PS3 Explained

Okay, so the Playstation 3 is pretty schmick with its style and design. Unfortunately there’s a problem: if you put scratches or fingerprints on that piano-black gloss you’re going to notice it. The once beautiful finish is now marred. So what can you do to protect your console but also make it look great? Slap a “skin” on it!

Personalise and protect

Decalgirl skins are flexible, adhesive-backed vinyl pieces pre-cut to fit your game console. It works kind of like a sticker sheet where you peel off various pieces and stick them down on the corresponding areas of your console and controller. They use good quality “cast vinyl” which won’t fade or shrink for more than five years. On top of the print design is a glossy clear coating to increase strength and protection.

The adhesive backing is made of a very interesting textured material. The material assists with applying the skin–if you need to realign a piece you can peel it off easily without leaving any sticky goo. It also helps make is easy to press out any air bubbles.

Applying the skin is fairly straight-forward but does require some care and patience. The most difficult piece to apply is the largest one which covers the majority of the PS3, where it is necessary to ensure things are lined up correctly.

One drawback I discovered is due to the PS3’s touch-sensitive power and eject buttons. When the skin piece is covering this section of the console, the buttons tend to not respond very well. This may be temperature related or perhaps the skin is just slightly too thick for the buttons to register. In the end I just removed the skin piece that covered the buttons.

Our rating

The print and construction quality of the Decalgirl PS3 skin is excellent. Your PS3 will look unique and be free from smudges. It can be fiddly to apply but the clever adhesive certainly helps if adjustments need to be made.

4 / 5

Get your own skin

Head over to the Decalgirl website and browse their PS3 console skins. They have heaps to choose from!