For most PC gamers, there are two key pieces of gear that are vital, the keyboard and the mouse. Many players select their tools as reflections of their personality and taste, as many high-end options offer customizable parts, lighting, and adjustments. One of the longtime hardware developers in gaming, MAD CATZ are releasing a limited edition of one of their popular mice to celebrate thirty years. This new mouse is a visual spin-off of the R.A.T. 8+ that features a sharp black and gold look with slick packaging and accessories.
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ 1000 30th Anniversary Limited Edition is limited to only a thousand units that will steadily be released across North America, South America, and European territories starting this summer. A recent press release encourages anyone who wants to get ahold of the limited edition mouse stays connected to their social media channels. Limited editions of hardware usually sport slick designs and can become big collector items, so it makes sense that MAD CATZ would put out something like this for the big thirty.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since Mad Catz first arrived on the gaming scene, and the evolution of digital entertainment has been staggering to behold. Mad Catz shares the same values of innovation, value, and quality as we did all those years ago and we can’t wait to share our future plans with the community in the year ahead. The R.A.T. mouse has been a jewel in our range for some time now and we believe the limited-edition R.A.T.8+ 1000 is the ideal way to celebrate such a milestone.” – Joane Huang, Senior Director of Sales and Marketing for Mad Catz Global Limited.
The R.A.T. 8+ 1000 is an optical gaming mouse that comes in fancy collector’s packaging to store the piece and the accessories, encouraging display when not being used to dominate lanes or quickly toss up structures.
Visually, the mouse sports matte black and brushed chrome with gold trimming. The R.A.T. 8+ uses a Pixart PMW 3389 Optical Sensor for accuracy and reducing tracking errors. This is all contained in a lightweight chassis for balance with enough of a foundation to keep components firmly in place.
OMRON micro-switches are used in the mouse; they are rated for at least 50-million clicks. One of the main features that bring people to the R.A.T 8+ according to MAD CATZ is the array of options for the feel of the unit. This piece of tech ships with replaceable, adjustable palm and pinkie rests, Chameleon RGB lighting of 16.8 million colors, and onboard memory for up to four configuration profiles.
For those seeking quality, it seems that MAD CATZ has quite a few options for high-level play. We’ve seen this in their tech here of late, shifting more towards premium products than the budget controllers that many a younger sibling have been handed over the years. It’s always cool to see companies put together something special and 30 years in any business is a pretty big deal.
That said, there was no mention of pricing in the press release. Being limited to only a thousand will obviously increase the value but the standard R.A.T. 8+ can be found for less than a hundred dollars. We assume price details are just around the corner though since they are releasing this summer.
While I’m rarely the type to look up the specs of a mouse for my games, seeing these sort of things has me drooling a bit. I’ve always been a fan of the feel of gaming hardware, which is probably why I have so many controllers around the house. I have always believed that games can feel different depending on the input.
Maybe the R.A.T. 8+ is just the thing and those looking for something a little more unique, maybe chase the limited edition. There will only be a thousand after all. . .
For more information on the various hardware from MAD CATZ, check out their official website. Follow them on social media on either their Twitter or Facebook.
