October 22, 2015 at 18:14Mad Catz
Hello GT! There are not many players in the field of quality peripherals. Microsoft produces good keyboards, Logitech is famous for its loyal support and multi-year warranty. Interesting things are sometimes produced by manufacturers of gaming peripherals: Razer (which they scold for year-round quality), Steelseries, Roccat and Mad Catz. But here, in addition to classic mice and keyboards, you can easily find gamepads, and joysticks, and steering wheels, and what else they can’t come up with for the game.
On the pages of our blog we periodically talk about one or another gadget of one or another manufacturer, and today we will show not one, not two, but four interesting gadgets from Mad Catz at once.
A company with a fairly rich, albeit strange, history. The guys from Keddr managed to fit her in 100 seconds:
The company now has three main areas: production of peripherals for PCs, consoles and mobile phones. Headsets, mice, keyboards, Fightpads (manipulators adapted for fighting games), musical instruments for RockBand, and other joysticks, gamepads and steering wheels are performed either in a classic design or with proprietary features for customizing cases and device geometry. Almost all branded sub-brands are written through the dot, which cause problems for copywriters and reviewers, but there is nothing to be done, the company's policy. :)
The needs of any player can be described in three words: faster, more precisely, more reliable. The flagship “mechanics” of STRIKE TE MECHANICAL is practically not customized, but it is assembled taking into account these three requirements. Kalih Brown is used as switches: they have the same color coding as the Cherry line.
These are tactile keys without a separate “clicker”, their response point is close to the point of “return” to the non-pressed state, which allows the keyboard to respond more quickly to commands, while remaining quite pleasantly tactile. Typing on it is a pleasure.
As for the microswitch manufacturer, everything is fine here. At Kaihua Electronicsexcellent reputation, and their components are very often used in automobile and machine tool building. Similar switches are used in the rather rare TTesports Poseidon Z and the impressions are the most positive. A very clear feeling of a click, quite quiet operation and a perfectly executed mechanism: you can press at least the center of the key, at least its corner - not the slightest sensation of “skewing” or that the click will not be counted. In the heat of battle, such switches will not fail.
As for the design, everything is quite simple here: the keyboard has a visual separation between the main unit and the arrow-digital, but does not customize. The maximum that you can change is the presence of a stand and choose one of the three angles of setting the keyboard. Many will like the fact that the text block is not "disfigured" by any extra buttons or rows of macro keys. The multimedia buttons are rendered on FN + F1-F12, macros or programs can be launched with special mini-buttons on top. A hardware (!) Windows button switch hid there. It would be nice if it was three-position and Alt + Tab could also turn off.
"Poddyanka" hid in the arrow unit: it is not separated from the five additional keys. Of course, there are few misses there, but visually and tactfully this arrangement is somewhat unusual. However, for me personally it remains a mystery why the keys are there. From the "shooter" WASD - far. In racing people prefer gamepads and steering wheels. For work? Assign CTRL + X / C / V there? In general, I did not find any reasonable way to effectively use these keys. Unless to assign them CTRL + arrows or SHIFT + CTRL + arrows to move or highlight immediately whole words in a text editor.
Profiles, macros, reassignments of everything and everything have become a chore for such devices, so there’s nothing to tell here.
The keyboard has a younger brother: STRIKE 3. Unfortunately, it is deprived of mechanical switches, instead of them a special PULSE membrane mechanism with the closest points of "actuation" and "return" is used, equipped with a special wiring with protection against key ghosting. But the price is completely different.
Customizable “membranes” are represented by the insanely expensive STRIKE 7 with an external LCD display, customizable blocks / surfaces / stands and its simplified version of STRIKE 5.
Prices for these high-tech toys are simply prohibitive, and in the heat of battle, hardly anyone will be distracted by the built-in LCD display or special keys scattered around it.
Well, the membrane design, although declared as “specially designed for games” and “withstanding 100,500 clicks,” never in accuracy and clarity of operation, alas, can not be compared with mechanics.
There are very, very many things here: starting with gamepads optimized for working with mobile phones, ending with virtual guitars. The most interesting things are the new mobile controllers of the LYNX series and the "airplane" joysticks of the FLY
series. The LYNX series differs in features and case materials, but the main functions: compactness (folding gizmos), Bluetooth and Android and PC connectivity are light and versatile in their blood. And you can also buy a module with a keyboard for them, so that in the chat of opponents you can surround them with matyukas without changing your posture.
In the Russian Federation, these gamepads are still not officially available, but as soon as they appear, we will do a detailed review of the entire line.
Virtual pilots may also like the “average” in the Mad Catz FLY 5 line of joysticks. The model was clearly designed to take your favorite piece of iron with you to any event: the handle detaches from the base, and the base itself easily folds into a compact and convenient for carrying a “pancake”.
On the right paw are two OREwith the possibility of combining them into one common unit to simplify the management of multiple engines. Next to them are four function keys. The joystick itself is decorated with a whole scattering of keys. A trigger with a stunningly precise move and a juicy click, four additional “armed” keys around the D-Pad, a mini-wheel underneath. In addition to all this magnificence, the handle is adjustable in height and angle of inclination of the “head” part. It will be comfortable for players with absolutely any palm size and finger length: everything is configured in a fairly wide range.
I had the opportunity to compare FLY 5 with one of the most popular joysticks in runet: Cobra M5. Naturally, the tests were carried out in WarThunder. The only thing the Mad Catz joystick is really inferior to the “legendary” cobra is its double trigger, nevertheless, more convenient than the “single” one in FLY 5 (note: the points are already tired of setting, but what can you do, the work is like that ...). But the abundance of additional Controls on the joystick itself made it possible to access the keyboard less often and use the “cheating” technique with a reduced pitch of the screw and re-enriched mixture in “realistic” battles.
With the Cobra M5, I had to get into the settings twice and switch the control to "simulated", adjust the engine operation mode and switch back to the "simplified" control.
If someone was Igromir could see in the Mad Catz booth not only mountain gamepads and mice, but also a new flagship the PRO the RAT the X . He appeared in front of the audience in a completely disassembled form, and it was quite difficult to understand its real possibilities for customization.
We will definitely do a full review-analysis of this mega-mouse. In the meantime, you can tell this. Everything is configured. From the behavior of the wheel (it uses an optical encoder): friction, inertia, "clicks" and the speed of response to the effort on the mouse buttons. Do you want a hard springy click - please. Soft and responsive to minimal effort - as easy as shelling pears.
The mouse sensor itself is also replaced by an entire module: Philips Twin-eye, ADNS-9800 and optical PNW3310 laser options are available. Now, certainly, no one will leave offended, and lovers of optical mice will not complain that no one is releasing top solutions on classic sensors.
This also includes the choice of “paws” for your mouse. Like Teflon "slippery" - take Teflon. Love the newfangled "ceramic" - you will be ceramic.
The geometry of the mouse can be changed over a wide range, interchangeable pads of different sizes, materials and shapes allow you to adjust the device exactly for you.
Well and most important: Mad Catz did not forget to release a simplified and facilitated in all senses “tournament” analogue. Love weightless mice with a “classic” optical sensor and a minimum of bells and whistles - you will definitely enjoy the RAT PRO S. 77 grams, high-quality materials, customizable backrest length and tilt, DPI adjustable on the fly and built-in memory for storing settings, profiles and macros, regardless of the software on the computer. In general, a classic set of gaming technology.
That's all for now. As soon as new gadgets arrive at our disposal - we will delight in a detailed analysis and a detailed review.
Mad catz
A company with a fairly rich, albeit strange, history. The guys from Keddr managed to fit her in 100 seconds:
The company now has three main areas: production of peripherals for PCs, consoles and mobile phones. Headsets, mice, keyboards, Fightpads (manipulators adapted for fighting games), musical instruments for RockBand, and other joysticks, gamepads and steering wheels are performed either in a classic design or with proprietary features for customizing cases and device geometry. Almost all branded sub-brands are written through the dot, which cause problems for copywriters and reviewers, but there is nothing to be done, the company's policy. :)
Keyboard line STRIKE
The needs of any player can be described in three words: faster, more precisely, more reliable. The flagship “mechanics” of STRIKE TE MECHANICAL is practically not customized, but it is assembled taking into account these three requirements. Kalih Brown is used as switches: they have the same color coding as the Cherry line.
These are tactile keys without a separate “clicker”, their response point is close to the point of “return” to the non-pressed state, which allows the keyboard to respond more quickly to commands, while remaining quite pleasantly tactile. Typing on it is a pleasure.
As for the microswitch manufacturer, everything is fine here. At Kaihua Electronicsexcellent reputation, and their components are very often used in automobile and machine tool building. Similar switches are used in the rather rare TTesports Poseidon Z and the impressions are the most positive. A very clear feeling of a click, quite quiet operation and a perfectly executed mechanism: you can press at least the center of the key, at least its corner - not the slightest sensation of “skewing” or that the click will not be counted. In the heat of battle, such switches will not fail.
As for the design, everything is quite simple here: the keyboard has a visual separation between the main unit and the arrow-digital, but does not customize. The maximum that you can change is the presence of a stand and choose one of the three angles of setting the keyboard. Many will like the fact that the text block is not "disfigured" by any extra buttons or rows of macro keys. The multimedia buttons are rendered on FN + F1-F12, macros or programs can be launched with special mini-buttons on top. A hardware (!) Windows button switch hid there. It would be nice if it was three-position and Alt + Tab could also turn off.
"Poddyanka" hid in the arrow unit: it is not separated from the five additional keys. Of course, there are few misses there, but visually and tactfully this arrangement is somewhat unusual. However, for me personally it remains a mystery why the keys are there. From the "shooter" WASD - far. In racing people prefer gamepads and steering wheels. For work? Assign CTRL + X / C / V there? In general, I did not find any reasonable way to effectively use these keys. Unless to assign them CTRL + arrows or SHIFT + CTRL + arrows to move or highlight immediately whole words in a text editor.
Profiles, macros, reassignments of everything and everything have become a chore for such devices, so there’s nothing to tell here.
The keyboard has a younger brother: STRIKE 3. Unfortunately, it is deprived of mechanical switches, instead of them a special PULSE membrane mechanism with the closest points of "actuation" and "return" is used, equipped with a special wiring with protection against key ghosting. But the price is completely different.
Customizable “membranes” are represented by the insanely expensive STRIKE 7 with an external LCD display, customizable blocks / surfaces / stands and its simplified version of STRIKE 5.
Prices for these high-tech toys are simply prohibitive, and in the heat of battle, hardly anyone will be distracted by the built-in LCD display or special keys scattered around it.
Well, the membrane design, although declared as “specially designed for games” and “withstanding 100,500 clicks,” never in accuracy and clarity of operation, alas, can not be compared with mechanics.
Gamepads and controllers
There are very, very many things here: starting with gamepads optimized for working with mobile phones, ending with virtual guitars. The most interesting things are the new mobile controllers of the LYNX series and the "airplane" joysticks of the FLY
series. The LYNX series differs in features and case materials, but the main functions: compactness (folding gizmos), Bluetooth and Android and PC connectivity are light and versatile in their blood. And you can also buy a module with a keyboard for them, so that in the chat of opponents you can surround them with matyukas without changing your posture.
In the Russian Federation, these gamepads are still not officially available, but as soon as they appear, we will do a detailed review of the entire line.
Virtual pilots may also like the “average” in the Mad Catz FLY 5 line of joysticks. The model was clearly designed to take your favorite piece of iron with you to any event: the handle detaches from the base, and the base itself easily folds into a compact and convenient for carrying a “pancake”.
On the right paw are two OREwith the possibility of combining them into one common unit to simplify the management of multiple engines. Next to them are four function keys. The joystick itself is decorated with a whole scattering of keys. A trigger with a stunningly precise move and a juicy click, four additional “armed” keys around the D-Pad, a mini-wheel underneath. In addition to all this magnificence, the handle is adjustable in height and angle of inclination of the “head” part. It will be comfortable for players with absolutely any palm size and finger length: everything is configured in a fairly wide range.
I had the opportunity to compare FLY 5 with one of the most popular joysticks in runet: Cobra M5. Naturally, the tests were carried out in WarThunder. The only thing the Mad Catz joystick is really inferior to the “legendary” cobra is its double trigger, nevertheless, more convenient than the “single” one in FLY 5 (note: the points are already tired of setting, but what can you do, the work is like that ...). But the abundance of additional Controls on the joystick itself made it possible to access the keyboard less often and use the “cheating” technique with a reduced pitch of the screw and re-enriched mixture in “realistic” battles.
With the Cobra M5, I had to get into the settings twice and switch the control to "simulated", adjust the engine operation mode and switch back to the "simplified" control.
New mice
If someone was Igromir could see in the Mad Catz booth not only mountain gamepads and mice, but also a new flagship the PRO the RAT the X . He appeared in front of the audience in a completely disassembled form, and it was quite difficult to understand its real possibilities for customization.
We will definitely do a full review-analysis of this mega-mouse. In the meantime, you can tell this. Everything is configured. From the behavior of the wheel (it uses an optical encoder): friction, inertia, "clicks" and the speed of response to the effort on the mouse buttons. Do you want a hard springy click - please. Soft and responsive to minimal effort - as easy as shelling pears.
The mouse sensor itself is also replaced by an entire module: Philips Twin-eye, ADNS-9800 and optical PNW3310 laser options are available. Now, certainly, no one will leave offended, and lovers of optical mice will not complain that no one is releasing top solutions on classic sensors.
This also includes the choice of “paws” for your mouse. Like Teflon "slippery" - take Teflon. Love the newfangled "ceramic" - you will be ceramic.
The geometry of the mouse can be changed over a wide range, interchangeable pads of different sizes, materials and shapes allow you to adjust the device exactly for you.
Well and most important: Mad Catz did not forget to release a simplified and facilitated in all senses “tournament” analogue. Love weightless mice with a “classic” optical sensor and a minimum of bells and whistles - you will definitely enjoy the RAT PRO S. 77 grams, high-quality materials, customizable backrest length and tilt, DPI adjustable on the fly and built-in memory for storing settings, profiles and macros, regardless of the software on the computer. In general, a classic set of gaming technology.
That's all for now. As soon as new gadgets arrive at our disposal - we will delight in a detailed analysis and a detailed review.