Review of TheSkrapsYard’s SD2Vita adapter for the PSVita
Disclaimer from Aurora: I have received the adapter for free from “TheSkrapsYard” in order to do the review. I promise to point out any flaws and give a non-biased review. Please read the whole article before forming an opinion, buying it or commenting about a shortcoming. A format similar to the review of Srident’s adapter will be used in this article for fairness.
1. Postage, appearance and build quality
Thoughts on postage: The adapter came in a somewhat standard padded envelope that seems to be the norm for these types of things. A small gripe I have about the packaging is that the adapter itself wasn’t in a small plastic bag (or something else) to protect it while it was being shipped which could increase the likelihood of your adapter being dead on arrival (DOA). My adapter was shipped on the 5th of September 2017 and I received it on the 22nd of September in my
Southern European country of residence which means it took 17 days to arrive to Europe from Texas in the US. This means that this adapter is better suited for buyers from America (USA, Canada, Mexico) rather than from Europe (Srident’s SD2Vita adapter from France only took 3 days and might’ve arrived before were it not sent on a Friday).
Appearance and build quality: The front of the adapter has a green colour and some writing including including a “TO BACK OF VITA” warning which will surely come in handy when installing the adapter (I know what I’m saying.. I put Srident’s adapter the wrong way in when I received it and my Vita didn’t even boot). The back side of the adapter is the same colour as the front (green) and also has some traces exposed. Unlike my review copy of Srident’s adapter, it doesn’t have a piece of tape on the pins connecting the microSD socket to the actual SD2Vita board but I highly doubt you’ll break them even if you’re rough with the adapter.
Thickness-wise, it comes in at 0.8mm which is less thick than Srident’s adapter (or at least my review copy). While it’s thinner, it’s NOT flimsy at all and unless you really put on pressure on it, you won’t break it. In other words, you won’t break it unless you specifically want to break it as it doesn’t flex at all. Another gripe I have about the adapter, which is more of a personal opinion, is that the microSD socket doesn’t click in when you insert a microSD card although the card is still securely in place.
Installing the adapter: Like most other SD2Vita adapters, you need to put it into your game card slot and rock it gently. It also doesn’t click into the slot when you put it in and taking it out is a tad annoying so I suggest you use a thin metal stick, like I did, to avoid breaking something in your game card slot (certainly don’t use a pen). In my opinion, you shouldn’t take the adapter out unless you need to; for your cartridge games, you should dump them and use NoNpDrm to run them off your microSD card.
2. Functionality
Like all SD2Vita adapters, you need to properly format your microSD card and install the driver plugin for the adapter to actually function. A link to an article explaining how to set up your adapter (including formatting your microSD card) can be found below.
With the adapter, I used an 8GB Transcend Class 10 microSD and it worked flawlessly. As I have a 16GB Vita memory card, I opted to use the adapter as uma0: (extra storage) but you could use it as ux0: (which I’d suggest you do if your microSD card is larger than your Vita memory card); transfer speed rates are also similar to Srident’s adapter as copying a file from my Vita’s memory card to my microSD card was done at about 4-5MB/s. This is a tad slower than the performance of the card on the laptop I’m using as I get 8-10 MB/s which is to be expected considering that it’s a Class 10 microSD. When it comes to loading times, I didn’t have to wait any longer than if I had used Srident’s adapter or my Vita’s memory card so you shouldn’t be concerned about transfer speeds of well-built SD2Vita adapters.
Functionality-wise, it behaves as every SD2Vita adapter should and you could read a bit more about what I tried on Srident’s SD2Vita adapter by checking out the link below. Some uses for the adapter are:
- Obviously, it gives you a cheaper and more reliable alternative to Vita memory cards! Bigger sizes, such as 200GB cards, are also supported.
- You may use it as ux0 thus having it act as a Vita memory card which is the main purpose of this adapter. Thanks to HENkaku Enso, this is made even more seamless since taiHEN runs at boot.
- You could copy over games/apps to it (if you’re using it as uma0) by using App Manager Plus version 3.0 by team ONElua (link below).
- You may use it as uma0 or ux0 depending on what you want to use it for.
- You can copy over PSP/PSX games to it and use it with Adrenaline. This is a great way to use the adapter if you don’t have any larger microSD cards lying around.
- You may also use it as the Vita’s sole storage medium but that requires some extra setting-up especially on the PSVita 1000 as its internal storage (the 2.5GB in ur0) isn’t accessible by default.
- Many other uses, such as using it for music storage.
An important thing to mention is that you could put the microSD card in your current SD2Vita into another SD2Vita (say, your SD2Vita broke or something happened to it) without needing to format the microSD! It *just* works as if nothing was ever changed. As it’s so easy transferring a microSD card to another adapter, I’d suggest you buy yourself another well-built adapter (Modsiah, Srident and obviously this one from TheSkrapsYard) before the only adapters that you could find are cheap ones from China that have dubious quality control (QC).
3. Final thoughts and conclusion
The adapter is a pretty decent adapter that’s well-built and will probably last you for quite a long time. TheSkrapsYard did a pretty good job of assembling the whole thing and fortunately, the software offerings to get the most out of the SD2Vita have been made available. Utilities like Switch SD2Vita (a utility that lets you toggle the mount point of your SD2Vita from/to ux0/uma0) and App Manager Plus let you use your microSD however you want and you could even use it with Adrenaline if you just want extra space for your PSP/PSX games and homebrew.
When it comes to improvement, there are some areas in which I think some things could be changed:
- The SD2Vita adapter should come in a small plastic bag or some protective sleeve since I’m afraid that it could get easily damaged while being shipped to you.
- There should also be a piece of paper that instructs you on how to set up the adapter, maybe with some pictures.
TheSkrapsYard originally had plans to bundle a case along with the adapter but his plans fell through after the case maker wasn’t able to find a way to make a proper case for the adapter. In my opinion, the lack of a case makes TheSkrapsYard’s production run barely different from Srident’s and Modsiah’s runs and to make matters worse, TheSkrapsYard got into the game a little too late.
I seriously hope that TheSkrapsYard gets his game together (he hasn’t yet replied after I told him I got the adapter) and actually sells the adapters. He did a production run of about 50 adapters and to my knowledge, he hasn’t sold any of them to the public. The last details he told me were that the adapters will cost about $12.99 and the money would be processed via Amazon Pay.
Overall, if you don’t have an SD2Vita adapter and live in NA, this adapter might just be your best bet! Hopefully, TheSkrapsYard puts up his adapters for sale (sooner rather than later) and lowers the price a little bit to about $10 so his prices are competitive with Srident’s and Modsiah’s adapters (which are both still on sale).
TheSkrapsYard Twitter Page (more information, hopefully): https://twitter.com/TheSkrapsYard
App Manager Plus: https://wololo.net/2017/08/30/app-manager-plus-version-3-released-easily-move-apps-ux0ur0uma0/
Guide on how to set up your SD2Vita adapter and microSD card: https://wololo.net/2017/07/20/setting-sd2vita-adapter-formatting-microsd-can-done-windows/
Review of Srident’s SD2Vita adapter (which was mentioned for reference various times in this article): https://wololo.net/2017/07/25/review-sridents-sd2vita-adapter-psvita/
I sincerely hope that TheSkrapsYard actually gets something out of this review (and the review copy he sent me) as his adapters are up to par but they should really include something else such as some type of case.
Important: Contrary to what some may have claimed, SD2Vita adapters based on Gadoarch’s design (or xyz’s for that matter) DO NOT damage your PSVita or microSD card. As far as I know, there have been NO reports of permanent damage from the adapter due to short circuits because of adapters not having a case!
Special thanks to TheSkrapsYard for providing the review copy, xyz for the adapter design, motoharu for the software patches, Modisah and Srident for their production runs which allowed everybody get an adapter, Gadoarch for his modification to xyz’s design and the whole community for helping to make the SD2Vita adapter a reality!
If you want to get an adapter right now, you could check out these adapters (the reviews of Srident’s and this adapter probably mostly hold true for Modsiah’s adapters too but neither I nor Wololo can guarantee anything):
Modsiah’s adapters (from the USA): http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/253122658247
Srident’s adapters (from France): http://srident.com/product/sd2vita/
Wololo.net does NOT have a direct association with SD2Vita adapters being sold from Modsiah, Srident or TheSkrapsYard. However some of our links, such as eBay or Amazon links, are affiliate links: we do get a commission on the sale if you purchase through these links.
I am sorry but i have to say, my China (Aliexpress) Adapter is working better than the Srident Adapter which have much connecting issus. I think it is a broken connection, could be the post… because Srident dosn’t use a case or any protection. The cheap China Adapter was way better protected…
I also have no issues with mine, and mine is a 1mm thick heroangel sd2vita. I also got it from aliexpress.
Same wth me, have a couple of Strident ones, both are failing.
I don’t get saying chinese ones have poor quality. Ali express works just like eBay. Pick a seller with a good rep and you’re good to go. By the same price Strident or the other charge, I can buy 8 or 9 from there. I just bought 4 just in case. And by the looks of it, it has a better quality conttrol than Strident’s, and they offer me warranty.
me too
Thank you so much. The proprietary Sony memory is utter BS. Just ordered this chip v2.0 right now for under $2
http://s.aliexpress.com/7feqe6NV
That no-click SD card slot is actually fairly common. Some recent examples include the Raspberry Pi 3, which switched from click to non-click, due to complaints that the click mechanism was fragile and tended to break.
If you got a few vitas laying around I suggest getting some boards fabricated and making your own. It’s a fun little project and if your pcbs come with test points you can use clear nail varnish to seal them up.
I’d recommend you look at the XBERSTAR New Version Push to Eject SD2VITA PSVSD Micro SD Adapter for PS Vita Henkaku 3.60 (Black) on Amazon. It’s cheap and is about as sturdy. It was delivered all the way from Illinios.
thanks for the review
i hope i get mine soon
i pre-ordered 2 sd2vita plus from hackinformer i have a feeling these will be the best since they have plastic casings like the cartridge (hackinformer branded).
just got mine this morning and it is a legit nice build quality but i went with the 3g modem adapter i might use it to add some more space later
Biased article. Expected better from wololo than to jump into the hackinformer fearmongering. Nobody should be using this outdated design anymore.
How the heck is this even remotely related to “fearmongering”? Please elaborate. Especially since you’re the one who seems to think the old design has a problem.
As a matter of fact, I myself published an article where my opinion was opposite to that of Aurora’s: I think the cheap ones you can buy on Aliexpress are actually ok to use: http://wololo.net/2017/08/11/microsd-adapters-sd2vita-one-buy/
So we don’t have a “site wide” fearmongering thing going on here, only reviewers’ personal opinions, which our bloggers are totally entitled to have!
“I’d suggest you buy yourself another well-built adapter […] before the only adapters that you could find are cheap ones from China that have dubious quality control”. Chinese adapters are just as good, if not better, than Modsiah’s, Srident’s, TheSkrapsYard’s and definitely HI’s. Not to mention that, although unlikely, shorts caused by the lack of plastic shell are a very real possibility. Add to that the fact that, for the asking price, you can get either 5 pieces of a V2.0 adapter that actually pops in and out of your Vita or a V3.0 one that’s encased, and that’s what I meant by “fearmongering”. No disrespect wololo, been with you forever now, but Aurora here is severely misinformed or just biased.
Hence the “I’d suggest” which is just her opinion, and not a clear recommendation from this entire website or myself, and is not related to the “fearmongering” you are talking about, which was trashing the entire former design, for a very dubious goal.
Sorry if I came out as aggressive: I’m not denying the fact that Aurora has her opinion in her reviews, and you might disagree with those. What I am not liking is that you associate us to something that has nothing to do with me or the site (the fearmongering campaign with clear goals to sell a new design)
I don’t think Aurora was fear mongering in any way.
She is correct that the Chinese produced adapters, much like anything from China, can be very hit or miss and to the casual vita user they might not be able to discern the junk from the more quality products.
That being said Aurora does appear to be biased, but its likely because she prefers to give her money to actual members of the scene and not outsiders looking to turn a profit. This is very similar to people who prefer to shop at small family owned stores instead of the big box chains such as walmart.
And Srident is part of the szene? Never heard about him bevor and his reddit and twitter account was totaly new.
I recommend SD2Vita version 3. same price or cheaper. the closest looking to an actual retail vita cart. easily available on ebay and aliexpress
This type of adapter is unfortunately obsolete, being of the hobbyist PCB-only design.
Newer adapters are available of the hybrid-PCB(shaped like a game card and eject-able), and plastic shell variants.
My plastic shell variant is still on order, slow boat from China most likely.
Not obsolete actually. (but nobody needed another review on the same gadorach/xyz design; clearly, it works)
The major flaw with these newer adapters is the PCB is still the gadorach/xyz design, which was not designed with a case in mind. Hence why Gadorach is producing a new, redesigned PCB that *requires* (and includes) a case (called SD2VITA PLUS). Chinese manufacturers are lazy: I guarantee you none of them have revised the gadorach/xyz PCB for use with a case.
I have a few of the Chinese adapters with the eject mechanism and they are junk simply because they are all thicker than 1.2mm. Anything thicker than that and you run the risk of permanently bending the connector pins inside your Vita too far in, and could run into connectivity issues with official game cartridges.
Yifan Lu says it best when he says that the gadorach/xyz designs are PROTOTYPE quality products at best. They are far from polished products.
Do you know of any Japanese made SD2Vita instead of those cheap bad Chinese made?
I don’t unfortunately. I only know of the one that Gadorach is partnering with Hackinformer to make (SD2VITA PLUS), and that’s going to be the safest one once it’s released. If you don’t like the price, just wait until the Chinese clone the SD2VITA PLUS. They are bound to clone it for sure.
I’m gonna be that guy and ask why there is no microSD adapter for non-hacked Vitas (100x and 200x).
According to RichDevX “it’s simple to do” and yet no one’s come up with it for us.
I hope it’s just a matter of time.
These adapters go in the gamecard slot, so they need custom software to mount the gamecard as a memory card. There are no adapters for the memory card slot.
Aurora, now that you have a thin PCB why not try to make a DIY case with a old credit/gift card?
https://gbatemp.net/threads/sd2vita-diy-cover-vita-spring-load-working.479691/
I made one and it’s way better than this poster, I was thinking about starting a post on /talk to see what people make. It clicks like an actual game cart so removal is easy as pie.
It’s not as easy as just throwing your used SD into a spare Vita that’s ready to go though, right? id.dat can screw some things up as I understand it.
0.8mm is wayyyy too thin for SD2VITA IMHO… 1.2mm fits perfect (though requires tweezers to remove), and 1.0mm fits snug (can actually be accidentally removed when using the microSD slot’s eject function)…..
Based on my experience, it sounds like 0.8mm would be like a hotdog in a hallway. Yep, no thanks.
I feel sorry for the designers, they’ve obviously invested some money into this – but this design is obsolete, now that we have plastic cased designs available. The people who still stock of their obsolete designs will obviously try as hard as they can to justify your purchase of them – but everyone is better off with the plastic cased adapters.
Either grab one off aliexpress or wait for more credible ones, but no one should be buying these bare designs anymore.
Stop mis-informing people, there is no offical report that the cased designs are better, they are thicker and could do more damage. There is nothing wrong with the old design. They work perfectly and if they break then the person is a *** for not being careful.
As far as the few available reports go, the cased adapters use the same mold as retail cartridges, sans the top. So no risk of shorts, more resilient, perfect fit, etc.
There are lots of things wrong with the original design. Even the 2.0s from China are better (except for smiley).
Same mold or not, if they’re using the same PCB as the original prototype design (highly likely), then there IS a risk of the card being too thick. If you don’t believe me, lay the cased adapter flat on the table next to a retail cartridge. You will notice the pins on the cased adapter are significantly higher than the retail cartridge because the actual PCB is thicker.
Sorry, but I personally do not want to run the risk of permanently bending my game card slot’s pins in too far (and having connectivity issues with retail cartridges).
This information is coming straight from the horses mouth. Anyone who advises otherwise is just trying to sell off their old stock.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vitahacks/comments/70wwlz/vita_memory_card_adapter_sd2vitapsvsdetc_buysell/
if you think otherwise, best to discuss it over on that subreddit
I bought a chinese one off ebay and thankfully it has a spring clip for putting in the micro sd card.
So i have put in the sd2vita adapater into my vita and taped it in, this way i can just slide the micro sd card in and out without removing the adapter, So painless 😀
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