Gaming keyboards have become ridiculous over the years. They’ve moved further into the realm of absurdity with full RGB backlighting, more extreme font printing and edgy designs that make them less welcome on a more professional desk. Which is a shame, considering the mechanical keys that usually lie below are the real reason so many people want them. Logitech seemingly understands this, which is why their new gaming keyboards are far more subtle.
Dropping into their mid-range set of peripherals, the new G413 doesn’t immediately look like a gaming keyboard. It sheds the awkward fonts and weird build designs to present a more standard, acceptable keyboard shape. Sure it comes with some backlighting (either a solid red or white), but it can all be turned off to disguise your gaming tendencies while doing your spreadsheets. Or, at the very least, you won’t be blinded by a flurry of colours when you’re trying to nail that perfect headshot.
The keyboard retains the appealing mechanical keys that keyboards of this ilk almost require now. Instead of the Cherry MX switches, Logitech is shipping the G413 with their own Romer-G switches. They’re a lot like MX Browns, with a similar feel and required force for actuation. I’d still prefer a selection of Reds, Browns and Blues, but at $89 Logitech is making a compelling reason for me to be a little more lenient.
“We spent a lot of time carefully designing and engineering this keyboard to deliver advanced performance with just the right feature set, at the right price point,” said Ujesh Desai, vice president and general manager of Logitech G. “We created this keyboard with features like USB passthrough, backlit keys and a metal finish. With the G413 we believe we’ve achieved the perfect balance of high performance features and attractive design.”
The G413 is set to launch next month, so expect them to start cropping up on local stores shortly after then. Honestly, I wish more brands would adopt this more subtle approach parallel to the more ridiculous designs out there.
Last Updated: April 19, 2017
Craig "CrAiGiSh" Dodd
April 19, 2017 at 13:52
Or you can look at the Redragon range of Mechanical keyboards.
They are surprisingly very good for the price.
Original Heretic
April 19, 2017 at 13:57
I dunno hey. A keyboard that can’t double as a Decepticon? I’ll have to think about that.