I’ve reviewed several Logitech gaming keyboards and I usually come away less than impressed. The company tends to bank on its brand and legacy to sell high-priced hardware, while falling far short in features and especially software.
Which is why the new Logitech G515 Lightspeed TKL keyboard intrigues me by the simple fact of it being reasonably priced.
At $140 for a wireless gaming keyboard, the G515 is decidedly average as a value play—but it’s nearly $100 cheaper than the G915 TKL, a design that’s years old and far from competitive even when it came out, so someone at Logitech is paying attention to the larger market.
With a low-profile build and switches compatible with low-profile keycaps on the Cherry-style stem, it offers at least some options for customization. Logitech also built in some RGB lighting and topped it off with high-quality PBT keycaps, a feature that even some premium gaming keyboards omit. (Lookin’ at you, Razer BlackWidow.)
The G515 is a bit chunky for “low-profile,” but then again it doesn’t take much to feel skinny next to most of the gaming keyboards on the market, which might be charitably called “big-boned.”
Despite the skinny dimensions, the proprietary GL switches feature 1.3mm of travel, which is less than half of a standard MX switch but far more than most of the trendy thin keyboards and laptop-style designs.
The G515 includes Logitech’s standard—and very good—tri-mode wireless with Bluetooth and a 2.4GHz dongle plus multi-device support. Battery life is rated at “up to 36 hours,” though that’s presumably with the full light show active. If you can resist the RGB bling, it should go for weeks or months.
The G515 is available in black or white, with linear (smooth) or tactile (slight bump) switch options. Sadly, there’s no hot-swap capability. The keyboard should be showing up in online and brick-and-mortar retailers very soon.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.