Using the Katar Pro & MM700

Using the Katar Pro XT & MM700

First up, does the mouse keep its promise and stick to that 1,000 claimed max polling rate? Well, in short, yes. Testing it using Zowie’s online polling rate checker, it was easy to see that Corsair’s claims ring true. The mouse averaged 990-1,004Hz when testing in a circular pattern.

How does the mouse perform? Well, first, my monitor is a 165Hz Freesync Premium panel powered by an Nvidia RTX 3060Ti. The DPI setting rate I use for all my gaming is 800 DPI. Yes, that is very low, and my mouse sensitivity in game is relatively low, as well. Believe it or not, this works for me.

The three titles I tested are:

• Battlefield V
• Doom: Eternal
• Warhammer 40,000 – Dawn of War (Soulstorm)

Why is Soulstorm on there, you ask? Well, fans of more rapid fire RTS games (e.g., Dawn of War, Age of Empires, etc.) will know that accurate and precise mouse clicking is crucial. Battlefield V and Doom are included in the list for obvious reasons.

In a word, the mouse was exceptional. The pickup of the Katar Pro is good, and a lot of that is down to the very light 73g weight. The tracking was accurate, responsive, and I found myself playing Battlefield V very well. It was the same story with Doom: Eternal, and Dawn of War. All three games were a pleasure to play with the Katar Pro. Utilizing flicks was seamless and whilst I am not in the habit of picking up my mouse, I noticed no tracking errors or unwanted inputs when placing the mouse down again.

Now, a word about Katar’s dimensions and grip types. For those not aware, there are three fairly well-defined styles when it comes to holding any mouse. Palm, fingertip, and claw. These three grips, combined with how different mice designs have different shapes and dimensions, mean that certain mice may only support a certain grip style or people with certain sized hands may be prevented from using their preferred grip with ‘X’ mouse.

Normally, with my G305, I use a ‘palm’ grip, where the majority of the heel of your hand and lengths of your fingers are in contact with the mouse’s surface. With the Katar and my large hands, given its fairly flat profile at the back and front of the mouse, I was forced to switch to a ‘tip’ grip, where the thumb, ring, and little finger secure the mouse from either side, and the index/middle finger are placed tip only onto the left/right switches. Usually, for me, using a mouse like this feels awkward and wrong, but – here – it felt great. It is likely because of the Katar’s minimal weight that I could use it in this way. Were it a heavier product, I suspect a claw grip would become uncomfortable relatively quickly.

A quick word on click ‘feel,’ and here is perhaps my only small gripe with the product. The left/right buttons do have a slight travel to them before they actuate. It is ‘very’ small, but it is there. For me, this isn’t so much of a problem, but for hardcore FPS gamers that prefer a left/right button with nearly zero travel, you might wish to look elsewhere. The clicks themselves, however, are nice and light. Finally, I should quickly point out that – unlike some higher end gaming mice – the Katar Pro has no rubberised areas on it. This, again, might be a turnoff for those who have a habit of flicking their mice around as they game, but – for me – it wasn’t an issue. I’d have certainly liked some rubber grips (perhaps on the sides of the mouse underneath the multi-function buttons on the left, and in the same place on the right), but for $29.99 I can understand their absence.

For those that want more detail, I really can’t provide any. Using a mouse is a subjective experience and I can only say that performance wise in games, the Katar was very, very good. Absolutely on par, to me, to my G305, a wireless device that is about 180% of the cost of the Katar Pro.

A quick word about the MM700.

Whilst it is, ultimately, a mouse pad, if I am to ignore the RGB and evaluate its performance when gaming, I have to say I was extremely impressed. As the MM700 is slightly thicker at 4mm, it really does feel like you are gaming on a totally separate surface to whatever your desk is made from. It’s really rather pleasant, and the surface of the MM700 itself is so smooth that mice simply glide over it. My G305 and Katar Pro were both pleasures to use on the MM700, and my only regret is that I didn’t get the wireless version of the Katar to review on it. I love being wire free, I will admit it.