Like Logitech's inexpensive PlayGear Pocket, Sony's Travel Case for the PSP ($20 list) is a simple yet sleek case made of hard, clear plastic that's lined with firm, black foam rubber, so the case appears to be predominantly black. For creative types, the good news is that the rubber lining slips out, allowing you to slide your own artwork between the plastic and the foam, thereby customizing the look of the case. That said, many will opt to stick with the simple white-on-black PSP logo that ships inside the case.
Your Sony PSP fits snugly inside the Travel Case, and because there are cutouts in the plastic, you can plug your headphones in as well as charge the unit while it remains in the case; likewise, power and Wi-Fi switches remain easily accessible. In fact, you'll probably remove your PSP only when you're swapping in a new game (or memory card) or transferring files via the USB port. That's right: like the PlayGear Pocket, this case is designed to be attached to your PSP while you're playing games. And what's interesting is that, by essentially widening your Sony PSP, it seems to make the PSP more ergonomic, particularly when it comes to repetitive use of the shoulder buttons.

Aside from the storage spots, Sony also made a couple of other improvements: it added a clear, hard plastic screen cover (it is removable if you don't want to use it) and some rubberized "feet" to the outside of the case. Like the Play Gear, the top of the case folds down, effectively turning the case into a stand or an easel for viewing movies or videos. But with the added rubber feet, the easel holds its form better, especially on smooth surfaces like the tray tables on airplanes.

Editors' note: Two important distinctions: first, a new version of the case will be available for the new, slimmer PSP when it's released in the fall. Second, a product with a similar name, the Sony UMD Case (PSP98597), carries eight UMD discs and two Memory Stick Duo cards, but it has no room for the PSP console itself.
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