Protecting your DS Lite PART 1

Today I will be writing Part 1 of this special on how to protect your DS. We will be looking at a variety of products, but outlining my favorites. If you want to keep your DS Lite (or I guess this is applicable to other handheld consoles) for whatever reason, then take a quick read over the next few posts.

There are many reasons to protect your DS Lite. Some people want to keep it shiny just because they love it that way, others want to resell the product in mint condition. Or perhaps you tend to drop your DS Lite a lot and just want to avoid breaking it.

As you may know, I’ve tried a variety of cases, protectors, guard masks, pretty much everything you can do to protect a DS Lite. And honestly, none of them come close to what my ideal set is. What I look for in a good case is comfort, style and protection. And some of them are definitely nice in terms of style, others are really comfortable to hold with grips and grooves (which ruins the style), but I can safely say that none of them protect as well as I’ve hoped.

Currently I have two DS Lites in my possession, one that lies in the corner of my house, used from time to time, and treated really gently and the other is used quite frequently, and therefore treated rougher. I would say that neither of my DS Lites suffer from any abuse or damage, I never drop them, I am always careful, but the truth is, without protection, your shiny Polar White DS Lite will turn into an ugly scratched up piece of plastic over time. And even with protection in mind, you may not get that perfect console a few months later no matter what you do. Let’s get the obvious out of the way first, if you smash your DS Lite with a hammer, or drop it off a skyscraper, there is almost nothing you can do. What I am talking about is avoiding all the minor things, things like dropping it off a chair maybe 60cm high or buying a cheap stylus with a sharp tip.

Let’s begin with my ominous message that I tell everyone that emails me about cases. The chances of keeping a DS Lite in mint condition is almost nil. Regardless of the mass amounts of cases you buy. So what is my genius solution? A replacement shell.

Replacement shells are offered fairly cheap. There are obviously shops that sell them at high prices, but DealExtreme.com and PSXBoy.com both offer almost all of the varieties found on the internet for a price of about $10-$15 USD. They are simply the outer casing of a DS Lite, mere pieces of plastic. By installing a set, you can keep your buttons and the outer layer of your DS in storage and completely safe from harm. I have had two replacement shells at this point, both from DealExtreme.com, and yes some of them aren’t as good as the official ones, but they are extremely close. And by extremely close I mean that unless there’s a small manufacturing defect or upon close observation, you won’t be able to tell. As a bonus, you can choose transparent shells, limited edition shells, etc.

You can spend money on other products to keep this set lasting for a very long time, and when time comes whether it is to put your DS Lite into a closet or onto eBay, you simply change the shells and no one will be able to tell the difference. I still have my Polar White DS Lite’s shells in storage, and they are in mint condition, not a single scratch on them. I doubt you’ll be able to get the same effect with a pouch.

What’s the catch? Well if you wanted to keep your DS Lite looking good during use as well, this doesn’t really help. And more than anything, you are worried about the process of opening up your DS Lite. I can tell you, the first time I replaced the shell, it was a horrifying experience. I chose the wrong screwdriver, and stripped a screw. And to this day my clear DS Lite still show the marks where I used a power drill to get the screw out. But honestly the second time, it was easy.

Even the first time, it was not exactly tough. Just remember, there are guides online (my favorite is here), and they are detailed for a reason. Take your time, make sure you read the procedure before and during the process. Just a tip, they flipped the speakers on the tutorial (lucky me, I found out after I close it all up) and be sure to not panic. There are times that I wondered how to do things, and sometimes it was because the shell sold at DealExtreme had shorter bars or shallower grooves, if necessary, just tape them down. I think the hardest part of the job was getting the springs on the L and R buttons, which turns out to be the fault of my refurbished DS Lite, with two springs that were both meant for the R button. Again don’t panic, don’t take your anger out on the DS Lite when you are stuck, if you need to, take a break and go work on it later. After the first time, you will know where to be careful and where you can speed through, so putting the old shell back together is a much easier experience.

So where do you buy these replacement shells? I guess you can always go to random eBay auctions or local shops, but I find that the quality of the shells from DealExtreme.com and PSXBoy.com are extremely good. The GBATemp review of shells is extremely accurate, and you should definitely check it out. I haven’t had the chance to try out shock shells yet, or anything other than those at the two stores I’ve mentioned.

Anyways to get my point across, replacing the DS Lite shells is ones of the best ways to keep your DS Lite in mind condition. You keep the originals stored somewhere safe and you won’t ever see a scratch on them. However, replacing the case is seen as a daunting task, but in my opinion, it is a matter of patience and careful reading. If you have the right sized screw driver and the right equipment, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours to do.

Stay tuned for the next parts in the special where I’ll cover cases, screen protectors, and miscellaneous tips.