DSi Rechargeable Grip by PEGA REVIEW!

Hello guys, I’m shadowhunter, and I’m doing my very first official review of a Nintendo DSi accessory. Before I even get started with anything, I would like to send a thank you to BambooGaming/TopGamingGears for providing me with this sample.  Also, I want to give an even bigger thank you to PharaohsVizier, for taking time out of his day to request this sample. He’s been kind enough to send me small updates regarding my grip’s shipment. Well, let’s get on with the review!

-INTRODUCTION-

PEGA is a proprietor enterprise in Hong Kong, China, skilled in making OEM/ODM products. Their factory is located in Shenzhen. They specialize in a very large variety of video game systems, such as the XBox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii, PSP, and other well known systems. PEGA was established in 1994 under the CEO Marco Liu, who led PEGA for well over 15 years and has helped them expand. Today, they can boast a 160,000 square meter factory and 800 dedicated workers. They’re responsible for me sitting at my computer typing up this review. Video game accessories are a must for everyone in the video game world, for a variety of purposes. Whether it is to maximize the video gaming experience, or invoke envy for a unique system, they’re everywhere.

-BUILD QUALITY-

The DSi Rechargeable Grip’s build quality is very good. It is made of a very hard plastic that doesn’t look like it will break any time soon. The grip feels heavy and quite sturdy, worthy of being an OEM product that one might find in a video gaming store, such as GameStop. The weight of the product may slow others down, but for me it works quite well.

The prongs hold the DSi inside quite nicely, it looks like they won’t break for a long time.

As you can see in the photo, the product is held by two prongs on the bottom. On top, there is a white bar. The white bar also serves to hold the game in, but it also contains gaps to insert charger cables. This accessory might also double as a casing of sorts.

-USEFULNESS-

Well, being a Nintendo DSi charger, it could have many perks. For one, I don’t have to really worry about my DS just shutting off from a low battery. I can plug in this baby and charge away. In my opinion, this is VERY handy. I would really hate to be on vacation and have my game shut off after many hours of progress. It has a nice little charging cable that you can insert into your DS. I was quite puzzled because I did not know how to charge my system. The system can also conform to your grip, by pushing a button on the bottom of the unit

As you can see, the cable is plugged into the DS system and the charge indicator has lit up. This must have been created for those who play with their DS system a lot. I’m no brilliant photographer, but I can tell that the light is on.

-EASE OF USE-

This charging grip is a definite improvement over one that I had for my DS Lite. I had to get rid of it because it was impossible to put the DS inside of it without suffering scratches to the unit. With this, it fits cleanly, with no gaps.  I turned the grip upside-down with the system inside of it and the system did not even budge. I tried every trick in the book but the system did not move. In my opinion, its perfect because I don’t have to worry about sliding systems scratching and on a smaller note, I don’t have to worry about pushing the wrong button, like my other one did. I want to push the Y button but it slides and I push the B or A button. It was really annoying.

-FUNCTIONALITY-

What can I say? It’s a charger, and to some others, like me, it also serves as a protection of sorts. It does what it was advertised to do. It charges your DSi system. It’s not like it’s going to sprout speakers with high quality subwoofers or anything. The only issue that I seem to have with it is the thickness. The Nintendo DSi was designed with slimness in mind. Sadly, this grip changes that. The DSi is about 15 mm. thick. With the DSi grip inside of it, it becomes a whopping 35 mm. thick, giving a 2 cm. difference. For the hardcore gamer, like me, bulkiness is major. I play certain games competitively, so it requires me to be quick with the fingers. I find it harder to reach the buttons when I use this. It also makes my DS feel heavier. When I hold the grip by itself, it feels cool and light to the touch. When I add the DS, it gets heavy fast and makes my arms tired. Wait a second, didn’t I say it only does two things? This, ladies and gentlemen, is the third. It’s an excercise machine!

-CONCLUSION-

It’s quite odd to see hardly anyone has this product. In my opinion, I’d prefer to carry this over a 6 foot long cable. Even though the cable is slimmer, I don’t have to worry about leaving the cable at home. I can spot this grip easily because of its bright white color. For a whopping 6 dollars, this is a bargain! Who wouldn’t want something that charges your game on the go without a long monster of a cable that can tangle fast?

Why wouldn’t you want this?

With all that being said, I would recommend this to anyone, hardcore gamer or not. It may be bulky, but it would be handy on those long vacation trips where you don’t have a car charger. It’s a nice color choice too. Let me ask you this. Who wouldn’t want to ADD more playtime for their system, rather than play for 4 hours and then wait 3 hours to charge? Isn’t it better to play 4 hours and then play another four hours straight?

Score-

Build Quality- 5/5

Usefulness- 5/5

Ease of Use- 5/5

Functionality- 5/5 (I’d give extra but I can’t)

Handling- 4/5

OVERALL:  24/25

Not bad for a product worth a couple bucks. Works better than my old one. It’s soon going to be in the nearest landfill. If you want one, visit http://www.topgamegears.com/and click on the Nintendo section. Once again, thanks to BambooGaming and TopGamingGears for providing me with this sample, and to PharaohsVizier for requesting this for me. Until next time!