From first glance the Mad Catz M.O.U.S. 9 looks like a gaming mouse, but is this all just a cunning ruse for its true intentions? With the next evolution in the Mad Catz line of mice out, the M.O.U.S. 9 is less suited to gaming and more for general use, but is it worth the £90+ price tag.

The M.O.U.S. 9 itself is a rather funky looking piece of kit. Coming in black, red or white it is a well designed mouse, looking the part at the very least. Made out of sleek plastic, the adjustable mouse is comfortable to use even if the all plastic design can make it a little awkward for sweatier palms. It can be morphed to fit even the most cumbersome digits, making the M.O.U.S. 9 very comfortable to use. It is also relatively light, with no option to add extra weight for those who prefer a work out when browsing the internet. The M.O.U.S. 9 can be used on a multitude of surfaces reliably, having no problem with more reflective materials like wood or metal. There is a small issue with tracking occasionally that can lead laggy input, leading to a small amount of annoyance. This can be an issue even if it is a short distances from the wireless dongle. While it does not happen very often it is noticeable enough to become a major downside, even though it doesn’t last very long.

Using Bluetooth 4.0 the M.O.U.S. 9 is able to connect to a multitude of devices. This makes using the mouse on other devices other than a desktop helpful, but connection to anything other than 4.0 is impossible. If Bluetooth is not an option the mouse comes with a small wireless dongle that can be plugged in and used straight away. It is plug and play, but to get the most out of the M.O.U.S. 9 specific software will need to be downloaded and installed.

The max DPI option the M.O.U.S. 9 offers is 990 which isn’t too bad for browsing the internet. The only option to change DPI is a sniper trigger with an adjustable sensitivity to allow for more precision. While not a deal-breaker, the option to increase it a little more would have been welcome.

With 10 reprogrammable buttons built into the sleek looking plastic design the software allows for commands and profiles to be swapped in and out easily. The default options that the M.O.U.S. 9 reverts back to are well suited for browsing the internet, with additional profiles available for word documents and other areas of use. With a zoom function, back, forwards and ability to view all open windows it covers the basics as well as opening the door for those who want to program their own commands.

To get the most out of the M.O.U.S. 9 software from the official software needs to be downloaded, which unlocks the rest of the M.O.U.S. 9’s features. It is simple and easy to understand and button commands can be switched out quickly with a large list of pre-programmed options to choose from.

Additional gaming profiles that are pre-set for genres such as “FPS” and “MMO” are available to download for free but the M.O.U.S. 9 wasn’t designed as a gaming mouse. While it works moderately well as one, the low DPI keeps it from being as effective as the other new Mad Catz mouse, the R.A.T. M. This shouldn’t be used against the M.O.U.S. 9 however as it is perfect for a short blast of on-the-go gaming on whatever device.

The M.O.U.S. 9 is a fairly expensive peripheral but it is hard to justify the fairly hefty £90+ price. While good looking, comfortable and easy to use, it is let down by a lack of a decent grip with the slightest hint of moisture. The slight latency issue that occasionally crops up also doesn’t work in its favour. Simple software and ability to quickly switch out different commands and create additional profiles do make it a breeze to use, as well as being easy to customize to personal preference.

Mad Catz made a sleek looking mouse aimed at the hardcore browser who wants a comfortable peripheral they can take with them. While the price tag is fairly steep, it depends on how important a personalised web-surfing experience is to the user. Those who want a simple plug-and-play mouse won’t get the most out of the M.O.U.S. 9. For those who don’t however, the M.O.U.S. 9 is a good looking piece of equipment that they may want to invest in for the future.