No stranger to the accessories market, Mad Catz enters again with an interesting hybrid called the Stealth Case. It's one part PSP case, one part screen protector, holds two Memory Sticks and is also capable of being used as a stand.
Made of anodized aluminum with a light rubberized interior, the case is no slouch when it comes to giving you the peace of mind you'll need to toss this in your bag. However, being aluminum, it is noticeably heavier than other cases with a similar form factor, but it is quite thing. It doesn't feel quite as heavy as the Logitech Playgear Pocket.
There are about 3-4 parts of this case. The top lid holds the two Memory Sticks, the bottom holds the PSP, and in between those two pieces is a clear piece of removable plastic that protects your screen. It is very easy to remove and put back on and should do a great job of giving your PSP extra protection. Finally, when you want to prop the PSP, you simply open the UMD door portion of the case and flip open a little stand and voila, you have a mini theater. All ports and shoulder buttons are uncovered, including the Open switch, allowing you to permanently have your PSP encased and protected.
The styling is great, smooth black exterior with thin padded interior. Sliding the PSP and the Memory Sticks in and out is quite easy, and the Memory Stick holders have a unique no-lock design. You simply slide the sticks in and the fit is perfectly tight without making you feel like they're going to be damaged by sliding them in and out.
There isn't really much room to be dissapointed, but there is room for improvement. First of all, the top exterior portion of the case is strangely raised, increasing the overall thickness of the case. This could be to protect the PSP in the even that the case gets crushed, but it looks more like an unecessary design element. It may seem like a small thing, but for those who like to carry their PSP in their pockets, it could mean the difference comfort and discomfort. Also, we're not really sure about the usefulness of the inner screen protector. You would assume that the case itself would do the job of protecting the screen, we're not sure if there's a need to add a plastic screen protector. Some of you will in fact enjoy the added security and see it as a useful feature. Fortunately, for those who don't, it's removable so you have the option of not taking it with.
Overall the Mad Catz Stealth Case is going to make a lot of people happy with its sturdy material and well thought-out protective elements. Couple that with the $20 price tag and you have an absolute deal. If you're looking for something a little lighter than the Playgear Pocket with the added bonus of holding extra Memory Sticks, this might be for you.
I would say that the plastic screen protector has been put there to prevent the memory sticks from scratching the screen. Now I don't know just how much space there is between the screen and the slots where you slide in the sticks, so I'm just guessing here, but if it's real tight then that's probably why MadCatz decided to include a screen protector - which is a great idea, because it's a rather common problem that PDA cases have.
Thank you for the high res pictures! I can't wait for this product to come out.
Captain, you said you received one of these units to be used as a review model. Any chance that item could be given away for a contest, or must it be returned?
I think it is a good buy but it has no way of changing color like the logtech PSP protecter with a colorfull inlay but it is a good buy between both because it holds you vary small and easy to lose meory sticks wich i have losed i give this product 9.5
Hime said: "Still not worth giving up the option of skinning my Playgear yet for this."
I will quote OJO on this one.
"1) You are maintaining a position that product A is better than product B because product A can have little pieces of paper strategically inserted into it. Think about that.
2) If the only way to make a case aesthetically appealing is to modify it then the case itself cannot be that incredible by its own virtues."
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i give this product 9.5