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Buzz Garwood, the technology teacher at Home Gardens Academy in Corona, Calif., blogs and produces videos for EdTech magazine. Follow him at @buzzgarwood and check out his blog.
Buzz Garwood, the technology teacher at Home Gardens Academy in Corona, Calif., blogs and produces videos for EdTech magazine. Follow him at @buzzgarwood and check out his blog.
Designed specifically for discerning gamers and esports athletes, the tenkeyless Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard can help serious competitors up their games. Logitech introduced the G Pro in 2017 and since then has steadily improved this line of keyboards, as well as their software, to better serve gamers’ needs.
As a middle school teacher and an esports coach, I’ve tried numerous keyboards over the years. After reviewing the Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, I’m definitely a fan.
For this review, I tested the Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard model equipped with durable Romer-G tactile switches. While this model did not have that “clicky” sound and feel of other models in the Logitech G Pro lineup, the switches were incredibly responsive. In competitive gaming, where every second counts, the keys delivered fast actuation during a rousing bout of Team Fortress 2. I experienced zero latency, as every keypress felt virtually immediate from my fingers to the screen.
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Although the chassis is plastic, it feels sturdy and well made. In fact, after I took it out of the box, I tried to twist the entire keyboard to see if it would flex, and it did not. Measuring only 14.2 by 1.4 by 6 inches, it also leaves a relatively minimal footprint while carrying some heft. Weighing just over 2 pounds and sporting five rubber feet, the Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is sure to stay in one place during rigorous gameplay.
When I first plugged the Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard into my laptop, I was surprised and delighted that the keyboard immediately defaulted to a color sequence program. Even with the room lights on, the colors glowed brightly and looked gorgeous; in the dark, it was breathtaking, due in part to the brightness of the RGB lights embedded inside each key and how incredibly blacked-out the keys are.
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At the top-right face of the keyboard, there are two round buttons. One has a symbol of a light and is used for toggling the RGB lights off and on. The second has a symbol of a joystick and is used to toggle between game mode and normal mode. Game mode disables certain keys and makes it impossible to inadvertently click the Windows key or trigger other unwanted shortcuts, whereas normal mode enables all keys. Gamers can choose which keys to disable in G Hub, a software portal designed to help gamers customize their Logitech gear.
After spending many hours testing the Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, I found it to be durable, responsive and fun, making for satisfying gameplay overall.
Finally, Logitech could have simply included a plain USB-A to micro USB cord to connect the keyboard to the computer, but instead it opted to improve the micro USB end by cleverly nesting the connector between two small plastic prongs, essentially giving it a triple-pronged tip. This helps the cord fit more securely in the back of the keyboard, providing a much tighter fit.
Connectivity Technology: Wired Interface: USB Key/Button Function: Programmable Keyboard Technology: Mechanical Adjustable Height: Yes Backlit: RGB Detachable Cable: Yes Cable Length: 6 ft. Dimensions: 14.2x1.4x6 inches Weight: 34.56 oz.
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On the home screen of the Logitech G Hub portal, gamers can see their game profiles on top as well as their active profile. In the center of the screen, they can quickly scroll through all of their gear. The gear icon on the top-right corner of the home screen is the settings menu, where gamers can check for updates, view tutorials or browse other pertinent documentation.
A profile is a list of settings assigned to an application. G Hub automatically updates the games that have been installed. Gamers simply select a profile and begin customizing that game. They can also create multiple profiles for each game for different characters or roles. For example, in the game Smite, I created and used one profile when playing the Hunter class and a different profile when I played the Guardian class. To make it easier to keep the profiles organized, G Hub lists the profile currently being edited at the top of the menu.
Adjusting your gear is easy. On the left side of the screen, gamers can see the different categories they can control, such as the lighting and the ability to synchronize lighting across multiple products.
The RGB customization in G Hub is intuitive and engaging. During testing, I tried out several color effects. The preview on my keyboard was instantaneous. My favorite light sequence was Starlight, which automatically sets all the keys to a deep blue and then intermittently flickers one or two keys at a time between blue and yellow in random locations around the keyboard, emulating a “starry night” effect. I even experimented with creating my own sequence. It’s worth mentioning there is an active community sharing their own lighting effect creations, all of which are free and available for download.
In the “assignments” view, gamers can assign a variety of functions or macros to a key. There are no dedicated macro buttons on the G Pro, but Logitech uses the F-keys instead. Gamers can program macro commands to perform a variety of tasks, such as launching applications, starting and stopping screen recordings, and muting the mic.
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