real attraction of this skin
has to do with the grip, which is what separates it from
simple vinyl skins. The skin feels very natural, yet it still
manages to adhere to your hand very well. It’s hard to have it slip out of
your hand with this skin attached, but the grip really comes
through when the system is placed on a table, desk, or any
other flat surface. The thing won’t budge, even if you
tilt the surface it’s resting on. It’s even hard
to push it to one side or another while it’s on a flat
surface. Despite this, removing the system from any surface
is a simple matter of picking it up, as if the skin wasn’t
on the PSP at all. This adds a welcome bit of protection against
an accident-prone friend swiping it off a table, a sudden tilt
of a desk which would make it slide off, or anything else that
should cause it to fall. The skins themselves aren’t
thick enough for major impact absorption, however.
The difficult aspect of this skin is the
application. The adhesive itself is very sticky, even after
multiple applications, and the skins can come off easily
if you want to switch them out or take them off while leaving
no residue, but will not come off without assistance. This
means that not only are the skins durable and dependable,
but they are easily taken off with no muss or fuss. The application,
however, can be a chore. It goes on very well, especially
the back, but (to the credit of Gamer Graffix) the face skin
has precisely-cut spaces for the buttons. A simple centimeter-sized
error in application mean you may have to reapply the whole
skin, which is easy, but frustrating over multiple errors.
The buttons and D-pad are simple enough to avoid, and somewhat
the option buttons on the bottom of the PSP. The real problem
here is the analog stick. The ring cut around the analog
space is very finely-cut, and must be applied in a very precise
manner or the analog stick’s movement will be hindered. Anytime you move it
far enough, it will be stopped short of its maximum reach by
the skin. However, after an hour or two of play, the analog
stick will push the skin back far enough to allow normal play,
at which point everything should be fine. It’s not a
major problem, per se… You could even try a little home
surgery to add some space to the button holes (though I don’t
endorse it… Patience is the key). This is really the
only downside to this otherwise fabulous skin set. |
Gamer Graffix PSP skins:
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