Vaja PSPouch Review

When we reviewed Vaja’s first PSP case, the i-Volution (PSPworld Rating: A) impressed us despite is lofty price tag. For their follow-up, Vaja released the PSPouch and PSPouch retro, two cases designed to carry UMDs, Memory Sticks, a set of earphones and the PSP’s remote along with the PSP. Surprisingly, this added utility comes at a lower price. We’re hoping that doesn’t reflect in the quality of the case.

The PSPouch arrived in a box extremely similar to the one the i-Volution, which is one of those little touches that have made both Vaja cases seem worth the extra money. The leather on the PSPouch is similar in quality to the i-Volution — that is to say, it’s excellent. It’s pulled a little tighter than that on the i-Volution, so the feel is a little different, but still very nice.

The case opens by lifting the flap toward the back, and then folding the front down. It’s a technique that requires a lot more room to actually open the case, but leaves everything accessible. Once open, you have access to the zippered accessory pocket, the Memory Stick slots, the PSP slot, and the two UMD slots. Although this is a lot of stuff, we really wish there was a place for the AC adapter, given the cases’ overall bulk.

As far as protection is concerned, the PSP is very well protected when the case is closed — the extra leather on the sides provides some extra protection if the case is dropped, and it would be difficult for any dust to get in as well. The only drawback to all of this is it’s really not convenient to charge the PSP when it’s in the case, and it’s also difficult to run a headphone cord out the side as well — impossible, even, if the connector isn’t L-shaped.

The PSPouch is very difficult to grade style-wise, because lots of people will think it looks too much like a purse, while others will like the subdued two-tone nature of the leather outer. One thing is for sure — whether it would enhance the purse look or not, the case really could have used a carrying strap of some sort. It’s really too big to fit in a pocket, and putting it inside a larger bag kind of defeats the purpose.

Overall, the PSPouch really impresses in the areas it excels, but just feels like a couple of details were left out (Nevermind the premium pricing). We suppose it would be possible to run a hand strap out the small opening in the corner of the PSP slot, but with the added weight of the case we’re not quite sure it would be comfortable to carry in that manner. As for a longer strap, you run the risk of making it look a bit too much like a purse — but that’s a risk we’d be willing to take in order to have a better way to carry what is otherwise a pretty good case.