The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ is a good mid-level gaming mouse with a distinct gamer look and three side buttons. It feels reasonably well-built, but the plastic segments that make up the body feel cheap, and the mouse rattles when you shake it. It has an adjustable palm area that lets you change the length of the mouse, making it suitable for all hand sizes using any grip type. However, some users may find its segmented design uncomfortable. It also has LED lighting on the underside and back, but it only displays red. Performance-wise, it has a very consistent sensor, a very low lift-off distance, and a CPI you can adjust by increments of 50 within a broad range. Unfortunately, the mouse is a bit on the heavy side, and it has very high click latency for a gaming mouse.
Our Verdict
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ is adequate for office and multimedia work. It has an adjustable palm section that allows you to adjust the length of the mouse, but the plastic pieces that make up the body feel cheap, and the mouse rattles when you shake it. It's well-suited for all hand sizes and grip types. Unfortunately, it's a wired-only mouse, and its wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and doesn't unlock for free scrolling.
-
Adjustable length; suitable for all hand sizes and grip types.
-
Good number of programmable buttons.
-
Wired-only.
-
Mouse wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and doesn't unlock for free scrolling.
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ scores as a good FPS gaming mouse, but it's a bit heavy and has very high click latency, especially for a wired gaming mouse. The plastic pieces that make up the body feel cheap, and the mouse rattles when you shake it. Also, its cable isn't very flexible, and its mouse feet don't glide as smoothly as most other similar mice. That said, this mouse is suitable for all hand sizes and grip types. Performance-wise, it has a very low lift-off distance and a CPI you can adjust by increments of 50 within a broad range.
-
Adjustable length; suitable for all hand sizes and grip types.
-
The CPI is adjustable by increments of 50 within a wide range.
-
High maximum polling rate and a very low minimum lift-off distance.
-
High click latency.
-
A bit heavy.
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ is good for MMO gaming, but it doesn't have nearly as many side buttons as a dedicated MMO gaming mouse. Also, the plastic segments that make up the body feel cheap, and the mouse rattles when you shake it. That said, it has an adjustable palm section, and it's universally well-suited for all hand sizes and grip types. It also has a very consistent sensor, a very low lift-off distance, and a CPI you can adjust by increments in a fairly broad range. Unfortunately, it has a very high click latency for a gaming mouse.
-
Adjustable length; suitable for all hand sizes and grip types.
-
The CPI is adjustable by increments of 50 within a wide range.
-
High maximum polling rate and a very low minimum lift-off distance.
-
High click latency.
-
Not nearly as many side buttons as a dedicated MMO gaming mouse.
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ scores as a good ultra-light gaming mouse, but it's significantly heavier than what we would consider as an ultra-lightweight mouse. It also has very high click latency, its cable isn't very flexible, and its mouse feet don't glide as smoothly as those on other similar mice. Most ultra-light gaming fans will prefer a more lightweight and responsive-feeling option.
-
Adjustable length; suitable for all hand sizes and grip types.
-
The CPI is adjustable by increments of 50 within a wide range.
-
High maximum polling rate and a very low minimum lift-off distance.
-
High click latency.
-
A bit heavy.
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ is a bad travel mouse as it's bulky and probably won't fit in most laptop cases. It's also doesn't have any wireless connectivity options, which can be cumbersome when you're using it in tight spaces like trains or planes. It feels reasonably well-built, but the plastic pieces that make up the body feel cheap, and the mouse rattles when you shake it. That said, it has an adjustable palm area that lets you change the length, so it's suitable for all hand sizes and grip types.
-
Adjustable length; suitable for all hand sizes and grip types.
-
Wired-only.
-
Bulky; may not fit in most laptop cases.
- Office/Multimedia
- Video Games (FPS)
- Video Games (MMO)
- Ultra-Light Gaming
- Travel
- Updated Aug 16, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Aug 12, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 08, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jun 07, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Apr 30, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ we tested is black and there are no other color variants. You can see the label for our unit here.
Compared To Other Mice
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ is a good mid-level gaming mouse with a palm section you can adjust to change the length of the mouse. Like the rest of the Mad Catz R.A.T. lineup, this mouse has an angular design with plastic plates that form the mouse body instead of a more traditional solid plastic or honeycomb shell. It offers more buttons and customizability options than the base model Mad Catz R.A.T. 2+. However, it lacks modular finger rests, thumb scroll wheels, full RGB lighting, wireless connectivity options, and other extra features found on more premium-level entries in the series. Unfortunately, it's a bit heavy, and it has a very high click latency for a gaming mouse.
For other options, see our picks for the best mouse, the best wired mouse, and the best gaming mouse.
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ is a mid-range entry in Mad Catz's R.A.T. lineup, while the Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ is a more premium model. The R.A.T. 4+ is significantly lighter and has a slightly more flexible cable. It also has mouse feet that glide a bit more smoothly. On the other hand, the R.A.T. 8+ Feels sturdier and has several interchangeable pieces that alter the look and feel of the mouse. It also has two additional side buttons and a thumb wheel. Performance-wise, it has a much wider CPI range and a lower click latency. Both mice are universally suitable for all hand sizes using any grip type.
The Logitech G502 Hero is a better wired gaming mouse than the Mad Catz R.A.T 4+. The Logitech feels much sturdier and has three additional buttons. You can also set a G-Shift button to enable a secondary layer of commands. Performance-wise, it has a much higher maximum CPI and a significantly lower click latency. Its scroll wheel also has L/R tilt buttons and unlocks for free scrolling. On the other hand, the Mad Catz is lighter and has an adjustable palm rest. Both mice are suitable for all grip types, but the Logitech isn't suitable for small hands.
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ is a mid-range mouse in the Mad Catz R.A.T. lineup, while the Mad Catz R.A.T. DWS is the only wireless model in the lineup. The R.A.T. 4+ is wired-only and significantly lighter. It also has a more precisely adjustable CPI. On the other hand, the R.A.T. DWS feels sturdier and connects wirelessly either with its USB receiver or via Bluetooth. Additionally, it has several interchangeable pieces that alter the look and feel of the mouse, a mouse wheel with L/R tilt buttons, and a thumb wheel. Performance-wise, it has lower click latency when connected with its USB receiver. However, It has extremely high click latency when connected via Bluetooth.
The Mad Catz R.A.T. 2+ is the base model in the Mad Catz R.A.T lineup, while the Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ is a mid-range model. The R.A.T. 2+ is significantly lighter and has an ambidextrous shape. On the other hand, the R.A.T. 4+ has a right-handed shape with a thumb rest. It has a wider CPI range, a more precisely adjustable CPI, a lower lift-off distance, and three side buttons, which the R.A.T. 2+ lacks. The R.A.T. 2+ is suitable for all grip types, but only for small and medium-sized hands. The R.A.T. 4+ is universally suitable for all hand sizes using any grip type.
The Logitech G903 HERO is a better gaming mouse than the Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+. The Logitech feels sturdier and has an ambidextrous shape. It connects with its charging cable or wirelessly with its USB receiver. It has mouse feet that glide more smoothly, and it has one additional side button and four more buttons total. It also has a wider CPI range, much lower click latency, and software compatible with Windows and macOS, while the Mad Catz only has software compatible with Windows. On the other hand, the Mad Catz is a wired-only mouse that's a bit lighter and has a right-handed shape with an adjustable palm rest.
The Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed is a decent wireless gaming mouse, while the Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ is a good wired gaming mouse. The Razer connects wirelessly with its USB receiver or via Bluetooth. It feels sturdier and has mouse feet that glide more smoothly. It also allows you to set a Hyper-Shift button to enable a secondary layer of commands. Performance-wise, it has a much higher maximum CPI and significantly lower click latency. On the other hand, the Mad Catz is a wired-only mouse. It has three additional buttons, including one extra side button. It also has a more consistent sensor and a lower lift-off distance.
The Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED is a better gaming mouse than the Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+. The Logitech connects with its charging cable or wirelessly with its USB receiver. It feels significantly sturdier and has three additional buttons. It has a wider CPI range, much lower click latency, and you can also set a G-Shift button to enable a secondary layer of commands. It also has software compatible with Windows and macOS, while the Mad Catz only has software compatible with Windows. On the other hand, the Mad Catz is a wired-only mouse. It's somewhat lighter and has an adjustable palm rest.
Test Results
The Mad Catz R.A.T 4+ has an adjustable palm rest that changes the length of the mouse. With the palm rest fully extended, the mouse is 5.1" (130.4mm), but you can adjust it to be as short as 4.4" (110.5mm).
If you're interested in a similar wired gaming mouse that has a set of added weights you can add to the inside of the palm area, check out the MSI CLUTCH GM20 ELITE
For a very similar mouse that you can use wirelessly, have a look at the Mad Catz R.A.T. DWS.
- Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+
- User documentation
The available polling rate settings on the Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ are 125Hz, 250Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz.
You can program all buttons on the Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ except for the left-click button, scroll up/down buttons, and the "mode" button on the top left, next to the left-click button. This mode button cycles through custom settings profiles that you can configure using the software. There's also a button behind the scroll wheel that cycles between four customizable CPI settings. The large, circular side button acts as a sniper button that lowers your CPI for more precise movements.
The "mode" button on the top of the Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ to the left of the left-click button cycles between custom settings profiles. Due to the lack of customization software for macOS, users can't set their own profiles, so this button does nothing. Otherwise, all controls on the Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ function by default in macOS.