• Fri. Sep 20th, 2024

Logitech G915 X Lightspeed gaming keyboard hands on

Byadmin

Sep 20, 2024


The original Logitech G915 was a slick-looking, slimline gaming keyboard but with a few aspects that, particularly in retrospect, reduced its appeal. Now Logitech’s back with a new version that includes better switches, new keycaps, a thicker aluminum chassis, and more options for customization too. I got my hands on the new Logitech G915 X to see how it all adds up.

While the original version of the Logitech G915 may have dropped off our best gaming keyboard guide, it remains a decent little gaming keyboard if you’re after a low-profile design. However, the new version is clearly the better option if you’re looking to upgrade now, based on our initial time with it.

At a glance, the Logitech G915 X looks remarkably similar to the older G915. It sports the same low-profile design, with its white-on-aluminum and black-on-black anodized aluminum color options, and its aluminum top plate curving around the edges of the keyboard to form a rounded-edged profile. It looks smart, though it lacks the really premium sleek look and customisation that can be achieved with even higher-end keyboards, such as the Drop CSTM80 and Glorious GMMK 3.

Crucially, though, Logitech has increased the thickness of the aluminum on this new version, from 1.2.mm to 1.5.mm. This noticeably boosts the rigidity of the board, making the aluminum feel less like a “because aluminum is in fashion” token addition and more of a structural enhancement. It’s still not a board that rivals the heft of the above alternatives but this is, after all, a slim keyboard designed to be light and portable.

logitech g915 x lightspeed tkl 02

The keyswitch and keycap setup has also been noticeably improved. Not only do the linear switches feel noticeably smoother than my memory of the tactile switches used on the original Logitech G915 I reviewed all those years ago, but the system used here is going to be a lot more useful for tinkering. Logitech has switched from its “hook-style” stem to a standard cross-style stem, which should mean the keycaps are compatible with the wider range of Cherry MX cross-style keycaps.

You’ll still have to choose from the narrower selection of low-profile keycaps – unless you want a distinctly odd-looking low-profile keyboard with high-profile keycaps, but that still leaves a much wider selection than the older model.

The included keycaps have also improved in quality, with them now made from PBT plastic, which is harder-wearing than cheaper ABS. They’re also made using the double-shot production method, which means the shine-through legends on the keys are formed from two injection-molded layers of plastic, rather than the legends just being printed on the surface of clear plastic. This makes them much more hard-wearing.

What’s more, unlike a lot of double-shot PBT keycaps, the shine-through legends (meaning you can see RGB lighting through them) on these keys look crisp and clear. It’s an improvement on the Logitech G Pro X 60 in this regard.

Logitech has also reduced the actuation distance of the keyswitches from 1.5mm to 1.3mm, making the board theoretically feel snappier, though this wasn’t immediately obvious when testing in isolation. It’s potentially a boon, though, as this board looks to compete with the latest gaming keyboards that come with analog switches where the actuation point can be fully customized, such as the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro.

Meanwhile, along the top edge of the keyboard are the same extra features as the older version, with buttons for wireless, Bluetooth (the keyboard also has a USB-C connection and a wired-only version is available), gaming mode, and backlight brightness on the left, and media playback control on the right, including a smooth-scrolling horizontal wheel. The buttons are the same, slightly disappointing rubber ones used before, but at least they’re reasonably compact and certainly useful additions. Comparatively, many competitors such as the Glorious GMMK 3 have no extra keys.

One final key improvement with this wireless keyboard is that Logitech has given battery life a slight boost. The full-size version of the board has gone from a 30-hour battery life with the backlighting at full brightness to 36 hours, while the TKL version shown here goes from 36 hours to 42 hours. Battery life in ideal conditions with no lighting and using Bluetooth can stretch to 800 hours, according to Logitech.

In a world where analog Hall Effect and optical switches abound, and gamers are becoming ever more accustomed to having extensive access to complete customization options, the Logitech G915 X still feels a touch on the old-school side, especially given Logitech gives no mention of other newer features such as a high polling rate. However, the company has potentially done just about enough to drag the G915 into being a competitive option.

For more of our top keyboard choices, check out our best wireless gaming keyboard guide, which includes this model’s predecessor, and be sure to check out the other new announcements from Logitech’s Logiplay even where the G915 X was announced. These include the new G Pro X Superlight 2 Dex and 10th anniversary G502 X aluminum version.



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