Credit: Fergus Halliday | IDG
Following on from from the original MadCatz brand filing for bankruptcy in 2017, the company declared itself "back in the game" at this year's CES in Las Vegas.
Now operating under the moniker of Mad Catz Global Limited, the brand is set to live on. Here's what they had to show for themselves.
R.A.T. AIR Mouse
What is it?
A high-performance wireless gaming mouse that forgoes an interior battery unit and instead relies on constant wireless charging from the G.L.I.D.E. gaming surface it comes bundled with.
What’s exciting about it?
As well as touting a PIXART PMW3360 optical sensor with a maximum DPI of up to 12000 and a plethora of customzible buttons, the R.A.T. AIR boasts a similar sort of battery-less design to that found in the Razer Hyperflux Mamba - itself a follow-up to Logitech's PowerPlay. Like Razer's offering, the R.A.T. AIR will boast a reversible and RGB-enabled mouse-mat.
Credit: Fergus Halliday | IDG When will it be available?
2018.
How much will it cost?
No word yet on local pricing.
Has Australian availability been confirmed yet?
MadCatz Global reps indicated that the Australian market was an important one to them. However, they couldn't commit to any specifics on where or when this product will be stocked.
F.R.E.Q. 4 Gaming Headset
What is it?
A wired gaming headset with 40mm neodymium drivers and a built-in microphone.
What’s exciting about it?
Like a lot of gaming-headsets, the F.R.E.Q. 4 promises to hit all the right marks: from being effortlessly comfortable to wear to delivering a high-quality sound experience to enabling fast-and-reliable voice communication in multiplayer scenarios.
Credit: Fergus Halliday | IDG When will it be available?
2018.
How much will it cost?
No pricing specifics have been announced yet.
Has Australian availability been confirmed yet?
Again, MadCatz Global reps indicated that the Australian market was an important one to them. However, they couldn't commit to any specifics on where or when this product will be stocked.
ES Pro In-Ear Earbuds
What is it?
A set of in-ear headphones designed for high-performance gaming. As such, they come with a detachable microphone.
What’s exciting about it?
The key sell here is that rather than wear a big bulky headset, you can get away with using something more nimble. MadCatz say that the design is a response to feedback they've gotten from some eSports players.
Credit: Fergus Halliday | IDG When will it be available?
2018.
How much will it cost?
No pricing specifics have been announced yet.
Has Australian availability been confirmed yet?
No specifics on on where or when this product will be stocked.
S.T.R.I.K.E. Mechanical Keyboard
What is it?
A aluminum-frame mechanical keyboard that arrives with Cherry MX Brown switches and full per-key RGB customization.
What’s exciting about it?
In the past, MadCatz have generally leaned towards membrane-based gaming keyboards. However, with the S.T.R.I.K.E. they're making the jump to the mechanical - and they're looking to make that leap one worth taking. However, if you are a long-time MadCatz fan and want to stick with membrane, there will be a variant offering it.
Credit: Fergus Halliday | IDG When will it be available?
2018.
How much will it cost?
No info yet on what the S.T.R.I.K.E will cost. However MadCatz reps indicated to us that they have little interest in selling a keyboard for more than $200-$300.
Has Australian availability been confirmed yet?
You know the drill - MadCatz Global reps indicated that the Australian market was an important one to them. However, they couldn't commit to any specifics on where or when this product will be stocked
For the full run-down on everything that happened at this year's CES in Las Vegas, click here.
Disclosure - Our coverage of CES 2018 was sponsored by Intel, Belkin and Alcatel - who collectively covered the cost of our flights and accommodation.
