The first thing I did was change the CPI setting. I changed it, saved it and then received a notification saying the profile was saved. That's when the R.A.T. Air stopped working. I tried a wired connection to no avail. Eventually I had to restart my PC before I could use the mouse again. And even after that, the CPI setting wasn't saved. But at least the mouse started working again after the reboot. 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. Let's get this out of the way: I couldn't find a single reason to use the Mad Catz R.A.T. Air's thumb barrel. That's partly because of its placement, which was difficult to reach when using a palm grip, and partly because it didn't seem any more convenient than the scroll wheel. I couldn't get the tilt wheel to work reliably enough to judge its effectiveness for myself, either. Even with this claim, I didn’t feel too much difference when testing, but the mouse buttons on the RAT DWS remain tactile and solid to the touch, as do the extra buttons – although the scroll wheel doesn’t feel as smooth as those on other mice. 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.

Mad Catz created a bespoke configuration app for customizing the R.A.T. DWS' settings. The app, which looks nearly identical to the F.L.U.X. app Mad Catz used for the R.A.T. 8+, lets you remap 14 inputs. The remapping UI, which lets you drag and drop action icons into slots that point to their inputs, is surprisingly unintuitive. Some of the slots don’t correspond to their buttons you’d expect, so you must be cautious when changing settings. In addition, the software doesn’t show you the default icons, which makes it difficult to switch default functions. 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. The RAT DWS isn’t available anywhere on UK shores right now, with a launch expected in the coming weeks.And while it works much better when plugged into its USB cable, there are enough other issues with the Air that most gaming mice that cost an eighth of its price would be better options in terms of comfort, functionality and just general enjoyment. As it stands, the R.A.T. Air feels like an expensive rehash of Mad Catz's old gaming mice. 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. 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. One of my colleagues who uses a palm grip, however, could comfortably reach it with her fingertip grip. But using it didn't always go smoothly. Sometimes she'd miss the thumb wheel if not looking at it directly, and other times she'd accidentally hit the left mouse button while trying to spin the unfortunately located wheel. Related Story IOGEAR KVM Roundup Review: IOGear 2-port full HD KVM with HDMI/USB connections; 2-port 4K KVM with HDMI, USB, & KeyMander Nexus! Do You Need A KVM In 2023?

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.MadCatz’s offering is certainly simplistic by comparison to that of Logitech and Razer, but that doesn’t mean that the company is unable to provide any less functionality. Moreover, the four on-board profiles means you’re hardly limited by the scope of customisation possible. B.A.T. 6+ is the first gaming mouse to implement the Mad Catz Cyborg Engine. The Cyborg Engine is designed to have less impact on your gaming mouse while handling all of your important game settings. The software aims at combining your complex setup into an extension of the game with one integration while giving vivid lighting effects throughout the mouse chassis. Using the scroll wheel on the R.A.T. Air was a lesson in frustration as well. Sometimes it scrolled too much, which left me cycling through weapons like a fool, and at other times it wouldn't scroll enough. I was never able to find the sweet spot where I could reliably use the scroll wheel to switch between weapons (or, you know, browse the web) on the first try. With the RAT DWS being exclusively wireless, it’s great for those gamers who just want a bit more freedom, even if that comes at the cost of it being powered by one AA battery.

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?

A R.A.T. With No Tail

Mad Catz announces the B.A.T. 6+ Gaming Mouse High performance, hyper-responsive DAKOTA switch, diversified accessories, and aggressiveness in aesthetics 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. You can use the small hex key that comes with the mouse to unscrew and remove the mouse’s pinky-side panel. By default, the R.A.T. DWS features a thumb wing on the left side and a smooth right edge, but it comes bundled with two alternate side panels that let you add a grip-enhancing right side or pinky wing. All three have their advantages. Cosmetically, the smooth edge fits the best. The grip makes the mouse easier to hold. The pinky wing adds extra support, as well as width and weight. 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've used this for a good few weeks now and I would say that it feels durable with every component and button doing the job that you'd expect them to. This works in line with my earlier mention of the build quality being fantastic. Over long sessions, I have noticed a cramp in my palm and thumb, though that only comes around when I try to use the side-scroll wheel. I honestly think my hand is just too wide for it. The fact that I keep trying to use it, knowing this, shows how insanely useful it is.