Javoedge Javoscreen for PSP Review

One of the best features of the PSP is its screen. It's big, bright, and frightly succeptable to fingerprints, scratches, and more. Screen protectors aren't an option with the PSP, they are a neccessity. In light of this situation, Javoedge expanded their line of PDA screen protectors to the PSP.

The Javoscreen for the PSP ($10.95, javoedge.com) comes in a typical plastic sleeve package, but it includes the all important installation card. For those of you who have never installed a screen protector, PSP or otherwise, if you don't have a hard, flat object to smooth the protector out and get rid of air bubbles, your installation will fail miserably. Also included is one Javoscreen screen protector and some application instructions.

Application is simple enough, and although the Javoscreen claims it is reusable and washable, you still need to be careful when installing so you don't put any creases in the protector. The Javoscreen covers the entire PSP screen as well as part of the areas surrounding the D-pad, analog nub, and x-o buttons. As for the "reusable and washable" claim, it held true in our testing. The protector went through a brief washing and reapplied like new.

The measure of any screen protector, beyond sheer protection, is how it affects the screen. Unfortunately the Javoscreen did slightly alter the look of the screen, and caused slight "banding" in darker conditions. It's not enough to really bother game-play, it's just not quite as "crystal clear" as we would like.

The thickness of the Javoscreen provides real confidence that nothing is going to scratch your screen or its surroundings. The ability to wash and reuse the protector is rare — normally these are one-and-done products. The slight but unfortunate degradation in screen sharpness is really the only fault we can find in an otherwise quality product.