In 2017, Mad Catz filed for bankruptcy, and it emerged from that bankruptcy in 2018. Now, the company has started shipping the R.A.T.AIR, a wireless mouse that's also battery-free. But how?
The R.A.T.AIR comes with electrical capacitor technology in combination with wireless charging. The included mousepad wirelessly charges the mouse, but only to the capacity of its small capacitor. So think of it more as a constant wireless power stream to power the mouse. The capacitor is said to be able to hold enough charge for short moments off of the mousepad –- a crucial feature for players who regularly lift their mouse off of the surface to control their games. Users can also connect the mouse directly to the USB cable if desired, circumventing the charging pad.
The mouse uses Omron switches for the left and right buttons, which are known to be very reliable and give some of the most satisfying clicks. It also comes packed with a 12,000 CPI (counts per inch, how many counts your mouse moves per inch) Pixart PMW3360 sensor for ultra-sensitive gameplay.
Being a Mad Catz mouse, it also comes with a generous 10 programmable buttons – some of which are pre-programmed, including a button to change the mouse’s sensitivity.
Mad Catz also equipped the mouse with a lot of customization options. Although visual customization seems mostly limited to the RGB lighting on the charging pad, the mouse itself can be adjusted in various ways. For example, the palm rest is adjustable to a claw or palm grip by extending or retracting. The software also allows for lots of customization options, including around lift-off height and USB polling rate.
The mouse by itself weighs 0.2 pounds (100 grams), and the mousepad is 1.3 pounds (585 grams). More interesting about the mousepad, however, is that its surface is removable and replaceable. This particularly handy, as it allows you to change the surface to your liking. The catch is that it has to measure exactly 12.6 x 10.6 inches (320 x 270mm, WxH) and have rounded corners, or it won’t fit nicely. It also means that you won’t have to replace the entire charging pad if you wear out or damage the cloth surface.
At this time, the R.A.T.AIR only ships in various regions in Europe and the U.K for €199 or £199. This means that if it comes to the U.S., chances are that it will cost $199. Sadly, we don’t know when this will be, if at all.
