Deconstructed, with all of its weights and swappable
options, the RAT 7 mouse from MadCatz has 17 parts. The mouse you use today probably has one.
options, the RAT 7 mouse from MadCatz has 17 parts. The mouse you use today probably has one.
The reasoning behind MadCatz’s assault on simplicity is, I presume, that no one can build a mouse that’s perfect for every gamer. So instead the company gives you a protean mouse that’s tunable, tweakable, and transformable. And the result is perfect. Well, it’s as perfect as you’re gonna get without going to the bespoke mouse tailor downtown. Choosing your pinky and palm rest (I prefer the textured, non-elevated
one), weight (I opted for none), length (adjustable with a quick squeeze of a retention clip) and thumb button position (which can be nudged via a clever built-in allen wrench up to three-quarters of an inch to land just beneath your thumb) takes less than a minute. After that, it’s paradise— despite the skeletal, almost vicious appearance, the mouse fits your hand like the Batsuit.
one), weight (I opted for none), length (adjustable with a quick squeeze of a retention clip) and thumb button position (which can be nudged via a clever built-in allen wrench up to three-quarters of an inch to land just beneath your thumb) takes less than a minute. After that, it’s paradise— despite the skeletal, almost vicious appearance, the mouse fits your hand like the Batsuit.
But even with the slick customization options and the 5600dpi laser sensor em
bedded in the mouse’s steel underbelly, the RAT 7 is just getting started.
Two why-didn’t-they-think-of-thatbefore features add some fine whiskers to this RAT. There’s an additional scroll wheel for your thumb that I’ve found easier to implement as a weapon switcher than the traditional scroll wheel—both are expertly positioned and notched. But the kicker is the small button that looks like a Red Hot poised at the tip of your thumb.
While you can adjust mouse sensitivity to four levels on the fly via the middle-finger button, the sniper button instantly drops you down to a customizable dpi for extremely accurate shooting: the equivalent of holding your breath while you line up your shot. It’s brilliant, slicing out all the frustration from stop-and-drop sequences.
There is no other mouse like it, and I wouldn’t want to be the designer working for the competition who’s ordered to top it (before you say it—MadCatz is cutting the braided cable with a wireless version, the RAT 9, that I’ll review next month). At its lightest weight, the mouse might be a touch too heavy for the daintiest of paws, and it isn’t cheap. But why should it be?
No other mouse can do as much for so many gamers as the RAT 7.
bedded in the mouse’s steel underbelly, the RAT 7 is just getting started.Two why-didn’t-they-think-of-thatbefore features add some fine whiskers to this RAT. There’s an additional scroll wheel for your thumb that I’ve found easier to implement as a weapon switcher than the traditional scroll wheel—both are expertly positioned and notched. But the kicker is the small button that looks like a Red Hot poised at the tip of your thumb.
While you can adjust mouse sensitivity to four levels on the fly via the middle-finger button, the sniper button instantly drops you down to a customizable dpi for extremely accurate shooting: the equivalent of holding your breath while you line up your shot. It’s brilliant, slicing out all the frustration from stop-and-drop sequences.
There is no other mouse like it, and I wouldn’t want to be the designer working for the competition who’s ordered to top it (before you say it—MadCatz is cutting the braided cable with a wireless version, the RAT 9, that I’ll review next month). At its lightest weight, the mouse might be a touch too heavy for the daintiest of paws, and it isn’t cheap. But why should it be?
No other mouse can do as much for so many gamers as the RAT 7.
