You hear a lot about mechanical switches in keyboards, but not so much in mice because… well, most mice use mechanical buttons. However, this month Mad Catz announced two optical gaming mice with switches that the company hopes you will think about a bit more, promising a 2ms response time thanks to some new technology.
The switch is called Dakota, and it was unveiled last week with the company’s latest addition to its highly customizable R.A.T. line, the DWS. The idea behind Dakota is that the springs in traditional mechanical mice switches wear out over time, creating extra vibration that can muddle the signal. Mad Catz claims that its signal detection technology will filter out this echo, keeping the mouse as accurate to your actual clicks as possible. This comes at a time when rival peripheral maker Razer has been experimenting with optical switches in some of its mice.
The DWS offers wireless connectivity via both 2.4 GHz RF and Bluetooth 5.0, and a 16,000 dpi optical sensor. Like its predecessors in the R.A.T. line, the DWS has an adjustable palm rest and the sides swap out. And it has a barrel scroll wheel on the side — it isn’t a pretty mouse, but FPS players will appreciate how easy it is to switch weapons with the DWS.
The wired B.A.T. 6+, announced today at CES, takes things a bit further with Mad Catz’s new Cyborg Engine software. It should offer closer games integration, as well as plenty of lighting effects. The B.A.T. 6 is a lot sleeker than the DWS, with the company claiming the design was inspired by “spaceships, hypercars, and batmobiles.” While it doesn’t look all that different from most gaming mice on the market, the slimmer design means it is ambidextrous, so lefties will find it comfortable, and it can easily accommodate different grips on the mouse, from claw to fingertip.
Both mice are set to ship next month, though the company hasn’t revealed pricing for either model.