Sony PSP: Accessorise This

Tip 1: The essentials

The Sony PSP is an utterly cool gadget by itself, but as any fashionista will tell you, the secret to true style is in accessorising. From essentials like memory cards and screen protectors to pimped-up speaker systems and bling diamond cases, the console itself is only the beginning of handheld gaming perfection. Once you've taken off the wrapper and absorbed the fresh smell of your shiny new console, think about investing in these little beauties.

Memory Stick Duo
However much you budget for your console when you head to the high street, make sure you add at least another £50 on top of that for a 512MB memory stick. While we doubt many people will listen to music on the go with their PSP, whatever Sony says, this size of stick will allow you breathing space for a few albums. While it's a hassle to convert video, the 512MB stick will also allow you to store a full movie -- read our complete guide if you fancy converting films to a portable format.

While the standard 32MB stick will hold all of your saved games easily, remember that some games are given periodical updates, which need to be stored on the memory stick. The most prolific is Wipeout Pure, which has seen enough updates to fill up a 32MB Memory Stick already. While a 512MB stick will suffice for most needs, anyone converting a good deal of video would be wise to invest in a 1GB stick.

Unfortunately, Memory Stick Pro Duo media is more expensive than SD media, and for that you have Sony to thank. The physical size of the stick might be tiny, but they are still extortionately priced, so bear in mind that you can save money if you choose Sandisk sticks over Sony's own.

Memory Stick: Pay to play

Price: £50 (512MB), £80 (1GB)
From: Sony/Sandisk

Screen Protector and UMD Cases
The PSP's screen is beautiful and, despite many complaints of dead pixels, it's one of the most detailed on any handheld device. If you're carrying it around and want to keep it this way, you'll need to buy a screen protector, as the standard case included with the PSP won't protect it completely.

The disadvantage of buying a screen protector is that it dulls the screen's contrast slightly, which isn't something you'll notice at first, and some protectors are better than others. You might also want to consider some UMD storage cases. While the games come in solid white caddies, the hole in the back is still susceptible to dust, fingerprints and scratches -- our games already display most of these blemishes.

Logic 3: Extra protection

Price: £5 (Screen Protector), £6 (four UMD Cases)
From: Logic 3

USB Cable
Remarkably, the PSP Value Pack is devoid of a USB cable, so you can't connect up to your computer to transfer MP3s or films across. But before you rush out to buy the few that are sold for £9.99, check that you don't already have one included with other standard equipment such as MP3 players and cameras. One of the best models we've seen includes a charger built into the cable, so you can draw power from your computer or laptop and charge the PSP at the same time. As the standard charging unit is quite large, this could be a lifesaver for frequent travellers.

USB cable: Included next time, please

Price: £7 (Combined charger and USB cable)
From: Gameplay

Go to TIP 2 : The luxuries