Chittagong
Gold Member
My second most anticipated item of December, (up there right after PSP) the vertical stand for the new slim PS2 arrived to my local shop today. I was quick to grab the last one, apparently they had sold the whole shipment already by the time I arrived. No word if more are due before Christmas.
The new stand comes packaged in a bright yellow cardboard box, not unlike the box for the new PS2 itself. Taking it in a transparent security case to the cashier, it was only after I paid the 14.90 eur that I got to feel the box without the security case.
The first thing that you notice is that the box is surprisingly heavy. A bit puzzled, I managed to contain my curiosity until I was home. There I carefully opened the box and took out the vertical stand.
Prepare yourself for the sweet part! Remember how the vertical stand for the old PS2 had a cool gradient color, but was from a single mold of plastic, and felt perhaps just a bit cheap? Even cheap in a way that could make you question the value it gave for the money for a while? Well, now such worries here! The new stand is made out of
*drumroll*
THREE different materials, plastic, rubber and METAL! It feels nice and solid on hand.
The top of the new PS2 vertical stand is made of plastic, very similar or exactly the same as the console it self. Hence, it's a perfect aesthetic fit. The coolest thing, however, is the bottom, hidden from the eye. It's metal, making the the stand very stable. As a finishing touch, the stand has small rubber bits. Very well balanced design.
So, what does this attention to detail mean in practice, I hear you ask? Well, it boils down to two things. First of all, remember that the new PS2 is very light and thin. Putting it in a vertical position worried me a lot prior to today. Not anymore - the metal in the stand counter-balances the console, making it stand still nicely! Secondly, the rubber parts will keep the console from sliding. I actually tested the force needed to move the console by pulling the controller cord - it's not a light pull, I tell you!
The assembly is rather straight-forward. In fact, I didn't refer to the manual for assembly instructions at all - I'm not sure if there was any, actually! The trick is to locate the indents on the bottom of the console, and then to match the nubs on the stand with them. Once in place, there is a screw that must be tightened to make the stand stay still. A standard household screwdriver might be handy, although I noticed that it might be possible to tighten the screw without one, too. Better not to take any risks, however.
Once done, the PS2 looks visually very pleasing, at least to my eye. The new position does not affect the functionality of the console, all the games and DVDs seem to work great. One thing to notice, however, is the changed orientation in inserting the disc to the console. I got used to it very quickly, so no big deal.
Now, off to play GTA: San Andreas with my newly vertically aligned slim PS2!
The official PS2 vertical stand for the new, slim console. Note the small nubs that have matching indents on the bottom of the console, as well as the screw used to tighten the stand for optimal stability.
The new stand comes packaged in a bright yellow cardboard box, not unlike the box for the new PS2 itself. Taking it in a transparent security case to the cashier, it was only after I paid the 14.90 eur that I got to feel the box without the security case.
The first thing that you notice is that the box is surprisingly heavy. A bit puzzled, I managed to contain my curiosity until I was home. There I carefully opened the box and took out the vertical stand.
Prepare yourself for the sweet part! Remember how the vertical stand for the old PS2 had a cool gradient color, but was from a single mold of plastic, and felt perhaps just a bit cheap? Even cheap in a way that could make you question the value it gave for the money for a while? Well, now such worries here! The new stand is made out of
*drumroll*
THREE different materials, plastic, rubber and METAL! It feels nice and solid on hand.
The top of the new PS2 vertical stand is made of plastic, very similar or exactly the same as the console it self. Hence, it's a perfect aesthetic fit. The coolest thing, however, is the bottom, hidden from the eye. It's metal, making the the stand very stable. As a finishing touch, the stand has small rubber bits. Very well balanced design.
So, what does this attention to detail mean in practice, I hear you ask? Well, it boils down to two things. First of all, remember that the new PS2 is very light and thin. Putting it in a vertical position worried me a lot prior to today. Not anymore - the metal in the stand counter-balances the console, making it stand still nicely! Secondly, the rubber parts will keep the console from sliding. I actually tested the force needed to move the console by pulling the controller cord - it's not a light pull, I tell you!
The assembly is rather straight-forward. In fact, I didn't refer to the manual for assembly instructions at all - I'm not sure if there was any, actually! The trick is to locate the indents on the bottom of the console, and then to match the nubs on the stand with them. Once in place, there is a screw that must be tightened to make the stand stay still. A standard household screwdriver might be handy, although I noticed that it might be possible to tighten the screw without one, too. Better not to take any risks, however.
Once done, the PS2 looks visually very pleasing, at least to my eye. The new position does not affect the functionality of the console, all the games and DVDs seem to work great. One thing to notice, however, is the changed orientation in inserting the disc to the console. I got used to it very quickly, so no big deal.
Now, off to play GTA: San Andreas with my newly vertically aligned slim PS2!
The official PS2 vertical stand for the new, slim console. Note the small nubs that have matching indents on the bottom of the console, as well as the screw used to tighten the stand for optimal stability.