Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro S3 Overview
The Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro S3 has the classic Mad Catz mouse look. The R.A.T. Pro S3 has the look and feel of the R.A.T Pro X3, just with less customization. The Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro S3 uses the PIXART PMW3330 optical sensor. The R.A.T. Pro S3 has a DPI range of 50 DPI all the way up to 7200 DPI. The polling rate of the R.A.T. Pro S2 is up to 2500 Hz and an acceleration of 30g.
The R.A.T. Pro S3 uses OMRON switches. These industry-leading switches have an estimated life expectancy of 50 million clicks. But this is just an estimate and OMRON switches can go beyond life expectancy. The R.A.T. Pro S3 is exceptionally light weighing only 80 grams, not including its 1.8-meter cable.
When describing the mouse, it will be from the point of view of a righty, as the R.A.T. Pro S3 is clearly designed as a right-handed mouse. The R.A.T. Pro S3 has eight programmable buttons. On the left side, there are three fully programmable buttons. There is also a thumb rest which is very comfortable
Of these three buttons, the one on the bottom is the only one that has a default setting to it. Often referred to as a “Sniper Button” this button drops the DPI down very low for as long as the button is held down. This is a great feature to use in FPS games. The top two buttons on the right can be customized in the Mad Catz software. But more on that later.
On the right side of the mouse is a sight indent for your pinky. The R.A.T. Pro S3 branding is also on this side of the mouse.
Looking at the R.A.T. Pro X3 head-on, you can see the scroll wheel. The scroll wheel consists of a white plastic wheel, with a ribbed rubber ring around it. Almost like a tire on a rim. You can also see the front part of the frame of the R.A.T. Pro S3. The frame looks like the Exoframe found on the R.A.T. Pro X3.
Looking at the rear of the mouse, you can see the back of the removable palm rest. On the very back of the palm rest, there is a notch facing down. On the body of the R.A.T. Pro S3, there are three notches that each can line up with the one on the palm rest. This allows you to angle the palm rest slightly to either the right or left. A situation in which this could be useful is if you are a lefty but really love this mouse. Setting the palm rest so the left side is pointed up made the R.A.T. Pro S3 far more comfortable in my left hand. With it angled so the right side was higher, it made the R.A.T. Pro S3 less comfortable as the right side buttons poked into my hand.
The palm rest has four different settings that can increase or decrease the length of the R.A.T. Pro S3. No that is it is meant to be used in this way, but you can also remove the palm rest altogether. In fact, for the way I grip a mouse, this was pretty comfortable. I feel if the palm rest was a bit lower, the R.A.T. Pro S3 would be far more comfortable than it is now. Not say the mouse is uncomfortable. But a lower palm rest would feel more natural.
Just behind the scroll wheel on the R.A.T. Pro S3, there is another programmable button. On its default setting, this button will adjust the DPI setting. The default DPI settings on the R.A.T. Pro S3 are 800 DPI, 1600 DPI, 3200 DPI, and 7200 DPI. There are a series of six LEDs that indicate the DPI settings of the mouse. On 800 DPI, the LEDs are off. On 1600 DPI, the first two lights are illuminated. In 3200, the next two will also light up. On 7200 DPI, the final two LEDs will light up. These settings can be tweaked in the Mad Catz software.
On the underside of the R.A.T. Pro S3, there are four glide pads. One on each corner of the frame of the R.A.T. Pro S3. We can also get a better look at the PIXART PMW3330 optical sensor, which is a favorite of FPS gamers both casual and professional. Right below the sensor, there is another LED indicator light and a profile button
The R.A.T. Pro S3 allows you to store up to four online profiles. In each profile, you can store your macros, DPI setting, and even your light settings. Three of the four profiles are indicated by different color LEDs. The fourth and final profile has no LED indicator. The light is just off. You can adjust these profiles in the Mad Catz software. But once they are set, they are stored in the onboard memory. After your profiles are set, you can use the mouse on other systems without the use of the software. Simply hit the Profile button on the underside of the mouse to scroll through your personal settings. Speaking of the Mad Catz Software, let’s get into it.