PSP Slim - Anyone else disappointed with the build quality?

[daphatty]

I finally got my hands on a PSP Slim over the holidays and I have to admit, I am underwhelmed. It's almost painfully obvious where Sony cut corners to lower the cost of the system. The outer plastic casing feels flimsy and the UMD tray doesn't really secure the disk in place anymore. Heck, I feel like I could break the PSP Slim with one misplaced twist of frustration.

I remember the first time I held the original PSP in my hands. My very first impression was, "Now THIS is quality." In fact, the build quality of the PSP was the reason that finally convinced me to buy one. I'm just disappointed in the new version. The faster load times and TV out capabilities are great features but they come at the cost of a poor man's aesthetics.

[nectarsis1]

I have no problems with mine. I LOVE how much lighter it is.

[SynGamer]

I think the build quality is fine. Obviously the plastic seems flimsy compared to the original but i think it's the overall weight (which was reduced a good bit) that makes it feel cheaper. It's a $170 gaming system so i treat mine like a baby but it seems strong enough to handle regular wear and tear.

[Justden]

I've never held the original version but I agree with your assesment of the Slim. I'd also add that the power adapter plug doesn't sit well in its port. If I tried playing without a battery, it would shut off quite often. And what's with the flimsy memory stick cover on rails. No doubt that will likely be one of the first things to break.

Oh and would it kill Nintendo and Sony to include a screen protector. It's pretty much required if you want to keep the screen in good shape.

[slidecage]

I finally got my hands on a PSP Slim over the holidays and I have to admit, I am underwhelmed. It's almost painfully obvious where Sony cut corners to lower the cost of the system. The outer plastic casing feels flimsy and the UMD tray doesn't really secure the disk in place anymore. Heck, I feel like I could break the PSP Slim with one misplaced twist of frustration.

I remember the first time I held the original PSP in my hands. My very first impression was, "Now THIS is quality." In fact, the build quality of the PSP was the reason that finally convinced me to buy one. I'm just disappointed in the new version. The faster load times and TV out capabilities are great features but they come at the cost of a poor man's aesthetics.


i miss the metal tray the UMD sits in. many people have reported on other sites that tray breaking very easy.

the thing just feels like a big piece of crap. would loved to go my old FAT PSP back but the drive broke : (


some games look distorted as well on this system. Brooktown high the picture looks messed up at time, never had a problem with the game on the older PSP

[rendil]

Just got a slim myself. My first impression was that it was too light, which made it feel cheap. But after using it for the last week, I've gotten used to the weight and now appreciate that it's not heavier.

My main gripe now is the UMD slot. I'd much prefer if it had the same tray as the older model.

[AndrewCP]

I'm starting to notice the right side of my faceplate makes this weird creaking noise when I simply place my thumb on it. I initially noticed it when it was late at night (where there's barely any noise and you can hear everything) before I went to bed. Other than that, all is well but of course I'll agree that the older model has better build quality.

[Chris in Cali]

I felt like it was durable, but I returned mine because of the poorly lit screen, and the ghosting. Also, Sony really should have put a harddrive in the thing.

[jling84]

I have the Crisis Core slim PSP and I think the quality is great. To me, my old PSP didn't feel like quality, it just felt heavy. Also the old tray with the metal guides that required you to slide the UMD in would scratch the UMD when you slid it in and out. Since the new tray allows you to gently place the UMD in the tray I no longer have UMDs that have 2 parallel lines scratched into them.

[imascrub]

The new tray not holding the disc in place isn't a problem unless you leave your tray open all the time. Once the tray is closed the disc snaps into place so it's not like there is a wrong angle to put the disc in.

The feel of the old psp did feel more sturdy, but of course at the cost of weight. Overall I prefer the new psp since weight is more of an issue for me than the type of plastic used for the outer housing.

Also, the memory card slot dangling cover thing doesn't seem any better or worse than the original PSP (strength-wise). However, it's nice (to me) that on the slim PSP there's an actual definitive snap into place, so you're not left wondering if the cover will accidentally be opened.

[Nibi]

I really love the new design and it feels good to me. What REALLY made me jump on a slim was the new D-pad. It is immensely better than the old one. Playing Guilty Gear, and Castlevania has never been better.

[Draekon]

Just got my slim today and it did have a weird flimsy-like feel to it when I picked it up. I'm very use to my PSP Fat and it felt like I was picking up an empty piece of plastic. I'm not going to be pressing on it and plan to get a wrist strap for extra security as I rarely do happen to drop the PSP while playing and the feeling of doing that with the slim would give me quite a bit more scare. I'm sure my opinion will change once I actually start using it but I'm waiting on getting a 'protector' before I really start to use it.

As for the UMD tray, I don't mind the Slim one. However there is no way in hell I'm letting most people touch my PSP Slim to begin with. Not just because it's a limited edition, but I feel that they may try and open the tray too forcibly and possibly cause it to break. Otherwise I don't see it breaking on me.

[nectarsis1]

I've never held the original version but I agree with your assesment of the Slim. I'd also add that the power adapter plug doesn't sit well in its port. If I tried playing without a battery, it would shut off quite often. And what's with the flimsy memory stick cover on rails. No doubt that will likely be one of the first things to break.

Oh and would it kill Nintendo and Sony to include a screen protector. It's pretty much required if you want to keep the screen in good shape.


I actually have to agree..I run mine off of the power supply quite often. It has just fallen out a number of times when Iwasn't even moving.

[greyzieoriental]

best thing about the slims is that they have more media loading problems than the old fattys

[AndrewCP]

Yeah the raised d-pad alone was probably almost worth selling my old PSP for a Slim (though there are other factors that influenced my decision). As for AC adapter issues, I haven't had a problem with it at all. I'd like to add that I like the new UMD tray and the relocation of the memory stick slot (minor detail I know but I think they look much cooler now).

The one thing I really hate is the stupid trim, on both the original and Slim models. It just seems so thin and cheap that it's gonna snap somewhere. I'd like to see some real metallic replacements for the trim someday.

[cochesecochese]

You know, I thought the same thing when I pulled mine out of the packaging. When I bought my old ceramic, I pulled that thing out of the packaging and just everything about it screamed quality like all that penny pinching and scrounging to finally get one was worth it. The slim? Not so much.

The upside to the slim is that it feels like it can take more abuse and it's a lot more portable than the fatty so it sees a lot more use outside of the house which is a good thing. If a third revision is released I'm hoping for a solid front face like the old model and the same old aluminum backing. I prefer the new drive and the new button layout to the old model so those can stay for sure. My only complaint about the slim is all the hot colors coming out when I'm too broke to afford them.

[TimPV3]

I was very disappointed with the build quality, I just had it sitting there and the fucking hinge broke.

Oops, wrong forum.

[SaraAB]

I have the slim, never owned a PSP before and its just fine, I have no problems with mine. I got the silver daxter bundle. No dead pixels either. I like they way they put the clear coat gloss on it to prevent scratches and to prevent the paint from rubbing off. The screen protectors from dealextreme cost under 2$ and work fine. The screen also seems very sturdy, but I used protectors anyways.

I never let anyone else touch my game consoles unless its a responsible adult, if you let other people (especially children) use your expensive stuff your just asking for trouble. I keep my PSP in a logitech hard case to protect it even further.

I guess if I REALLY had to complain about something, and this is even stretching it in terms of complaining, its that the adapter doesn't stay in the port unless you turn it a certain way and the battery life is complete crap, which again isn't much of an issue as I play my PSP mostly at home.

[J7.]

I'm happy with the Slim. While it doesn't have the best quality for the drive setup and the memory card, they do not pose any problems. They both function fine. No complaints here.

[jer7583]

I didn't like it when I used one. I would never upgrade because the phat is more capable for homebrew/Custom Firmware.

[The Mana Knight]

I think the build quality is fine. I'm really liking mine a lot better than the original PSP (especially with it's nicer D-pad, no longer getting finger prints on my PSP since I have a silver one, and TV out is great). I'm mostly a big fan of how light it is.

Can't really think of anything I'm disappointed with really to be honest.

[VAD3R or Fro]

I love mine. The only problem is where the wriststrap goes paint on the plastic came off. You can barely see it though. Plus the battery life is small. Other than that I like the system.

[Kairiki]

I got one for Christmas, and I like it compared to the old one. There are some times when I think 'is this thing really going to hold up?' but overall I like it a lot.

[Nephilim]

I have the Crisis Core slim PSP and I think the quality is great. To me, my old PSP didn't feel like quality, it just felt heavy. Also the old tray with the metal guides that required you to slide the UMD in would scratch the UMD when you slid it in and out. Since the new tray allows you to gently place the UMD in the tray I no longer have UMDs that have 2 parallel lines scratched into them.

It scratches the UMD HOUSING, not the disc itself.

I noticed this happening on my PSP Fat, then tried a few other system and same thing. Basically all of them do it if you are not really careful. I just started being a bit more careful with the UMD and havent had a problem since.

I then tried a SLIM to see if I like it better. Felt reallly cheap to me and just overall less sturdy. I like sturdy. Minor loading time improvement is not enough for me to switch. The screen still has the same old shitty refresh rate issue as the Fat PSP.

I will stick with my FAT for now thank you.

[ogbaka]

love my psp-slim... love my ds-lite more