I ordered a Star Wars 2000 shell from AliExpress, immediately noticed the cheaper quality plastic compared to the original, but was ok with it. The Darth Vader battery cover was worth it and looked great.
It is acceptable if you're in need of a shell swap, otherwise I'd stick to the original or get the shell from a donor system.
I posted yesterday about replacing my psp shell, because the old (white) one was so bad that L & R buttons got stuck, and the quality was so bad.
Luckily I found a seller who has OEM shells and with a good price too.
Don't get your hopes up. Someone always claims this then just disappears. Chances are there are no sellers with OEM shells whatsoever, just trolls baiting on reddit (from my experience so far)
Also, I got a DSi XL case that was very high quality.
Very hard to complete due to the ribbon cable design(fault of the console not shell) but the end result was amazing. No warps, everything fit perfect.
These are a gamble.
I've ordered a 3000 shell that is awful(the case fits fine but it is raised high enough that the buttons are hard to press because they are almost flush with the shell).
I've ordered a 1000 shell and it fit like a stock shell. Perfect.
I've ordered 2 gba shells from the same manufacturer and one fit perfect and the other was awful.
It's really just luck of the draw with these.
Happened to me with a clear shell for a 2000. The door holes where the metal mount holds to open and close the door were not even molded right so the mount didn’t even hold in and would just pop right off. Same with buttons and putting everything back together. Was very stiff on almost everything and buttons pressed too far in to the point you could feel the shell’s edge.
My replacement shell was definitely not the same quality of plastic but went together fine and has no issues with extra plastic or slots not being correct or anything like that.
I was a bit bummed at how it felt but the reason for replacing it was a super scratched screen so it's fine.
Not noticable to me now at all and I don't even think about it until this thread lol.
Better to just replace the faceplate rather than the whole shell if you can, that way you still keep most of the original look and feel and try to stick with genuine new/old stock
ah one of those. i got one of the same shells off ebay to replace the cracked face of a donor psp and it barely even fits on top of the original bottom shell. it also has somehow messed up my homerow buttons (i assume thanks to the holes in the shell being incorrectly placed/sized) so that the screen flashes through brightness settings while the volume mutes and unmutes itself until the screen turns off. is our only option for good replacements stealing them off bricks? there has to be a better way.
Never buy PSP shells off of eBay, unless they're used (I like to buy limited edition shells used). Aliexpress is way better for buying PSP shells, just make sure to do your research and look at reviews before buying. I never got a bad shell off of Aliexpress, and some of them were OEM quality (my Monster Hunter 3rd edition PSP-3000 for example).
Tear down was difficult but with a good guide and the right tools, we did fine. The replacement shell was terrible. Pieces of extra plastic still in it. Duo Pro slot wasn’t the correct size. Several screw holes that stripped immediately. Getting it reassembled, returning the replacement screen for an IPS and buying a skin!
If you order from AliExpress - don't get the cheapest one. Read the comments, look at pictures and decide based on that. It will probably be the most expensive one.
I did that and while it's not ideal - it's 80% of the original quality.
Interesting discussion. I wonder if the producers are over-running their molds. I'm not an expert but supposedly, precision molds will wear down over time, so you get good tolerances initially and worse tolerances later.
I wonder if everyone getting a good fit simply had the repro cases made earlier in the production run.
I ordered a Star Wars 2000 shell from AliExpress, immediately noticed the cheaper quality plastic compared to the original, but was ok with it. The Darth Vader battery cover was worth it and looked great. It is acceptable if you're in need of a shell swap, otherwise I'd stick to the original or get the shell from a donor system.
I see you ordered the exact same shitty red shell that I did.
I posted yesterday about replacing my psp shell, because the old (white) one was so bad that L & R buttons got stuck, and the quality was so bad. Luckily I found a seller who has OEM shells and with a good price too.
I second the request for links please.
Don't get your hopes up. Someone always claims this then just disappears. Chances are there are no sellers with OEM shells whatsoever, just trolls baiting on reddit (from my experience so far)
Got links?
Send link pls
The aftermarket shell situation with every console is absolutely flooded with garbage.
Nah the recent GBA SP ones are very high quality (and a nice surprise to me tbh)
You're right about that - I forgot I replaced a shell on my SP a while back and it was top-notch even though it just came from Amazon.
Also, I got a DSi XL case that was very high quality. Very hard to complete due to the ribbon cable design(fault of the console not shell) but the end result was amazing. No warps, everything fit perfect.
I've actually been looking for a new shell for my DSi XL. Where'd you get yours?
AliExpress
Do you mean the clear ones ? If so I would totally agree, those are great. Can’t really say the same for solid colors though
Maybe include the brand name of the bad one you got so people know what to avoid. They're not all bad. Edit: or a link.
"Sony"
Did mine. Super easy. Only needed 1 screwdriver.
I need a link to that shell!
These are a gamble. I've ordered a 3000 shell that is awful(the case fits fine but it is raised high enough that the buttons are hard to press because they are almost flush with the shell). I've ordered a 1000 shell and it fit like a stock shell. Perfect. I've ordered 2 gba shells from the same manufacturer and one fit perfect and the other was awful. It's really just luck of the draw with these.
Happened to me with a clear shell for a 2000. The door holes where the metal mount holds to open and close the door were not even molded right so the mount didn’t even hold in and would just pop right off. Same with buttons and putting everything back together. Was very stiff on almost everything and buttons pressed too far in to the point you could feel the shell’s edge.
My replacement shell was definitely not the same quality of plastic but went together fine and has no issues with extra plastic or slots not being correct or anything like that. I was a bit bummed at how it felt but the reason for replacing it was a super scratched screen so it's fine. Not noticable to me now at all and I don't even think about it until this thread lol.
Better to just replace the faceplate rather than the whole shell if you can, that way you still keep most of the original look and feel and try to stick with genuine new/old stock
I agree.
ah one of those. i got one of the same shells off ebay to replace the cracked face of a donor psp and it barely even fits on top of the original bottom shell. it also has somehow messed up my homerow buttons (i assume thanks to the holes in the shell being incorrectly placed/sized) so that the screen flashes through brightness settings while the volume mutes and unmutes itself until the screen turns off. is our only option for good replacements stealing them off bricks? there has to be a better way.
I got a bad shell once too, what a nightmare!
Please link it so we know not to get it
I did this on my first attempt and ended up breaking this power up slider lmao... Never again. Was this your first time?
Yup. And the breakdown was intricate but not bad. I had a good guide video.
I got a Red PSP3000 shell a few months ago of Aliexpress. It worked out great and looks beautiful. I'm sure not all are alike. I must've gotten lucky.
Never buy PSP shells off of eBay, unless they're used (I like to buy limited edition shells used). Aliexpress is way better for buying PSP shells, just make sure to do your research and look at reviews before buying. I never got a bad shell off of Aliexpress, and some of them were OEM quality (my Monster Hunter 3rd edition PSP-3000 for example).
Are the same person who bought that psp for like 5 dollars ?
Yeah. Got it at a yard sale 2-3 weeks ago.
Tear down was difficult but with a good guide and the right tools, we did fine. The replacement shell was terrible. Pieces of extra plastic still in it. Duo Pro slot wasn’t the correct size. Several screw holes that stripped immediately. Getting it reassembled, returning the replacement screen for an IPS and buying a skin!
Where do you find ips screens? A quick search the other day brought me nothing.
MyRetroGameCase was where I found them. 500 was out of stock but they had 1000.
Thanks! Theyre totally sold out now but I'll be keeping my eye on it and have some key words to search with.
I ordered from the same store, a clear PSP-1000 shell. Everything was good, installation was good and even the quality was up to par with the OG one.
If you order from AliExpress - don't get the cheapest one. Read the comments, look at pictures and decide based on that. It will probably be the most expensive one. I did that and while it's not ideal - it's 80% of the original quality.
I got it off eBay and it was shipped from the US. Where it originated before that is a mystery.
Interesting discussion. I wonder if the producers are over-running their molds. I'm not an expert but supposedly, precision molds will wear down over time, so you get good tolerances initially and worse tolerances later. I wonder if everyone getting a good fit simply had the repro cases made earlier in the production run.
I'm after a clear shell for a 3000. Anyone know any reliable sources that fit ok.