Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ Adjustable Wired Gaming Mouse - 16000 DPI - 11 Programmable Buttons - 4 User Profiles Stored Directly - Customize RGB LED - Additional Palm Rests and Pinky Supports - Black

My last mouse was a Steel Series Rival 500. Steel Series has decided to turn their drivers into a massive marketing portal. You have to create an account on their website and "Log Into" Steel Series in order to use their drivers. Plus they started injecting advertisements onto the desktop. Yeah. Ergo, I am ejecting Steel Series out of my PC. See yah. I found this Mad Catz mouse and it seems to be wide enough (skinny mice give me cramps) and have enough buttons for me, so I ordered it. I'm so sad I didn't upgrade to this mouse long ago. First really really really cool thing about this mouse, is that it doesn't use any special drivers. You read that right. It's automatically seen as a standard HID device by windows. It's hidden super power is that it carries it's configuration and processing on-board the mouse. Not on your PC. Meaning if you moved this to another PC or other device, it will still behave exactly the same. So how it pulls off this trick; It has four profile memory slots. They are: Black, Red, Blue, and purple. There is a dedicated (unmappable) button to toggle through the four profiles. You don't have to use all four profiles if you don't need them. But you can. This is where your configurations live, on the mouse itself. The software that comes with this (download from Mad Catz) is a configuration editor. Now it takes a bit to wrap your head around this, and there are no instructions or help files. *sigh* But here's how it works. The editor has (unlimited?) profiles that you can create or edit. When you get it how you want, you choose which mouse profile you want to "apply" to (Black, Red, Blue, Purple). I find it works best if you manually put the mouse into the profile mode (example "Red"), then create a profile named "Red" in the editor, and apply it to the second slot with the editor. It's sorta janky and it's not explained that the editor itself has profiles, and the mouse has slots, and you can flash any profile to any memory slot on the mouse. It's a little buggy, but once you get it and grasp the concept, the power behind it becomes apparent. The downside of flashing a mouse with a config (or set of configs) is that there is no software running on your PC to auto-select a profile when you boot up a particular game. I have two profiles I use, one for desktop (Black) and one for gaming (Red), my blue and purple profiles aren't used yet. I might find a game someday that need a radically different setup, and I'll use the blue or purple. I won't delve into all the settings and macros you can create and so forth. You can do pretty much any setup that any modern mouse can do. DPI settings, remap buttons, setup a sniping button, assign key combos. It's all there. This is it. The Holy Grail of gaming mice. Better than my old Logitech G700s, better than my Steel Series Rival 500. You can change the weight, the length, the grippiness, it comes with a slew of replaceable grip panels and has a wrench for adjustments built right into the rear. I mean seriously, how has this mouse not set the gaming world on fire? I can only speculate that the lack of documentation means some users can't get a good grasp on it's configuration. The separation of editor with it's profiles and the flashable memory slots on the mouse itself is never explained anywhere. Finally, I've read where someone claimed the mouse had lag, but I've measured it to less than .006 seconds, and since human response time runs around .200 seconds, this isn't factor at all. It's as fast or faster than any mouse I've ever seen. So there you go. That's it. I love this mouse. It's has features no other mouse has, and for less than $100, it's a total steal.

So far, its functional and you can adjust to you comfort level via they give you a tiny screw at the back of the butt part of the mouse and after your finished with it you screw it back in the mouse. Folks in review said about left mouse click issue, so-so far I haven't experienced that yet. It's not extremely glossy feel, it's kind of more matte and little gloss feel. The driver is not the best, but the button mapping is nice. Only minor issue for me so far is that when In-Game for example I was playing the upcoming Valve game Deadlock where I tried to key-bind but somehow it would not detect my mouse5 click. But it works outside game. So, I figured it might be that I had to map it in driver app like a gamepad and it worked. So, in general, just button map in the App instead of key-bind in game IF you have this! If you got the driver app make sure you calibrate you mouse surface, it's called LIFE OFF SURFACE inside and my aim is woooh! smooth as butter. This is the ultimate cheat mouse :D. I HIGHLY recommend you purchase this mouse. These are the folks that made GameShark Cheat Cartridge since the Nintendo 64. *Update - I also got the Mad Catz Rat DWS (2/2/25) Dayum MadCatz Creators. This is a VERY comfy wireless mouse. Ya'll really focused on comfy gaming.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING 11/10!!! I have owned and used this mouse for a little over a month now and I cannot stress enough, this mouse is AMAZING. Don't like the side rests? Change it. Don't like the weight? Change it. Don't like the LEDs? Change it. Don't like the palm rest height? Change it. See the pattern? Everything about this mouse is absolutely, 100%, customizable which makes its ergonomics second to none as you can form it to fit your hand no matter how big or small your hands may be. This mouse is one of the heavier mice available, second only to the ASUS Spatha, personally, I think this is a major plus as I came from the old Logitech wireless mice that took AA batteries years ago. If you do not like that weight though, you can remove weights from the mouse to give it a lighter feel. The DPI selection buttons on this mouse are one of the best designs I have seen on a high-end gaming mouse, bare in mind, I have used them all. The Logitechs, the ASUS Spatha, the Corsair's, the Razer's, even some off the wall names that make customizable mice, this R.A.T 8+ mouse is absolutely the best of all of them. The customization is second to none, the materials are absolutely the highest quality that I have ever felt in my hand. The ability to change all of the laser's settings makes lift-off height a non-issue. The clicks are satisfying and the, "Sniper," button on the left thumb rest is extremely useful and very well placed. The details on this mouse also set it apart from the competition and add a very cool look to it. The reinforced metal body of the mouse also provides confidence that I could throw this thing across the room and into the wall and full force and there not be a scratch on it, it is absolutely RAGE PROOF. It also comes with an alan key built into the back end of the mouse in order to change out the pieces quickly and easily which is probably my favorite feature. The software is also very easy to use and allows you to customize each individual LED light and make sure that they are the colors that you want and also offers some cool lighting modes. In summary, I LOVE THIS AMAZING MOUSE AND RECOMMEND IT OVER EVERYTHING OUT THERE 15/10 WOULD BUY AGAIN!

I'm sad to write this review, mostly because I'd rather be saying all positive things for how much I really do love this mouse. It's the only mouse that has all the features and the form factor that I need. The problem is they seem to die every 5-10 years. This last one partially started acting up and I was hoping to do a firmware reset on it as detailed on their website, but the website says you need a tool to be able to complete the process. The tool was a link to a onedrive shared file (what company does that?) that was expired. I reached out to support multiple times and never once got a response. That hurts from someone who has been buying their brand since they first started as a company. I'd also like such an expensive mouse to live as long as the free ones the OEMs throw into their boxes. I can't tell you how sad I'll be if the company ever goes out of business or stops selling this mouse, but I wish they would get their act together.

I am a big fan of modular things. I also have a hard time finding a computer mouse that doesn't irritate my hands. Enter this thing. It comes with lots of pieces so you can mix and match to build the best mouse for you. The built-in tool screws into the back so you always have what you need to take it apart and make adjustments. I constantly use both scroll wheels, so I was very excited to see that this has two. It's been easy to use and was immediately more comfortable than the mouse I'd been using. The software is also easy to use, allowing you to program the buttons to keystrokes, macros, or common commands. I've got five of them set to various shortcuts for the program I use most often, and it's made my work much faster for it. I find that only very rarely do I need my keyboard. My hands are pretty big and I found that even the largest pinky rest was too small for me. Fortunately, I have a 3d printer and was able to make my own piece to fit to the mouse and extend that out a little more. It's been much more comfortable since, and I wish all computer mice were this modular.

So lets begin by saying that I have been a big fan of the side scrolling wheel. It adds a new level of control for PC games and even some creativity software like adobe photoshop. However, I've encountered one serious issue with this mouse. keep reading for a full review and personal experience. Lets begin with construction. Its sturdy and well made. The fact that you can switch parts (which are included) is an amazing touch that I wish other companies would get on board. The terminator look is second to none and its ability to adapt is unparalleled but not everything is perfect. I like gripping my mouse like a claw. Which means I have an arch on my hand when gripping the mouse, this mouse is fairly flat which makes it a little uncomfortable. This is however subjective so it may not apply to you. The button configuration is so-so, I dont like the size of the sniper button (if you don't know by now, this button dramatically reduces the sensitivity of the mouse while you hold it down), its so small that it feels like you have a pebble on the middle of your thumb. Had it been rounder and wider it would have been much better, without a doubt. The other side buttons are very flat and thin, slit-like (mouse button 4 and 5). They are serviceable and not terrible but again, I wish they felt more ergonomic to the hand. All buttons however, do provide a very clear and concise feedback when you click them. I did in fact like that, but I wish the buttons were better shaped and sized. Im no designer but it could have been better, 100%. Alright lets get to the point now. The clicks, though very flat sounding with immediate feedback and low travel sometimes do not register as well as the buttons. I cannot figure out why but it was costing alot of losses in popular titles such as Warzone and Warhammer Space Marine 2. At first, I thought it was me not reacting quickly and with the regular level of dexterity and accuracy. But I was wrong. It was the mouse, proven after I switched back to my older Razer mouse (the excellent Basilisk 3). I was dominating again, my reflexes were good and I was back at 1st place on the leaderboard. Clearly, it was the mouse. Rat 8+ at its high price tag is absolute garbage. It does not provide the proper value for the money. I cannot stress that enough. I suspect its a quality control issue (software) that cannot be remedied by tinkering with it. It saddens me that I paid so much for such substandard product. It fails at its most basic function. Now, you may say that I have a lemon. I simply got unlucky and got a pretty bad one out of the factory. Perhaps, but this isnt my first MadCatz R.A.T. mouse. My previous one also suffered a similar fate.. but towards the end of its life. Same delayed reaction problems or no reactions at all. I wanted a new one simply because I felt that the side scrolling wheel was a game changer. Perhaps when someone comes up with a better one for gaming.. but as of right now I cannot recommend this pile of... *ahem*. Skip!

The RAT series of mice have long been my go-to. They are the only ones that fit comfortably in my (rather large) hands. It's the most adjustable mouse on the market & perfect if you can't find a gaming mouse that's comfortable. I love the weights as well, I like a heavy mouse & I added extra weights from my old mouse. The thumb & pinky rests are a game-changer, it's so nice not to be dragging your fingers along while playing. The side-scroll wheel has become indispensable to me. I use it as a volume wheel & having that functionality literally at my fingertips is amazing. The RAT 8+ feels higher quality in basically every way compared to the 7. All the buttons & scroll wheels feel good, the rubberization is so nice on the hand, all the interchangeable parts attach completely solidly. It's a bit on the pricey side, but at least in my case this is the last mouse I'll ever buy, and since the quality is there I have no complaints.

I've been a fan of the R.A.T. series of mice ever since 2015, with my discovery of the R.A.T. 9, before the company was under new management. The size fits my hand well and the customizable weight provides an excellent level of resistance I desire in my usage both generally and for gaming. One glaring issue I've noticed was the terrible life cycle of the micro switches of these mice. I went through three mice suffering the same issue of the click spring wearing out within a year. This is not a matter covered by warranty, in my experience back then. I was forced to make small adjustments to the click spring in order to get a few more months of usability out of my mice, until another glaring issue would rear its head and the tracking sensor would give out, rendering the mouse nigh unusable. I have finally pulled the trigger on a new R.A.T. mouse and have been more than satisfied with the feel of the mouse, being just as I had remembered it. Unfortunately, it has not even been a month and I am suffering the effects of a low quality click spring. Double clicks are infrequent yet noticeable, an issue I had not experienced with a cheap mouse over the course of three years. I was hopeful that Mad Catz would have improved their internal part quality under the new ownership, but perhaps some things do change. I will continue to utilize this mouse, perhaps perform a replacement of the micro switch inside, and pray that the tracking sensor does not give out in a similar time frame.