Nyko Power Grip for PS Vita (PCH-2000)

This thing is nothing short of a miracle in terms of improved playability of the Vita. Let me first say that I've only got a few hours of play under my belt, so I cannot comment on long-term durability, but I can certainly vouch for the immediate impact of the difference this thing makes in enjoying my gaming experience in general with the Vita. Here goes:First of all, I really don't care all that much about the extra battery power this provides. The Vita's battery life is really good, and I never find myself playing for more than an hour or two at a time. That said, it worked for me out of the box, and seems like a pretty nifty feature, especially on a long flight or on a road trip with the kiddies. Not a bad selling point.I got the Vita 2000 as a holiday gift to myself. After what seemed like 12 years of download time, I fired up Borderlands 2 and gave it a whirl; no grips or other whirlygigs attached, just a screen protector. I immediately became annoyed with the accidental throwing of grenades (right thumb occasionally contacts screen unintentionally) as well as the random melee attack of thin air (right middle finger incidentally contacting rear touchpad). I experimented with several different tweaks of holding the thing, and gradually got used to keeping my right thumb from contacting the front screen. My problem was that my right middle finger was at a bad angle in relation to the back of the screen, making it hard to use the rear touchpad when I wanted to, and also causing contact with it when I didn't want to. No matter how I held the Vita, I couldn't solve the problem. Let's face it, there's only so much you can do differently in terms of gripping the thing and still be in position to use all the buttons as intended.Enter the Nyko Power Grip. In short, I had no idea how uncomfortable it actually was to hold the naked Vita until I clipped on this bad boy. My gameplay experience was clearly and immediately improved. The grip is comfortable to hold, and your fingers naturally fall to the buttons they are intended to use. This is by far and away a better way to play on this machine, which I believe was designed for people with pygmy-monkey hands (borrowed that phrase from another reviewer of this grip who was quite entertaining. Shout out to you, cool guy, whoever you are).One thing I did notice was that, when attached, the grip very nearly covers the entire rear touchpad, Maybe 1/4" of it is still visible. Initially I found this frustrating, as I had a hard time getting that function to work. Then I figured out that you can adjust the sensitivity of the rear touchpad. Problem solved! Now I just feel for the edge of the grip with either my third or fourth fingers and I know exactly where the touchpad is. I'm sure this was unintentional on the part of the designers, but it works for me so I can't complain.I'm sure I'm not the only one out there having these problems, and though this device isn't perfect, it's a massive improvement.

As a grip, the product is great. It houses the new Vita snugly and the grips are very comfortable to hold. It makes holding and playing the Vita a much more comfortable experience, adding necessary weight and balance.Unfortunately I've owned this product for only 3 months and the unit simply does not charge anymore. The charging light alternates from green to flashing orange and the unit has zero battery life. I'm forced to charge my Vita separately and use this solely as a grip. For a $30 product, I'd expect better quality in the charging unit.The warranty on this product is only 30 days, so buyer beware. I'd argue it's an essential product for the Vita, but I can't give it higher than 2-2.5 stars based on how quickly this unit has stopped functioning. It's essentially half a working product.

Let me start off by saying that I have done research, and I've seen some hit and miss reviews. Reports of the battery not charging, or the port not correctly fitting. I don't often see mentions of the other problems this has.Firstly, for $20? It's a GREAT grip. It's ergonomic, and it makes my Vita 2000 easier to hold and use in longer sessions. The fit is easy enough, just slide it and lock it in with the port. That's my first gripe. The port.There's no other way to lock the Vita in this grip without plugging it in. Which is a problem for me. I don't want to plug it in. Should have added a retractable port so that you may plug it in to charge when NEEDED. Otherwise it just sits there. It makes for a great dust block though.My second gripe is that it doesn't charge. Like other reviewers have said, it just doesn't. It does when I plug the Micro USB cable in to the grip when the Vita is mounted. That actually works for me. However, that means the product doesn't work as advertised. I DID charge it before first use. Still nothing. Not exactly a HUGE problem, but that's one star docked.The biggest problem I have with this grip? I have to remove the Vita to swap out games. I have 7 physical games that I play. So, having to remove the port and unmount the system is a chore, here. It takes 20 seconds, sure.. but on the go? You do that, then you have TWO separate devices to hold on to. Which may cause some juggling. They left the headphone jack and memory card slot unblocked. Yay? I use bluetooth, so the headphone jack just gathers dust. Minus one more star here.Now, whether or not this is worth it is another question. It adds very welcome ergonomics to it. It also feels sturdier than some of the other grips I've used. (PDP I'm looking at you and your cheaply made trigger grip.I've enjoyed it. It's made games like Borderlands and Freedom Wars better for me. For just over $20? You really aren't going to find better.