DS hardware review: Hori screen protectors

With many Nintendo DS systems beginning to show signs of battle damage, avid players know that screen protection is critical. Many DS games take great advantage of the touch screen, and as time goes by scratches might appear on it. All it takes is a tiny dust particle to get stuck underneath your stylus; every time you slide it over your touch screen, you could be damaging it [ and since I am taking mine to the beach this summer, I would hate to think what some sand could do to my precious -- Ed.]. Aside from regular cleaning with a soft cloth (such as a lens cleaning cloth), a set of quality screen protectors is highly recommended. There are a lot of brands out there and it is easy to end up with a bad product that will damage your system instead of protecting it. We would like to give you some advice on screen protectors and which ones to use. Continue reading to find out how to keep your touch screen in top-notch condition.

After doing extensive research, we have found only one screen protector brand that we can safely trust; Hori. Every other brand we tried had some problem or deficiency; Pelican, Madcatz, even the ones included with official Nintendo starter kits are low quality protectors. Hori uses top technology to deliver quality product that will protect both of your Nintendo DS screens without leaving any residue or lowering touch screen sensitivity or accuracy. Hori screen protectors are a bit hard to find; well, official ones are. There are a lot of unauthorized, low-quality copies out there, especially on eBay, so watch out. Frys, the electronics store, carries official Hori protectors for just $6.99.

It is highly recommended to install Hori screen protectors as soon as a new DS system is purchased. However, you can still enjoy Hori’s screen protection with a used Nintendo DS. Make sure your screens are as clean as they can be, and apply the protectors on a well lit, dust-free environment. Follow the instructions carefully; both protectors are labeled so that you can apply each one to the appropriate screen. Both protectors include a front cover and a back cover; you will remove the back cover, carefully apply the screen protector as centered as you can get it to be, and remove the top cover to leave the protector in place. This process might seem a bit complicated, but just take your time and you’ll be fine; if you’ve got shaky hands, ask someone around for a bit of help.

Once the installation process is over, your DS or DS Lite will be safe for quite some time. If, after many hours of play, your screen protector gets damaged, simply remove it using a small piece of tape and apply a new set. Keeping your actual screens scratch-free is well worth the price and effort.