Mad Catz R.A.T 8+ Adv Gaming Mouse Review

Up Close

In a perspex box the R.A.T 8+ Adv definitely ticks the wow factor. 99% of mice we review come in an industry standard cardboard box, so to have something that shows off the mouse whilst also protecting it is a nice treat.

In the box we have a fairly brief manual that doesn't quite explain all the bits in the depth one would hope to find. It's easy for us to follow but we've tested hundreds of mice. For the average user we'd have liked a little more detail. There are three stickers so you can show off your product choices to the world, whilst in a carefully cut foam casing we have the alternative palm and right finger grips.

Taking the items out of their container shows we have two different palm rests as well as the supplied one, and two alternative right hand plates in a shelf format and textured. The coating on the R.A.T 8+ Adv is so shiny, and indeed weighty, that a little bit of texture really helps keep things under control on hot days or during tense sessions. There are two similar looking splined shafts, with the central one available for configuration options in the software, whilst the rear one is actually the hex key that lets you tweak the mouse to your liking without having to carry a tool box around.

On the underside you can get a good look at a lot of the tricks that the R.A.T 8+ Adv has up it's sleeve. There is an adjustment screw on the right of this shot that can be tweaked with the supplied hex key, whilst the weights are fairly centrally mounted, albeit slightly rearwards, and the sensor is slap bang in the middle.

Removing the palm rest you can see the thumb wheel as well as one of the two main adjustment screws. The hex key for adjusting these is mounted in the back of the mouse so it's always on hand. This particular one allows you to change the angle of the side buttons should you so wish. It's hinged at the screw and has about 15° of movement.

The left hand side is where the majority of the controls are. We have the regulation back and forward buttons, with a small sniper button at the front, with another button in the side of the LMB lip. Above the back/forward buttons you can see the thumb wheel that can, like all the rest, be configured to anything you want but is particuarly good when used as the lean button in your favourite FPS.

The right hand side has no buttons, but there are two alternative side pieces we'll look at in a moment. The default one is the same untextured shiny red plastic that adorns the rest of the R.A.T 8+ Adv.

With all the weights installed - and we'll show you how to remove them on the next page - the R.A.T 8+ Adv is a seriously hefty mouse. Normally mice top out around the 110g mark, with many of the lighter ones way below that. If you've ever felt your rodent is just too easy to move then you'll appreciate the heft of the R.A.T 8+ Adv.