The Cyborg R.A.T. 5 is a mid-range gaming mouse aimed at a lower price-point than its bigger brother, the R.A.T. 7. While this does mean the R.A.T. 5 lacks custom panels that you can replace to change the shape and comfort of the mouse, that shouldn’t put you off a well-rounded, feature-rich device.

Features

No replaceable panels and a lack of wireless connection shouldn’t put you off the R.A.T. 5. The 4000 dpi is extremely capable and works on nearly any surface. Whether veneer, cloth or an actual mouse pad, the R.A.T. 5 tracks well and glides smoothly thanks to its “slick PTFE feet”.

An adjustable weights system located towards to rear of the mouse to prevent “fishtailing”. Five 6 gram circular weights are located on a bar underneath the mouse and are easily removed should you wish to change the weight of the R.A.T. 5.

Cyborg modes allow you to program key combinations for different games or different classes within a game. Mode changes are at the touch of a button and change instantly, which is useful if you’re the type to get in on the action as you respawn.  Three preset modes are available, and users can change them by pressing a button located to the left of the main left click button. This is also colour-coded to show you which mode you’re in.

Also present on the R.A.T. 5 is the Precision Mode button. This allows you to fine-tune a sensitivity setting that you can activate my pressing the Precision Aim button on the mouse. This allows gamers to effectively slow down their sensitivity when aiming, without having to change down to a different DPI setting. The feature worked quite well and did, in some cases, result in an extra frag or two.

Usability

Using the mouse was a pleasure once the panels were set up, buttons were programmed and sensitivity levels were set. The mouse glides smoothly over any surface you’d care to use it on, though the buttons take a slightly harder press to register. This will probably loosen up as one wears the mouse in. Still, button presses certainly aren’t uncomfortable and provide a good amount of tactile feedback.

The mouse is a tad on the small side, and while the back panel can extend to increase the length of the mouse, it remains rather narrow, overall. This means that gamers with wider hands won’t find the mouse all that comfy. Those with particularly long hands will also feel slightly uncomfortable as a fair amount of the base of the palm and wrist do drag along the surface that the mouse is being used on.

Conclusion

The Cyborg R.A.T. 5 is a great mid-range mouse for those that don’t need (or want) some of the higher-end features found on the R.A.T 7. What you lose out on, regarding interchangeable panels and slightly reduced sensitivity, you gain in terms of price. The only issue I have with the R.A.T. 5 is the size of the mouse. If you have relatively large hands, the mouse will feel uncomfortable. If you have normal sized hands however it is a pleasure to use.

The R.A.T. 5 has all the useable features you could want from a gaming mouse, without the drawbacks of a high price tag. For a local price of around R630, the R.A.T. 5 is a great buy and comes highly recommended.