Reviewed: April 10, 2005
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Manufacturer
Mad Catz

Type: Accessory Kit
System: Sony PSP

Rating: 9.0

Features

Mad Catz has eight accessory kit packages offering something for any portable gamer’s needs on a variety of budgets. This particular review covers the PSP Pro Pak, which offers a perfect balance of storage, protection, and a few bonus goodies just to sweeten the deal.

Since you just dropped $250 on a very fragile handheld system the first thing on your mind should be protecting it, and the weatherproof hard case does exactly that. This case is uniquely designed to fit the PSP perfectly within its molded rubberized interior. The bottom of the case is plush velvet while the top has molded snaps that allow you to carry two UMD games or movies in the lid. The case is hinged nicely and has a secure locking mechanism to keep it shut.

I do have a minor problem with the case. It is so perfectly molded to the size and shape of the PSP that you cannot have anything attached to the system, even the white wrist strap. And if you have something like the Pelican armor lid installed you will have to remove it, as the thumbscrews won’t fit into the Mad Catz case.

The kit also features a set of ear bud headphones tucked in one of those new circular winding case designs. I’m really fond of the Sony headphones that came with the PSP, especially the molded design of the earpieces that fit comfortably in my ears, so I have no real reason to use the Mad Catz headphones at this time. I tried them out for the purpose of this review and the quality was nearly as good as the Sony headphones. At a later date when the PSP Value Pack goes away and headphones aren’t included, this will become a much more valuable feature.

The PSP is a portable gaming system (it’s what one of those P’s stands for) and chances are you’ll end up playing it in a car someday, so Mad Catz has provided a high-quality car adapter with a seven-foot cable so you can even play from the back seat. No complaints here – this is a welcome addition to any PSP owner’s accessory library. Just don’t play while driving.

Six plastic cases are provided to store the UMD discs you don’t carry inside the system case. These are very nice, not much bigger than the disc themselves, and come in a variety of colors. It’s a great way to carry a few extra games around in your pocket without scratching the exposed surface of the disc or having to carry the games around in their oversized game cases.

If you have had your PSP for anytime at all you already know how hard it is to keep your screen scratch and fingerprint free. The Pro Pak comes with four removable screen protectors and a squeegee to smooth out any bubbles or air pockets. I’ve seen these being sold separately for $1-2 each so this is a sweet deal.

To round out the Pro Pak is a 4-foot USB link cable that allows you to connect your PSP to your PC and manage your memory cards or download music, photos, and movies to your PSP. Eventually, you’ll even be able to download and transfer game updates and new bonus content. The addition of this cable is a nice touch since Belkin cables of similar length and quality sell for $8-10 if purchased separately.

With numerous Mad Catz PSP kits to choose from, you might have a hard time finding the one that’s right for you. Admittedly, there is some overlap in individual items across many of the kits so you’ll need to figure out what you want and find the kit that offers the most of those items.

For me, the PSP Pro Pak offers the perfect balance of protection, mobility, and storage, all for the low price of $30 and with the Mad Catz 5-Year Warranty, you couldn’t ask for a more complete or attractive accessory kit.