Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review
The Logitech G series Pro mechanical gaming keyboard is pricey, but it offers a sturdy, vibrant tenkeyless keyboard that’s ideal for tournament play. Everyday gamers may get a cheaper keyboard that looks and performs similarly, but when the room is at a premium, whether at a conference or at home, the G Pro completely nails the tiny keyboard style.
Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review
Features
The Logitech G Pro is driven by Logitech Gaming Software, which is, as normal, fantastic. You can program the F1 using F12 keys, change the backlighting, and keep track of your stats (where your fingers spend the most time, how often you press buttons, and so forth).
Given that tournament participants are usually not permitted to program keys or operate proprietary applications, there is only one aspect worth noting here. The G Pro keyboard has one onboard profile, similar to the ones used in Logitech mice. This profile saves one lighting profile, so you can connect the keyboard to every device and make it remember any main colors you program.
I’m not sure if this is a true “Big Deal.” Still, it’s a useful addition, particularly because the keyboard’s default color wave can be annoying, and shutting off illumination completely makes the peripheral seem a little bland. My only quibble is that it took me a while to find out how to save the onboard profile. In Logitech’s app, this feature is normally on the home screen, but it’s under the lighting section and only usable for static key colors, not patterned effects. It’s not a deal killer, but it is perplexing for long-time Logitech fans.
Design
The G Pro seems to be what will happen if Logitech took one of its elegant Orion keyboards and actually sliced off the Numpad with a high-tech paper cutter. It has a complete set of keys (except for the Numpad), as well as a key that regulates the illumination and another that unlocks the Game Mode. If you’re not acquainted with Game Mode, it stops you from pressing keys like Alt-Tab or the Windows icon, preventing you from inadvertently shutting down your game in the middle of it.
That’s pretty much what there is to tell regarding the keyboard’s appearance. It’s compact (14.2 x 6.0 x 1.4 inches), appealing, and well-designed. It would help if you used the Fn key and the top row of Function keys instead of separate media controls. Although I prefer discrete controls, they aren’t needed on a tournament-focused system.
The G Pro also includes a detachable, braided micro-USB cable with hooks on both ends for a comfortable fit. This is convenient for flying, but the tenkeyless Razer BlackWidow Chroma still comes with a carrying bag, leaving the G Pro just behind the competition. You can either keep the package or purchase a different case.
Keys
Gamers who have used other recent Logitech keyboards would be familiar with the G Pro. The keyboard employs the company’s well-known Romer-G mechanical switches. If you’ve never had them, they sound similar to Cherry MX Browns: tactile and very silent. Though Cherries are the gold standard, Romer-Gs are said to be slightly quicker, more open, and more robust so that you couldn’t do anything worse. Taken on their own, they’re very relaxed.
The Romer-G switches may also be used to type. On TypingTest.com, I contrasted the Logitech G Pro to my usual Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum (which, to be honest, still uses Romer-G keys). I typed 115 words per minute with nine errors on the G Pro and 118 words per minute with nine errors on the Orion. The distinction is insignificant.
Performance
I placed the G Pro through its paces in both e-sports and narrative-driven games, and it performed admirably in both. I had no problem gliding through the battlefield as Mercy in Overwatch or ordering Jaina Proudmoore to encase enemies in ice in Heroes of the Storm. Similarly, while I was adventuring around the land of Eorzea in Final Fantasy XIV or bringing down bandit camps in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the keyboard was capable and sensitive.
The compact size of the keyboard is a blessing, particularly for the e-sports crowd. It was simple to play Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm with the keyboard right in front of me or off to the side at an angle; such maneuverability is often needed at tournaments, based on how much room you have. Otherwise, it’s just as responsive as Logitech Orion keyboards, which have already proven their value as e-sports accessories.
Conclusion
If you want a tiny mechanical keyboard appropriate for tournaments without sacrificing comfort or efficiency, the Logitech G Pro is the one to get.
However, $130 is a lot to ask for a tenkeyless edition, so it’s worth thinking about before you buy. Logitech, on the other hand, understands how to create a good keyboard, and the G Pro is no different.
