The Mad Catz P.I.L.O.T. 5 RGB 7.1 is a step up from the entry P.I.L.O.T. 3, adding both RGB lighting and genuine 7.1 surround-sound processing to Mad Catz's P.I.L.O.T. headset range. The 7.1 surround processing spreads game audio across a wider, more directional soundstage than stereo alone, useful for picking out footstep direction and positional gunfire in competitive multiplayer titles, while RGB lighting on the earcups lets it match the rest of an RGB-themed gaming desk rather than sitting as a plain black accessory. It includes a microphone for voice chat, and padded over-ear cups combined with an adjustable headband are built for comfort during long gaming sessions. Connecting via USB (needed to drive both the 7.1 processing and the RGB lighting from PC software) rather than a plain analogue jack, it sits as a genuinely feature-rich mid-to-upper-tier option in Mad Catz's headset lineup — below only the flagship P.I.L.O.T. Pro Dual Wireless, which adds wireless connectivity on top of the same RGB/7.1 formula.