Keyboards have been a big market as of late and companies are either using existing keyboard switches or are investing in designing their own switch to offer something that old schematics cannot. Logitech has worked with Omron to design the Romer-G switch around the idea that the LED should be in the center to provide the best lighting for each key.
Design:
Logitech’s move to make a gaming keyboard but keeping the design sleek and simple has finally come. Not everyone wants a transformer looking keyboard with sharp points, gimmicky keycaps, and macro pads.
This keyboard is designed with the TKL Layout. The TKL (TenKeyLess) does not have the Tenkey/Numpad/Number Pad but does include the arrows and has been my preferred layout for a few years. This compact design allows for more desk space, mouse space, better aesthetics (IMO), and brings your mouse arm closer to your body which feels more ergonomic. If you cannot live without the number pad, companies do offer independent number pads that you can place on either side of your keyboard.
The basic design of the keyboard allows it to fit into any situation whether it is at your office desk or at your battlestation at home. There are no media keys like the larger G810, but they do offer function keys for these on the F9-F12 keys.
***The square-ish design, rounded corners, and flat frame give it a unique look in Logitech’s gaming lineup. Their other “Gamer” series like the
***The keycaps are thin ABS plastic with see-through fonts to allow the individual RGB lights in each switch to shine through.
***I wish they would use a simpler font for their keycaps, but Logitech has made worse.
***TKL, very square, non-gamer like, rgb,
Switches:
“The Romer-G switch is up to 25% faster than other competitors” This may be due to the 1.5mm switch actuation distance compared to the 2mm of the common Cherry MX switches.
As mentioned earlier, this proprietary switch was designed with the idea that the LED should be in the center of the switch housing for optimal lighting. With this redesign, Logitech states that the reliability is up to 40% longer than others with a 70 million keystroke lifetime and include dual-contact redundancy in case one contact point fails.
The G Pro switches have a 45g actuation force, similar to the Cherry MX Brown and MX Red switches. Both upstroke and downstroke of the switch are dampened to absorb the impact and decrease noise while typing.
People have found these switches to be “mushy” which made me a little cautious before buying it. After unboxing and doing a few typing tests on typeracer.com, I couldn’t reproduce the mushy feeling a lot of the keyboard enthusiasts found. After some research, it seems that these Romer-G switches are the second variation and they may have made changes based on those complaints.
Due to the unique design of the switch, keycap manufacturers do not currently make aftermarket keycap variations. It’s possible down the line someone will start, but I would not expect them anytime soon.
***Romer-G, Cherry MX brown like switch, quieter, slightly mushy but I’ve grown to like them.
***Coming from a custom mechanical keyboard with 78g springs, it’s a bit difficult to get used to as the springs are so light at ~45g.
***
Features/Software:
The Logitech Gaming Software (LGS) allows a lot of customization on the G Pro. The software will scan for installed games or software and offer preprogrammed commands to the F-Row keys for each application it supports.
The LEDs are programmable in a few ways through the software.
- Freestyle: Choose what color each key will be
- Zones: Similar to Freestyle, but set up in a gaming WASD fashion.
- Effects: Breathing and colorshifting options
- Your Effects: A list of weird and interesting color options such as BleepBloop and Explosion.
You can configure the “Gaming Mode” to disable specific keys when it is enabled. By default, this disables the Windows Key, the Function Key, and the Menu Key. How often do you lose a game because you accidentally hit the windows key and it minimized your game? Press the Gaming button on your keyboard and that key is disabled until you turn it off.
Performance:
After a week of use, I’ve come to enjoy the Romer-G switches. They hold up well in the tensest situations as well as stressful days in the office.  I played hours PUBG, Counter-Strike, and DOTA2 without any problems. Although since I’m coming from much heavier switches (78g zealios) I’ve found that resting my hand on WASD I was accidentally pressing down a few keys.
Conclusion:Â
Coming from custom keyboards I assumed I wouldn’t like it since it is designed for “Gamers”. I’ll be honest, I like this board. I found myself using this keyboard a bit more than my others. The switches are easy to type on, sound good and feel good while gaming. Its customization level is decent and the software is easy to configure. I would recommend this keyboard to anyone in the market for a new keyboard whether it is for gaming or general use.
