Gaming Keyboard Roundup: Razer, OCZ, and Logitech

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Comments

  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    I want my next keyboard to be the G19, but I don't know if my wallet will allow that.

    I'm happy with my MS Ergonomic Natural 4000 for work and my G15 V2 for play. Much prefer the screen on the V2 to the V1, but it's all subjective.

    And Meph, I think I mentioned a little bit about the wonky touch controls and my general dislike of them, but I never experienced full-on errors like you're reporting during my use. That's tough to deal with, for sure. Apologies for your experience.
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    I would add that OCZ's keyboard should also include backlighting. I SOOOO want a keyboard that I can play on in almost total darkness and not have to crank up the LCD brightness to illuminate the keyboard.
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    Should? Perhaps, but then it wouldn't be less than half the price of its competitors.
  • djmephdjmeph Detroit Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    In general I like to be able to do anything in the dark. Fortunately my Thinkpad has the trusty LED that lights up the keyboard, but I'd prefer light-up keys.
  • edited October 2009
    New G110 from Logitech

    http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,697389/Logitech-G110-New-Gaming-Keyboard-introduced/News/

    Looks like a solid offering to replace the G11, taking the best of the new from the G19 and G15 Rev2. No LCD, but it has the 12 G-keys similar to the G19, which is definitely a welcome upgrade from the six on the G15 Rev2 with an overall smaller footprint and streamlined design. The keys look to have a really deep profile though....kinda reminds me of the old school mechanical kbs that seem to be making a comeback.

    May have to check this out, I never really used the LCD on my G15 (use a 2nd display for those functions) and the newer G15 and G19 address the biggest problems I had with my G15 Rev1, the loose keys, stripped paint, and overall poor build quality. No LCD should also price it reasonably, hopefully in the $50-70 range.
  • ObsidianObsidian Michigan Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    Any word on when the G110 is coming out? Is it immediate and we'll be seeing it at e-tailers in the next few days or will we have to wait a few weeks? I've been looking at different keyboards recently and was thinking about the G15 and Sidewinder X6. This could fit the bill if Logitech isn't jacking up the price of the keyboard on their site like they usually do and I can pick one up for $50-60.
  • ZuntarZuntar North Carolina Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    Thrax wrote:
    All I know is that when my Logitech G15 v1 dies, I'm going to ebay to buy another.

    ^^this
  • edited October 2009
    Obsidian wrote:
    Any word on when the G110 is coming out? Is it immediate and we'll be seeing it at e-tailers in the next few days or will we have to wait a few weeks? I've been looking at different keyboards recently and was thinking about the G15 and Sidewinder X6. This could fit the bill if Logitech isn't jacking up the price of the keyboard on their site like they usually do and I can pick one up for $50-60.
    Not sure when its expected to release, but the Logitech site and Amazon are listing it for pre-order for $79.99.

    http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/gaming/mice_keyboard_combos/devices/5902&cl=US,EN?section=overview
    http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-920-002232-Gaming-Keyboard-G110/dp/B002RRLQIO/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1255609269&sr=8-7

    From recent product launches like the G13, G19 and G9x it sometimes takes awhile for Logitech to get announced products to channel. With the G9x especially as they waited to clear most of the existing G9 stock before launching it.

    Looked over the Logitech site and blog and there's some pretty cool features I don't think I've seen before on a KB. Maybe on the G19 but I haven't really looked into it in any detail with the hefty price tag.

    http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/gaming/mice_keyboard_combos/devices/5902&cl=US,EN?section=overview
    http://blog.logitech.com/2009/10/15/new-logitech-gaming-keyboard-g110/

    G110 has a built-in USB audio device, which is pretty convenient for gamers as it will limit wires to your main box and keep voice mic and headset local. Just a few 3.5mm miniplugs to the KB for voicecoms.

    It also sports customizable LED backlights similar to the G9 mouse and G19 keyboard. Seems like the G110 will allow you to set different backlight keys on a per key basis via software. That'd be pretty sweet if you can do different patterns, like lighting up ASDW, or certain G-keys for those that may do better with visual abstraction using colors rather than numbers.

    Some other convenience features seen on other G-series keyboards of old, like wrist rest, cable routing traces make it onto the G110. There is also a single Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port, which is new compared to the G11/G15 rev1. Another welcome feature for connecting your mouse in an effort to limit wires running to your main box.
  • ObsidianObsidian Michigan Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    Logitech is getting its first shipments of the G110 in mid-late November =/
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    lol, Chizow:
    The only company that does a GOOD job of keepin game profiles updated in a timely manner is Nvidia with their video drivers. So good in fact they usually have functional game profiles in advance of a game's launch...

    That horse has to be all bones by this point.
  • edited October 2009
    Snarkasm wrote:
    lol, Chizow:



    That horse has to be all bones by this point.
    Uh, ya I would think people who buy this hardware for the intended purpose of gaming would find automatic profile detection, functionality and support important, especially if its being touted as a major feature. Its probably the biggest reason the XBox 360 Controller is infinitely better than the Logitech Rumblepad 2. Like I said, the only company that does a good job of keeping these profiles updated in a timely manner is Nvidia.

    This isn't a dig on ATI if that's what you're insinuating, because their equivalent of game specific profiles are invisible to the end-user so its not actually a feature of their drivers. You can manually set profiles for particular games, but you have to create them from scratch and you still can't expose compatibility flags that aren't exposed normally through their CP like you can with Nvidia's profiles through the NVCP or nHancer (particularly useful for AA and CF/SLI flags).

    Its a feature they've promised months ago...but we'll probably see a blog post by Ian McNaughton in the next month or two explaining how its somehow Nvidia's fault they haven't delivered this feature yet (and yes, that is a dig at ATI). ;) In the meantime, I've just downloaded another update from Nvidia that fully supports Dragon Age Origins, TWIMTBP, no doubt.
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    How hard is it to go into a game menu and manually set your preferences? Seriously? That's what I do on a title by title basis, takes me a few minutes, its not that big of a time suck, and most games defaults are pretty logical to begin with, I normally only adjust a couple minor preferences, for example I like to crouch using the back button on my mouse, and I like to melee by flicking my mouse wheel up. Takes me all of three minutes to get these things set and saved myself. I don't see what the big deal is on gaming specific keyboards.
  • edited October 2009
    How hard is it to go into a game menu and manually set your preferences? Seriously? That's what I do on a title by title basis, takes me a few minutes, its not that big of a time suck, and most games defaults are pretty logical to begin with, I normally only adjust a couple minor preferences, for example I like to crouch using the back button on my mouse, and I like to melee by flicking my mouse wheel up. Takes me all of three minutes to get these things set and saved myself. I don't see what the big deal is on gaming specific keyboards.

    Well for one, its harder than not having to do anything manually at all. Also, I'm not referring to changing simple control maps for any particular game that any standard keyboard would also benefit from, I'm talking about profiles that would specifically take advantage of the added capabilities of an actual gaming keyboard.

    For example, if you wanted to set up a profile with your G15 and there wasn't a default profile (as there isn't for 99% of games out there), you have to create it, search for and designate the game's .exe, then start mapping out your functions to G-keys.

    With proper support and a functional profile, you wouldn't have to set anything up, the profile would exist and would already point to the proper .exe(s). While many of the pre-made set macros might not be useful to you, some might be great the way they are. Some might need slight modification. Some might expose functionality you would've never thought about that some dev support guy did.

    Obviously MMOs make some of the best use of gaming keyboards as you're able to map complex macros to a single function key, so pre-set macros might not be that useful. But at the very least, they could pre-map Ctrl/Shift/Alt and numeric #1 to 6 for each cluster of 6 G keys on the G15 which would at least offer some basic functionality to nearly every MMO out there.

    Another example would be many FPS games. Most FPS have in-game communication commands that combine canned voice acting with visual avatar actions, like hitting "T" or "V" might bring up a menu of common FPS-type commands listed 1-0. With good support and a pre-made profile, you might have T+1 mapped to G1 titled "Follow Me", G+2 mapped to G2 titled "All Clear" etc. etc.

    Simply put, if you had the choice of a program that offered useful templates vs. one that didn't, which would you prefer?



    So again, back to the original point Snarkasm linked out of context, I said:
    me wrote:
    Its a very powerful tool actually, the only major negative I found is lack of useful profiles per game so it takes some time to set up and the G keys themselves are a bit far off compared to Home Key position your hand would normally rest in.
    Well this new Logitech keyboard will solve that problem for you smile.gif
    me wrote:
    No that's the problem, they've claimed support for game profiles since the original G15 but they are so few and never ever updated. Its the same for their game pads or Creative's ALchemy, they work good but you gotta set up the profiles yourself. The only company that does a GOOD job of keepin game profiles updated in a timely manner is Nvidia with their video drivers. So good in fact they usually have functional game profiles in advance of a game's launch thanks to the TWIMTBP devrel program.

    So no, pre-made profiles may not be a big deal to some people, but I think it would be for anyone who sees this as a major feature especially given its so prominently advertised and touted as a feature. The keyboard example isn't the worst offender by a long-shot, like I said earlier the Logitech Rumblepad 2 seems completely unusable compared alongside the seamless support offered by the XBox 360 controller.
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