Logitech is one of my favorite PC accessory manufacturers. They produce quality keyboards and mice that have always been reliable in my experience. While some industries might feel like they are in a race to the bottom when it comes to sacrificing quality in order to lower the cost and remain competitive, fortunately the PC accessory industry has a market for quality, premium products with a lot of credit for that going to the gaming crowd.
I have used a variety of keyboards from Logitech including the G710+ mechanical gaming keyboard and other standard keyboards and they have all been durable, solid, and a pleasure to use. I also use the Logitech G5 Laser Mouse every day and cannot picture moving to a different product that wasn’t a Logitech Laser mouse. The Logitech touch-capable mice and touchpads were interesting to learn about with the Windows 8 release but seem aimed at the average user. This week, Logitech made an announcement that was far more interesting to learn about as a gamer, heavy-use, quality-demanding user.
The best part can be summed up in one of the opening paragraphs:
This journey led us to a simple and powerful truth: Science Wins.
This is not a slogan; this is what we believe in. This is our passion. This is our heritage. It is time for us to step up. There is a significant gap in the PC gaming accessories market – too many products with a lot of flash but little substance. You have our commitment to put real science to work for you.
Logitech is pledging new development to finding new comfort, new materials, faster response times, reliability, and so on. They have used infrared monitoring to watch humans interfacing with their devices and implemented new surface materials, fingerprint-resistant coatings, low-friction feet for mice, and a hydrophobic coating in the palm areas to prevent sticking. In addition to producing cutting edge products, Logitech PC gaming products now come with a 3-year warranty standard.
Excerpts from the press release detail the new keyboard, mice, and headsets available April 2013 in the US and May 2013 for Europe.
Keyboards
Logitech G19s Gaming Keyboard
The Logitech® G19s Gaming Keyboard feeds you a steady flow of intel, including vital stats, game specific apps and customizable information panels, all in full color on an integrated, adjustable GamePanel™ LCD. With custom-color backlighting, you can choose from 16 million shades and assign a specific color to every profile and profile mode in the same game. The keyboard also features advanced surface materials for durability and comfort. A hydrophobic coating on the palm rest helps keep your hands from sticking, while the durable double UV coating gives keys extra long life. With LGS, you can configure the 12 programmable G-Keys with up to 36 different functions across three different modes with three macros per key. Two High-Speed USB 2.0 ports let you transfer data to and from accessories – such as MP3 players and flash drives – while also charging battery powered devices. The keyboard also includes anti-ghosting over 26 keys so you can perform multiple complex actions without interference or ghosting. The Logitech G19s Gaming Keyboard is expected to be available for a suggested retail price of $199.99.Logitech G510s Gaming Keyboard
To make complex actions simple, the Logitech® G510s Gaming Keyboard provides 18 programmable G-keys, which allow you to configure up to 54 different functions across three different modes, with three macros per key, when you download LGS. In addition to custom-color backlighting it features a backlit GamePanel™ LCD, so not only can you stay informed with real-time game stats, system information and VoIP communication data, you can also develop or add community-created applets to work with your GamePanel. It also has a hydrophobic coating on the palm rest to help keep your hands from sticking, and a double UV coating on the keys for extra durability and long life. The Logitech G510s Gaming Keyboard is expected to be available for a suggested retail price of $119.99.
Mice
Logitech G700s Rechargeable Gaming Mouse
The Logitech® G700s Rechargeable Gaming Mouse is a wireless gaming mouse with the report rate of a wired gaming mouse. In fact, it maintains a consistent report rate, whether over 2.4 GHz wireless or connected by USB, up to eight times faster than a standard USB mouse. If your game goes long, you can keep playing and recharge the mouse simultaneously by switching seamlessly to a data-over-cable connection using a standard Micro-USB cable. The mouse has a durable hydrophobic coating on the palm area that helps keep your palm from sticking to the mouse, and dry grip on the sides ensures a steady hand. You can elevate your in-game skills with 13 programmable controls that let you program single actions, complex macros with multiple keystrokes, repeating and user-defined delays, when you download Logitech Gaming Software (LGS). The Logitech G700s Rechargeable Gaming Mouse is expected to be available for a suggested retail price of $99.99.Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse
For FPS gamers, the Logitech® G500s Laser Gaming Mouse packs a gaming grade laser for precise cursor control on a wide variety of surfaces and a hyper-fast dual-mode scroll wheel. It also features a durable hydrophobic coating to help keep your palm from sticking and dry grip for a steady hand. It has up to 27 grams of customizable weight and center of gravity adjustment, meaning you can tune it to your preferred play style. You can switch from pixel-precise targeting at 200 DPI to lightning-fast maneuvers at up to 8200 DPI with two buttons sitting in easy reach near your index finger. The Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse features 10 programmable controls, which require LGS. The optional software can also be used to reassign game commands or multi-command macro. The Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse is expected to be available for a suggested retail price of $69.99.Logitech G400s Optical Gaming Mouse
The Logitech® G400s Optical Gaming Mouse pushes the high standards set by the Logitech® MX518 Optical Gaming Mouse and Logitech® Optical Gaming Mouse G400. This full-feature gaming mouse is built specifically for FPS games and includes Logitech’s exclusive Delta Zero sensor technology for high-accuracy cursor control. It also has a hydrophobic coating to help keep your hand from sticking, as well as soft-touch grip areas and fingerprint-resistant coatings on the primary buttons to resist fading. With LGS, you can customize the eight programmable buttons, and the mouse also features primary mechanical microswitches rated to a 20 million-click lifespan. The programmable buttons allow you to shift through multiple DPI settings to quickly select on-screen options, scan the game map, pull off 180-degree flick-shots at 4000 DPI or downshift for pixel-precise FPS sniper targeting or RTS unit selection at 400 DPI – all conveniently located above and below the scroll wheel. The Logitech G400s Optical Gaming Mouse is expected to be available for a suggested retail price of $59.99.Logitech G100s Optical Gaming Mouse
The Logitech® G100s Optical Gaming Mouse is simple to use and specifically crafted for your favorite RTS and MOBA games. Built to extend the powerful legacy of the Logitech® G1 Mouse and the Logitech® Gaming Mouse G100, it features buttons designed for heavy clicking and the Logitech exclusive Delta Zero sensor technology for accuracy at any hand speed. While a typical mouse cannot withstand the rigors of intense gaming, the ultra-durable Logitech G100s Gaming Mouse has upgraded primary mechanical microswitches rated to a 20 million-click lifespan. The mouse also has a durable hydrophobic coating on the palm area to help keep your hand from sticking, and the primary buttons have fingerprint-resistant coating to prevent fading. Whether using claw grip or conventional, with small hands or large – the ambidextrous inverted trapezoid shape encourages a sure grip through long sessions. The Logitech G100s Optical Gaming Mouse is expected to be available for a suggested retail price of $39.99.
Headsets
Logitech G430 Surround Sound Gaming Headset
Similar to the Logitech® G35 Surround Sound Headset and Logitech® Wireless Gaming Headset G930, the Logitech® G430 Surround Sound Gaming Headset is powered by Dolby® Headphone technology to create an immersive 360-degree sound field that gives you the advantage of hearing what you can’t see in a game, from footsteps to sirens. With Dolby Headphone 7.1 surround sound, you’ll hear up to seven discrete channels of audio data plus a Low Frequency Effects channel. Similar to the Logitech G230 Surround Sound Gaming Headset, this headset also provides washable ear cups that offer a soft, comfortable fit for long gaming sessions. When you want to be heard, the noise-canceling mic can be adjusted to pick up your voice alone. When the mic is not in use, you can easily fold it up and out of the way. The Logitech G430 Surround Sound Gaming Headset is expected to be available for a suggested retail price of $79.99.Logitech G230 Stereo Gaming Headset
The Logitech® G230 Stereo Gaming Headset delivers high-quality stereo sound by using 40 mm neodymium drivers to keep you immersed in the game from start to finish for FPS, MMO or adventure-type games. And because marathon gaming yields heat and sweat, the new headset features ear pieces covered with washable performance-sport cloth for a comfortable, soft touch even after hours of use. With a flexible, noise-canceling folding mic, sound is focused on your voice, practically eliminating background noise for better audio quality. In-line audio controls for volume and microphone mute are within easy reach on the connection cable. The Logitech G230 Stereo Gaming Headset is expected to be available for a suggested retail price of $59.99.
For more information, you can check out the Logitech G series site.