Logitech G915 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard | $280 | Amazon
Logitech G815 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard | $200 | Amazon
I’m writing this review with the G915 keyboard connected to my laptop. Yes, my laptop has its own keyboard, but it’s not as nice as the G915. And since I can just push a button on the G915 to swap what device it’s connected to, I can easily use it on both my desktop and laptop. It’s just one of the things that’s made me fall in love with this keyboard.
I should note that I’m usually a big fan of Logitech’s peripherals in general. I’m not getting paid by Logitech to say this, and I didn’t get a review unit of the G915 (though I did buy it used for less than retail). But I will naturally sound like a Logitech fanboy.
Which is why I’m going to balance it out by saying I hate Logitech’s new G Hub software. But first things first.
Up until recently, I’ve been using the G910 keyboard, not because I’m a Pr0 G4m3r, but because their programmable keys are pretty rad for getting stuff done. The G910 was great for that, but it also looks like Michael Bay gave up on sketching a new Transformer about halfway through.
The G915, on the other hand, is sleek, low-profile, brushed metal slab. It has just a few programmable keys along the left side, which is plenty, satisfying rubber media controls, and most crucially for me, the volume wheel. My god, I don’t think I’ll ever buy a keyboard without a volume wheel again.
What sets the G915 apart from my previous Logitech keyboards for me is its multiple wireless modes, with convenient buttons to switch between them. The main connection is the proprietary Lightspeed dongle. This is the ultra low-latency connection you’ll want if you’re using it on a gaming PC, as I am. Then there’s the standard Bluetooth. (Side note: There is a wired version of this keyboard that’s slightly cheaper if the wireless aspects don’t interest you.)
With a simple button press, I can swap from controlling my laptop and desktop. And swapping is CRAZY fast. In the middle of writing this sentence, which I’m writing on my laptop, I quickly swapped to controlling my desktop across the room to pause a video. The switch was almost instantaneous. I was able to keep typing without missing a beat.
I’m a big fan of the devices you own bending to your needs, rather than vice versa. The whole reason I’m using a wireless keyboard connected to my laptop is specifically because it’s slightly more comfortable than using the built-in keyboard. The better device is the one that conforms to you, rather than the one you conform to best.
Which brings me to G Hub.
For most games I play, I’ll set up some custom shortcuts to get things done more quickly. For Doom: Eternal, I bound the chainsaw to a thumb button on my G600 since, you know, it’s a pretty core gameplay mechanic. In the old Logitech Gaming Software application, I could do this by clicking the programmable button in the app and then pressing whatever key I wanted to assign to it.
In G Hub, you can’t just assign a shortcut by pressing the keys you want to assign like how every OTHER shortcut mapping program works. Instead, you have to search for a key or combination of keys from a list, then click or drag that onto the button you want to assign it to. And if you want to create a complex shortcut like Ctrl + Shift + Insert or whatever, too bad. It’s not on the list.
Why in the world would you want to assign something to a weird complex shortcut like that? Aside from it just making more sense to not limit users to a certain set of key combinations, I’ve used this technique to create shortcuts in apps I use that otherwise wouldn’t have them. If there’s an obscure command in Premiere Pro I want to use, I can assign it to a combination of keys that I KNOW no other program is going to use, and then assign THAT combination to a button on my Logitech keyboard.
It’s baffling why G Hub insists on this method of assigning keys. I also find it’s somewhat finicky about switching to the correct profile based on what app I’m using, but that’s always been the case. It works well enough, but if you ever find your shortcuts aren’t working right, maybe check your profile.
Yet for all the faults in G Hub, I still wouldn’t trade it away. I love my mouse wheel, I love swapping pushing a button and taking my keyboard with me to use on another computer, and I love this slick, flat, brushed metal look.
But hey Logitech, if you ever want some notes on how to improve your G Hub app … get at me.
Source: gizmodo.com
