While most controller sleeves, skins and other accessories are either made of hard plastic or some form of rubber, CM4 is daring to be different with the introduction of their Catalyst line of premium cases for the Nintendo Wii, DSi, DSi XL, and Sony PSPgo, made of synthetic leather. At first, I was wondering why they weren't using actual leather, but Jon Ray, the CM4's Director of Marketing, explained that to use authentic leather would have increased their costs (and, hence, the price) five-fold. He was quick to point out, however, that they worked closely with their synthetic leather supplier to get a custom synthetic leather that is very soft and supple, fitting their needs and feeling very much like real leather. I got to feel the synthetic leather at E3, and found that it was very soft and comfortable in my hands. As you can see in the picture, the sides of the Catalyst Wii-mote sleeves are perforated, much like leather steering wheel covers, providing superior grip and comfort, while allowing some airflow to reduce sweating of the hands during long play sessions. They are designed to fit over the Wii-mote with the MotionPlus unit attached, since Wii units now ship with the MotionPlus included.

For Nintendo DSi and DSi XM, CM4 has Catalyst Slim Covers, which are made of sturdy aluminum and are fabric-wrapped in a soft-touch synthetic leather fabric, giving them a smart, professional look as well as additional protection. Think of these as an "executive" line of portable console covers.

At our appointment, we received Slim Covers for the Nintendo DSi and DSi XL, both in a slate color, as well as an onyx-colored Catalyst sleeve for Wii-mote with Motionplus, so check back soon for full hands-on reviews of these products.