MAD CATZ RAT 6+ Gaming Mouse Black

Product Information

Given the hardware issues, maybe the R.A.T. Air's software is good? Nope. Mad Catz's software offers the usual features -- CPI settings, acceleration, et cetera -- as well as the ability to create multiple profiles for use with different games. But it's also a buggy mess that's frustrating to install, let alone use. The old Mad Catz was primarily known for 'good enough' game controllers in recent years. Most people probably didn't choose to use them over a first-party controller, but the controllers did what was expected of them. But despite a high price and busy design, the R.A.T. Air failed in some of its most basic functionality when running wirelessly.

Kowloon, Hong Kong – Jan 11, 2021 - Mad Catz Global Limited, the leading innovators in gaming hardware, are excited to announce a new gaming mouse, the B.A.T. 6+. Combining the elements of fast and powerful design, the truly ambidextrous gaming mouse offers the ultimate customizability and comfort, allowing every gamer to swap the side skirts and palm rests at will under each circumstance. Equipped with a high-end 16K DPI sensor and the 2ms response time of the DAKOTA™ switch, B.A.T. 6+ makes you become the mobile armory. The R.A.T. DWS connects to your PC via Bluetooth or 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. Bluetooth uses less power, but introduces additional latency. In general, I prefer the 2.4GHz connection for gaming, as it tends to be more stable and, on occasion, more responsive. Thankfully, the R.A.T. DWS includes onboard dongle storage; there’s a spring-loaded slot on the underside of the mouse that holds it snugly in place.So has it always been with the R.A.T. line, though, and clearly plenty of gamers do dig the futuristic starfighter aesthetic as otherwise it wouldn't have endured.

I tested both connections during testing the Mad Catz R.A.T. DWS and can confirm that both took seconds to setup. 2.4Ghz connection just requires you to plug in the dongle, while the Bluetooth connection can be enabled simply by opening the Bluetooth options menu on your PC.

Someone call that cat on this R.A.T.

Unfortunately, the Mad Catz R.A.T.. Air doesn't feel any better to use. It's supposed to be somewhat ergonomic, and Mad Catz even included an adjustable palm rest to accommodate different hand sizes, but there's simply too much going on for it to feel good. The plastic itself feels okay, but at no point during my time with the R.A.T. Air did I find myself liking the way it felt in my hand. Besides its odd shape, the mouse is short. There are just 2.5 inches from the mouse's bottom to the the part that touches your palm, compared to the 3.5 inches in the Roccat Kain 200 Aimo and Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro wireless mice. The RAT DWS features a 16,000 DPI sensor right out of the box. This is comfortably sensitive enough for competitive gamers, although you can get a higher DPI with rivals such as the Razer DeathAdder V2. From a tech and customisation perspective, though, the R.A.T. DWS will clearly appeal to all gamers, as the adjustable palm and pinke rests, as well as super fast and precise 16,000 optical sensor and Dakota button switches, making for an excellent gaming experience. The most problematic issue in my time with the Mad Catz R.A.T. Air was the frequent wireless connection issues. The mouse can be used with a wired connection, sure, but Mad Catz only included one microUSB-to-USB 2.0 cable that can either be used with the R.A.T. Air itself or the Wireless Activation Board. The board doesn't light up if it's not connected to a PC, of course. Being a true gamer, I want the best RGB mouse pad, or at least as much RGB as possible, so I left the Wireless Activation Board plugged in. Plus, the wireless aspect is one of the key features of the pricey peripheral. Where the Mad Catz M.O.J.O. M1 excels however, is performance. Not only does it have a fast response time, again thanks to the Dakota Switches, but the mouse uses the PMW 3360 optical sensor that delivers a 1000Hz polling rate, 50G acceleration, 250 IPS, and up to 12000 DPI. Sure, there are mice with higher DPI, but even 12K is more than we could ever use.

When looking at this, I'm very much reminded of the Tetsuya Nomura version of Batman or the Darksiders designs from Joe Madureira ( War, to be precise). That is to say that the Mad Catz R.A.T. 6+ is over-designed. I don't doubt that to somebody, somewhere, it looks great. Just not to me. There are too many details on the details and at first glance, it barely even looks like a mouse - unless it's a mouse slowly turning into its true transformer form? The big caveat to this design choice is the possibility of debris and dust getting into the mouse. You can actually see the circuit boards inside if you look closely, and if there’s one thing that is dangerous to electronics besides water, it’s dust. While we didn’t experience any issues regarding debris affecting the mouse, it is a concern for long-term use. However, with a good dust blower and regular maintenance, this shouldn’t be that big of an issue.For power, the R.A.T. DWS uses a AA battery, which you insert into a semi-hidden tube in the mouse's base. According to Mad Catz, a single cell should supply 200 hours of play time when using 2.4GHz WiFi, and up to 300 hours when using Bluetooth. Those are strong numbers, even among cell-powered mice that tend to get more than one hundred hours of battery life per charge. The shape also adds weight. At 4.80 ounces, the R.A.T. DWS is among the heaviest mice I’ve reviewed. That isn’t necessarily a problem, but it indicates that the design favors extra inputs and customization over competitive performance. This may not be your preferred esports mouse. Given there’s the ability to fiddle with the RAT DWS’ functionality when it comes to both hardware and software, it’s an ideal product for those who like to get things just right. For reasons beyond understanding, Mad Catz also made it possible to unscrew the thumb side panel, even though it isn’t adjustable or removable. It’s a confounding decision, seeing as it introduces a way for you to lose an essential part. The panel remains connected even after it’s unscrewed, but the screw does not. That 16,000 DPI sensor is a doozy, too, and combines really nicely with those super fast Dakota button switches. First person shooter fans are going to feel very much at home using the R.A.T. DWS in my opinion.