Mad Catz R.A.T. M and M.O.U.S. 9 Gaming Mice Review

M.O.U.S. 9

The M.O.U.S. 9 takes the traditional R.A.T. design and adapts it to the workplace. The laser sensor is locked at 990 DPI, but can track on most surfaces including glass. The M.O.U.S. 9 lacks profile switching, but this frees the button between the two main buttons for a custom command and the tilting scroll wheel gives the M.O.U.S. 9 even more programmable buttons over the original R.A.T. mice. Its official features from both the product packaging and product web page are listed below.

• Connect to PCs, Mac and smart devices via Bluetooth Smart technology
• USB nano dongle for devices without Bluetooth
• Up to 1 year of use from 1 AA battery
• Usable on virtually ANY surface, including glass
• Palmrest adjusts to fit your hand
• Unique 5D button enables 5 commands with a single control
• Intuitive drag-and-drop software application

The M.O.U.S. 9’s packaging is nearly identical to that of the R.A.T. M. The M.O.U.S. 9 comes packaged in a clear plastic box along with a multi-language instruction manual, warranty information, a support notice advising contact with Mad Catz, some game promotion cards, Mad Catz stickers, one AA battery, and a mesh carrying pouch.

The M.O.U.S. 9 weighs 4.9 ounces (138 g) and has dimensions of 4.1 x 2.6 x 1.5 inches / 105 x 65 x 38 mm (LxWxH.) Unlike the original R.A.T. lineup, the M.O.U.S. 9 does not have adjustable weights.

The palm rest can slide out and lock at three points along the rack, bringing the mouse’s maximum length to 4.9 inches (125 mm.)

Before using the M.O.U.S. 9, a sticker must be peeled off. Also seen is the Bluetooth nano dongle being held in its compartment.

Removing the cap at the rear of the mouse exposes the battery compartment. One AA battery is included and can power the mouse for up to a year.

New to the M.O.U.S. 9 and not found on any R.A.T. mouse is a programmable tilting scroll wheel. The scroll wheel button and the button next to the wheel are also programmable giving the M.O.U.S. 9 four more programmable buttons over the original R.A.T. mice. Unfortunately, I find M.O.U.S. 9’s scroll wheel button stiff and the wheel too recessed into the mouse to effectively tilt. Rolling the wheel is fine though and I appreciate its rubberized surface.

Three programmable buttons can be found on the left side of the mouse. The large circular Precision Aim button by default drops the mouse pointer speed when held. No other button can be programmed with this function. The sensitivity of the lowered DPI can be changed in the software.

A horizontal scroll wheel is located near the side buttons. Like the vertical scroll wheel, this wheel rolls. The horizontal scroll wheel is also programmable.

Also seen is the blue LED which will blink for a short time when the Bluetooth connection is connected or disconnected.