Mad Catz M.O.J.O. M1 mouse review

Two-minute review

The Mad Catz M.O.J.O. M1 is unusual in several ways. Where other mice seem to add on as many buttons as they can, try to cut the cord in a way that doesn’t impact performance, or be as colorful as possible, the M.O.J.O. M1 sets itself apart with its no-frills approach paired with a unique honeycomb-esque design that also allows the mouse to be an incredibly lightweight option for gamers.

While a lot of what makes the Mad Catz M.O.J.O. M1 unique could be seen as a mixed blessing, it is a very capable gaming mouse that should make most gamers happy with its performance. Even if there are things about it that might turn some gamers off. And, with its solid construction and the inclusion of Mad Catz’s in-house mechanical switches, it should last a long time. 

At $57 (about £54, AU$83), the Mad Catz M.O.J.O. M1 comes in at a good, if not impressive, price. For comparison, the similarly lightweight Roccat Burst Core costs $29 (£24, AU$69). However, esports gamers will find the M1’s higher 40G acceleration and 12000 max DPI superior and worth the extra cash compared to the Roccat’s 30G acceleration and 8500 DPI.

The MSI Clutch GM41 might be a better comparison at $54 (£49, AU$71). It’s also at a similar weight, coming in at 65g, and just as great a performer. However, it does come with more versatility. Lucky for the M1, it has a conveniently-placed DPI button for mid-game adjustments unlike the GM41, and is a much nicer looking mouse.

Sadly, gamers in the UK can only grab the M.O.J.O. M1 through online retailers based in mainland Europe for the time being, so prices may vary a little.

While the M.O.J.O. M1’s price doesn’t set it apart from the competition, its design does. That asymmetrical hollow-pyramid design, as Mad Catz calls it, covers both sides of the mouse and the midsection of the palm rest with triangle-shaped holes, similar to the honeycomb design of some other mice. Together, they lessen the weight of the mouse.

At 70g, it seems to have worked. It’s a very lightweight mouse that still has enough weight to it for easy control. By taking off that extra material, Mad Catz makes it possible for the inclusion of a thumb wing – something that’s usually missing from ultralight mice like this.

The big caveat to this design choice is the possibility of debris and dust getting into the mouse. You can actually see the circuit boards inside if you look closely, and if there’s one thing that is dangerous to electronics besides water, it’s dust. While we didn’t experience any issues regarding debris affecting the mouse, it is a concern for long-term use. However, with a good dust blower and regular maintenance, this shouldn’t be that big of an issue.

The construction of the mouse is otherwise very solid thanks to the premium plastic Mad Catz used for the outer shell. We’re not concerned about getting overly aggressive with the mouse, as it feels durable enough to withstand plenty of punishment. Even the cord is durable – though at the same time, it’s also very stiff, sometimes annoyingly so.

Thanks to Mad Catz’ inclusion of its in-house mechanical Dakota Switches, this mouse should last a long time – 60 million clicks to be exact. The Dakota Switches are also incredibly responsive, taking only 2ms to respond.

The mouse comes with 6 buttons – the traditional left and right buttons alongside the center scroll wheel, a DPI button that sits directly behind the scroll wheel, and two side buttons situated on the left of the mouse for easy thumb access.

These should easily cover the needs of any mainstream esports gamers as long as they’re right-handed. Both palm and claw grips work on this mouse. 

The not-so-good news is that if you’re someone who needs to remap your mouse for macros, you won’t be able to with this mouse as there’s no accompanying software. Plus, the DPI is preset to 800, 1600 (default), 3200, and 12000, which means you won’t be able to adjust to a lower sniper-mode DPI setting.

The RGB is limited in the same way. There’s no software to really customize the colors or effects on the M1. All you can do is press the front side button and right mouse button at the same time to cycle through four effects: static color, off, breathing, and spectrum. Since there’s only one RGB zone emanating from inside the shell, it’s not the biggest deal. However, RGB fans would have appreciated a little more effort here.

Where the Mad Catz M.O.J.O. M1 excels however, is performance. Not only does it have a fast response time, again thanks to the Dakota Switches, but the mouse uses the PMW 3360 optical sensor that delivers a 1000Hz polling rate, 50G acceleration, 250 IPS, and up to 12000 DPI. Sure, there are mice with higher DPI, but even 12K is more than we could ever use.

Basically, when just looking at the performance of the mouse, you’ll be able to keep up with just about anyone out there. It easily keeps up with our frantic gunning and running (away) in Doom: Eternal and Metro Exodus while also moving accurately in first-person games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Firewatch.

The Mad Catz M.O.J.O. M1 might not be a perfect mouse. In fact, there are a few simple tweaks Mad Catz can make to really put this in the top tier of gaming mice. Yet, it’s a great performer that’s lightweight and simple to use, perfect for any esports gamer who doesn’t care much about extra gimmicks and just wants to play.

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…