PS Hardware and Gear Review

So, you have a great console such as the PlayStation 3 or Portable. Are you tired of the flat, black and silver color scheme? All that finger-printed glossy finish getting boring? Then the Exo-Flex console skins may have caught your attention. But are they worth the price, or do they under-perform and leave sticky residue after removal? Find out in this review!

When you go out to purchase a shiny new console, you typically get little in the way of choices – right now you are limited in the United States to a “Piano Black” 80 GB or 160 GB PlayStation 3, while the PlayStation Portable is available in hot pink, “Mystic Silver,” or the traditional “Piano Black” which matches the PlayStation 3.

Enter the third-party market. In this case, we are talking about the Exo-Flex skins for the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable. These are sort of like stickers that you place on the top (and back, in the case of the PSP) of your beloved console to give it some personality. The company claims a lot of great features accompany their product, and I spent just over a week testing their claims out.

First off, the quality of these skins is excellent. They seem similar to a screen protector, but designed for looks. I chose “Bit Array” for the PlayStation 3 and “Gamma” for the PlayStation Portable. Now then, onto the company’s claims about the skins…

1. NO Smearing or Fading

Though it has only been a week, the design looks just the same as it did the day I applied it. Expect this review to be updated should this fact change, but the way things look it won’t smear or fade!

2. NO Squeegees

Indeed, squeegees (Hard card-like devices used to apply screen protectors and other skins) were not included nor required in applying these skins. You apply them as you would stickers.

3. NO Residue

This refers to possible adhesive material that could be left over when the skin is removed from the console. After leaving the skin on my consoles for a number of days, when I took them off the consoles were as shiny as ever. It should be noted that the skins are very hard to remove and actually stretch a bit before returning back to form.

4. NO Bubbles

Bubbles are a skin’s worst nightmare. Though no large bubbles were present in either the PS3 or PSP versions of the skins, there were a few smaller ones on the PS3 which eventually disappeared a few days later. The PSP version however still has some small but noticeable bubbles around the D-Pad. I have the PSP-3000, and Exo-Flex currently has no skins designed for this model. Whether or not that is the reason I have bubbles is debateable, as the skin seems to fit perfectly except for covering up the microphone and the Home row of buttons not being covered correctly due to a slightly different shape.

5. Water-Resistant Top Film

I could not, nor do I want to test this out! If you have your consoles near a source of water I’d advise you to move either the water or the console!!!

6. Triple Injection Protection

I’m going to have to take their word on this, but the skins do have plenty of thickness to them.

7. Triple R™ Features (Removable, Repositionable and can be Reapplied)

I can confirm that the skins can be removed, repositioned and reapplied with relative ease. I say relative ease because they can be a pain to remove as they stick very well. This can be seen as both a positive and a negative, as it means the bond to the console is tough but can deter you from changing skins too often.

A few caveats here – both versions cover up the font on the console. Something to consider for those who love that chrome lettering, though it does kind of show through the skin as it raises it slightly. Also, at the time of this writing no skins are available for the PSP-3000 system, as mentioned above. The 2000 skin does fit just fine on my 3000, but it covers up the microphone and is slightly off with regards to the Home row of buttons. Everything is still accessible, however.

So in the end, is this a product worth your hard-earned money? If you want to add a bit of personalization to your console without breaking the bank or creating permanent marks on them, then the answer is a resounding yes! I am happy with the skins I chose, and if I feel like changing the look of my consoles it is reassuring to know that the process will be relatively painless, and the end result is pure eye candy. Enjoy the image gallery with a couple of extra shots below!