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Logitech G Pro Gaming Mouse and Mechanical Gaming Keyboard review: Tournament-friendly gear

By Koh Wanzi - 19 Jul 2017

Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

If you’ve grown weary of large, over-sized gaming keyboards with ostentatious designs, the Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard can feel like a breath of fresh air. Similar to the G Pro Gaming Mouse, superfluous bits have been thrown out, and if a certain feature doesn’t serve a crucial purpose, Logitech hasn’t included it.

The result is a fairly minimalist keyboard that is blissfully free of garish branding or other protruding bits of plastic. It follows a tenkeyless design, and its smaller footprint means you’ll have a larger mousing area – good for low-sensitivity gamers – and makes it easier to center. Ultimately, you should find that it is a lot more comfortable to use than a full-sized design.

It uses Logitech’s own Romer-G switches, the result of a partnership between Logitech and Japanese switch maker Omron.

Note the central light guide that helps illuminate the key legends more evenly. (Image Source: Telcontar)

The rationale behind many gaming keyboard manufacturers’ decisions to opt for their own switches is that the more common Cherry MX switches were never designed with gaming in mind (there are newer Cherry MX Speed switches with shorter actuation distances, but these are still quite uncommon), hence the need for new switches that will supposedly serve gamers better.

Romer-G switches have an actuation distance of 1.5mm (total key travel distance of 3mm), compared to the 2mm on Cherry MX switches. This allows for quicker execution of key presses in theory, but there isn’t much of a tangible difference in our experience.

Another distinctive feature of the Romer-G switches is their use of a light guide that illuminates the keycap legends right from the center. This is in comparison to LEDs mounted on the switch housing, which can lead to uneven illumination, especially on keys with double legends.

On paper, these are fairly light switches, with an actuation force of 45g. They are best compared to Cherry MX Browns, but with a lighter (actually barely perceptible) tactile bump at the beginning of every keystroke.

We say that they are light switches on paper, mainly because they are surprisingly fatiguing to type on after long hours. This isn’t something you notice in game where you’re furiously button mashing, but the G Pro keyboard isn’t the best for work.

Two buttons sit at the top right – one is a dedicated Game Mode button that disables the Windows key, and the other simply toggles the keyboard backlight on or off. These are convenient for when you want to launch a game and quickly shut out any distractions, and they’re definitely nice to have.

Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

And even though we said that the G Pro focused mainly on the essentials, it does still come with customizable per-key RGB backlighting and the Logitech Gaming Software adds a ton of functionality. This includes a programmable function row, custom game profiles for a wide range of titles, and the ability to assign complex commands to specific in-game controls.

If individual customizations sound like too much work, Logitech has helpfully divided the keyboard into lighting zones comprising things like the Function Keys, Numbers, Arrow Keys, and Modifiers. This lets you quickly select entire groups of keys and assign specific effects to them, so you get your own custom effect with less hassle.

The keyboard itself is built mainly out of plastic, but it feels robust and well put together. The detachable, braided cable also speaks of quality, and goes a long way toward making transportation easier.

However, one gripe we had is the ABS keys, which pick up grease easily and thus become shiny quickly. This wouldn’t be a problem if the keyboard supported third-party keycaps, but the proprietary Romer-G switches means that you’re stuck with Logitech’s own keycaps for as long as you own the board.

Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

We’d also liked to have the keyboard feet support a steeper angle of inclination. As it turns out, there are two different sets of feet for a 4- and 8-degree elevation, but even the latter felt too flat for our liking. Of course, you may very well feel differently, and the two set of feet help cater to different preferences.

Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

At S$199, the Logitech keyboard is a slightly tougher sell than its rodent sibling. Ultimately, you're probably paying for its pro gaming focus, per-key lighting customizations, and features of convenience like the dedicated Game Mode button and detachable cable. 

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