Review: Impressive improvements in game-centric 'Cyborg MMO 7' mouse

Building upon the strengths inherent in their previous RAT 7 design, which I had previously reviewed (and am still using to this day), the ultra-customizable MMO7 improves on the original in many ways. There are a few drawbacks to trying to pack in so many options, though.

LEDs in the front of the mouse light up various colors to indicate status at a glance

The build quality is nearly identical to the RAT 7, which is a great sign. A nice, solid chassis with a firm feel in your hand is immediately noticeable. You can add or remove some weights to the mouse, which are included along with various swappable palm- and finger-rests, to adjust just how hefty it is in your hand. The first thing I noticed that was different was the addition of some extra buttons on the thumb rest and the fact that the thumbrest is no longer adjustable on a pivot. You can still adjust how short or long the thumbrest is, but you can’t pivot it out at an angle.

Speaking of extra buttons … there are 78 whopping possible combinations that can be utilized, and even programmed if you use the associated software and drivers from Mad Catz. There are premade templates for most of the popular MMO games to help speed up the process of customizing the mouse’s functions to your liking, and even an in-game add-on for World of Warcraft that will allow you to customize in-game the functions of the mouse’s buttons.

The MMO 7 comes with an impressive set of customizable options to fit the mouse to your gameplay style needs.

The baseline DPI of the optical sensors has been increased over the RAT 7, as well, which means a smoother and much more precise tracking of motion. There are “ActionLock” buttons which, when pressed, trigger continuously just like you were mashing the button over and over and over. This can be a boon in some games, saving your joints from repetitive stress injury (I wish I’d had that during my forays through Diablo and Diablo II …)

Trying to fit so many buttons onto such a small chassis, however, means that some of them are placed in somewhat awkward positions. I found that, over time, there were buttons that I rarely would use because they simply were too awkward to reach reliably. This wasn’t a deal-breaker for me, however, because of the plethora of other button choices available. There’s also a decent learning curve as I got used to the new button positions, until I could hit ‘em without looking first, and remembering just what I’d programmed each button to do in the software slowed me down for a bit. However, once I got the kinks worked out, the extra buttons and options of the MMO 7 definitely helped my gameplay become better.

Even with so many features, the mouse features a surprisingly low profile.

If you’re looking for a new mouse, and you’re an MMO gamer, then this is the mouse for you. Yes, it works great for other games, and does perfectly adequate for everyday desktop use, but this baby was made for gamers who want to make their MMO sessions easier and more efficient.