MadCatz R.A.T. 8+ Gaming Mouse Review
Peter Donnell / 3 years ago
How Much Does it Cost?
The MadCatz R.A.T. 8+ Gaming Mouse doesn’t come cheap, clocking in at £99.99, but for the level of hardware and features that you get, it seems like a pretty solid investment to me. It’s a mouse that grows and changes as you need it to, and it’s versatile enough to please any style of gamer, any age, any hand size and grip type. It’s cheaper than the ASUS RoG Spatha, and around the same as the G502, so it’s certainly competitive with other high-end models, but it has them all whipped when it comes to ergonomic adjustments.
Overview
There’s nothing like a R.A.T. and that’s as simple as it is, you either love it or you hate it. It doesn’t feel quite like anything else to hold in your hand. However, I should stress that while it does feel unique, the R.A.T. 8+ has the most adjustment features I’ve ever seen, and with some tinkering it can feel closer to a more traditional mouse shape.
The mouse is so heavily engineered, that it can take a good half hour to get it all setup with a bit of trial and error. It all felt a bit pointless and excessive, if I’m completely honest. However, after several failed configurations, I put my hand on the mouse and it just locked into my grip and it’s been a superbly comfortable fit ever since. I had it longer, wider, lighter, and lower, and that suited my hand style perfectly. It meant my hand was just resting nearly flat on the mouse and not really having to grip; a very relaxing hand position overall.
As for the sensor, it’s pretty fantastic. There’s no angle snapping, no acceleration or deceleration issues, and it’ll track at up to 400ips, so even the most enthusiastic eSports gamers won’t be able to run this out of range. You get quality OMRON switches, the PixArt PWM sensor, durable metal construction on the mouse, and easy to use software. It really does tick all of the right boxes.
Should I Buy One?
It’s not a cheap mouse, but you do get an awful lot of features for your investment. If you like the design of it, you’ll enjoy the extensive customisation options that it has to offer. Albeit, I suspect that once you have it set up just right, you’re unlikely to make many changes in the future, but it’s nice to have the option!
