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Is that a mouse or a Transformer? Mad Catz’s customizable new line makes you wonder

Jon Martindale
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Selling a gaming mouse that is a bit different from the norm isn’t the easiest thing to do any more. Once upon a time a high-DPI laser sensor and adjustable weights were enough, but today everyone has that and gaming rodents from a few years ago are just about as good as the ones today. So how do you separate yourself from the pack? With an Autobot-like, neon-green and grey construction apparently.

At least that’s the tack that Mad Catz has taken with its new Rat Pro X and Ray Pro S mice. The former is quite an eye-catching piece of kit, with contrasting colors and a stripped back design that removes excess materials and weight for the build, bringing it down to a feather-like 105g.

This is a type of peripheral that Mad Catz has been working on for a while. The firm has always pursued a bare-bones style with its gaming rodents and this one is just a further development within that style.

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That said, no other mouse before has had the same level of customization. Not only can you switch out the side panels and move the palm rest position to better suit your hand, you can also change the scroll wheel if it gets tired and old.

The big feature, though, is that you can even choose which gaming sensor it comes with. Prefer the any-surface usability of a laser? Enjoy the Philips PLN2037. If you would rather have an optical with a high DPI, there’s the PIXART ADNS-9800, or the PWM3310 if you want a more tried-and-tested sensor.

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Since these can be swapped out though, Mad Catz promises that you will be able to update the mouse in the future as new sensors are developed, making this the first really future-proofed gaming mouse.

Other options that gamers can choose include ceramic or teflon feet and the ability to software-customize and remap every button and the mouse’s sensitivity and polling rate.

The only downside to all this customizing, the additional parts, the use of a magnesium alloy for the frame, is that it makes the price tag a lot higher than your average gaming mouse. The Mad Catz Rat Pro X goes for $200.

The Rat Pro S on the other hand, is a super-lightweight alternative. Weighing in at just 77 grams, it lets you choose your sensor as with the Pro X, but it doesn’t feature any of the other additional extras. It does however come with PTFE feet pre-attached and all of the back-end software features of its more customizable brother.

And for all that, it costs only $70.

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