Cyborg R.A.T. 9 review

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Verdict:

Expensive but excellent wireless gaming mouse

Review Date: 11 Feb 2011

Price when reviewed: £97

Supplier: http://www.scan.co.uk

Reviewed By: Tom Morgan

Our Rating 4 stars out of 5

Looking like something from a Terminator film with its exposed wiring and metal screws, the R.A.T. 9 is a wireless version of the Cyborg R.A.T. 7. It uses the same 5600 DPI tracking laser and is just as customisable, with the added bonus of not needing a cable.

With virtually no input lag and excellent response times, it was almost impossible to tell we weren’t using a wired mouse; movement was smooth, even at the highest sensitivity settings, and tracking was pin-sharp. The wireless receiver acts as a charging station for one of the two included battery packs, so there’s always one within reach if you run out of juice. Each one will last for up to four days of normal use, or nine hours’ continuous gaming.

Much like its wired cousin, the R.A.T. 9 is one of the most customisable mice we’ve ever used. Almost everything can be changed, from its weight to the position of the side buttons. The palm rest can also be extended for larger hands or swapped for a rubber-coated version for better grip. However, in spite of its customisability the mouse is rather wide, which means smaller hands may struggle to comfortably reach all buttons.

On top of the usual array of mouse buttons, there’s a DPI switch, a second wheel for horizontal scrolling, a toggle for switching between profiles and a thumb button that reduces sensitivity when held for greater precision. Each button can be set to perform any keyboard action or macro using the basic software utility, which can also save different combinations as separate profiles.

The R.A.T. 9 is one of the most expensive wireless mice available, but it performs superbly and very few alternatives are this customisable.

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User comments

no warranty or support

My experience of madcatz/Saitek is so apalling that I consider it necessary to point out that the assertions made by this company in respect of a warranty consist of only 'take it back to where you found it, and try to get your money back from someone else.'If its broken in the box when you open it take it back to where you found it and try to get your back from them.
I hope everyone ic clear that these are products without warranty and support of any kind.

By easyg0es on 20 Oct 2011