Logitech G105 entry-level gaming keyboard review

I haven’t really heard Logitech make a lot of noise in the market lately for their gaming peripherals. A while back, before the dawn of  Razer, Steelseries, Roccat (and the now-notoriously cheap Elephant), Logitech used to rule the gaming peripherals market with their G series. The G11 keyboard and G9 mouse were especially notable for being a very good set of gaming peripherals.

I recently received their entry level Logitech G105 keyboard. This is the older, non-Modern Warfare 3 version, but it is still pretty much the same, save for the green backlight and the MW3 logo. Personally, I liked the blue backlight better than a green one.

Outer packaging:

Unboxed:

Nothing special here – the keyboard comes with just a set of manuals and the keyboard itself. I would have wanted even a bonus sticker or a CD – but Logitech decided to keep it simple.

Keys:

The keys are set a bit higher than standard keyboards, which makes them slightly harder to press especially if you have short fingers.

The keys are also quieter than most keyboards and have a softer, more comfortable feel. If you’re looking for shallower keys though for slightly faster response times and less effort (will not necessarily make you a better gamer though), this is not the keyboard for you, and we’d recommend the Razer Lycosa  keyboard for this feel. If you aim for a harder, more tactile and noisy-er feedback, we would opt for the CM Storm Quickfire Rapid. For its type of market, or those who want to softer and less noisy keys, the Logitech G105 does its job fairly well.

Special keys:

There are two sets of special keys on the Logitech G105, one set on the top-left corner and another set on the left side.

• G-keys – used for in-game commands, default of which vary per game but can be set via the Logitech Gaming Software. For example, for League of Legends, it changes your view of each character on your team (G1 for you, G2 for another team-mate, etc)
• M-keys – used to change game profiles per game, again can be customized via the software. You can set a maximum of 3 default game profiles.

On top of the keyboard are the game mode button on the left, which when toggled disables the windows key and the context menu keys. The other side is the backlight control button, which enables up to three modes of brightness: off, half, and full brightness. I normally set it to full brightness because the half and full doesn’t really make a difference.

Software:

The Logitech Game software (which can be downloaded through its website) is rather straight to the point, and has a very intuitive interface, despite the fact that I had a hard time finding in their website. The keys responded well with every change of setting and lit up when being changed.

However, one point to note is that the software does provide support for famous MOBA, MMO or RTS games such as League of Legends, DOTA, or even Starcraft II. Most of the games with default profiles in the software are either RPG or FPS games.

Overall:

The Logitech G105  is an entry-level keyboard is for gamers who wish to have a quality gaming keyboard with a good name. However, with its lack of special keys, lackluster key design and not so attractive price for a relatively standard keyboard, it is hard to recommend it for entry-level gamers especially for those on a tight budget. But if you’re looking for a solid, sturdy keyboard with soft feedback, the Logitech G105 is for you. The market price for this keyboard is around Php 2,100 or USD$49.

Rating: 3/5