Logitech G915 Lightspeed: The perfect office and gaming keyboard

I've never seen such a flat mechanical keyboard. The flat profile of the G915 is possible thanks to the mechanical GL switches from Logitech. These are used for the first time in the G915. Logitech offers the keyboard with linear, tactile and clicky switches. Our test model comes with the tactile switches. For the time being, only the tactile version is available in our shop.

Keyboard

EUR191,36

Logitech G G915

DE, Wireless

8

Keyboard

EUR191,36

Logitech G G915

DE, Wireless

8

My colleague Phil and I split the job: I test in the office day-to-day and he tests for gaming. Phil is the bigger gamer than me and my PC is being renovated more often than Bern Minster, which means I can't game at the moment anyway.

Design and layout

The G915 Lightspeed just looks great. Nothing - except perhaps the RGB - screams gamer. Nevertheless, the keyboard is neither plain nor simple. Thanks to the flat switches and keycaps, it is just 22 millimetres high. The brushed aluminium of the top plate gives it a classy look. However, the underside is made of plastic, as is usual with prefabricated keyboards. The G915 Lightspeed also weighs just 1025 grams.

In addition to the usual keys of a 100 per cent layout keyboard, there are five G-keys on the far left, which can be freely assigned. Above the F1 to F4 keys are three macro profile keys and a macro record key. Above the F5 to F8 keys are keys for the USB dongle and Bluetooth connection, the game mode, which deactivates certain keys during gaming, and the RGB lighting.

There are also buttons for media control - complete with a rotary wheel for the volume. It's amazing how many buttons Logitech packs onto the G915 without it looking overloaded.

Although the G-keys are a nice gimmick, I don't know anyone who actually needs them. Unfortunately, I can't disable them on my office notebook and by default the G5 key has the same function as the F5 key. I often press the G5 key instead of Ctrl and my Google Docs file reloads. Fortunately, Docs saves continuously. Nevertheless, it's really annoying and it takes me some time to get used to the layout. My colleague Phil is more radical and simply deactivates the G-keys. They seem to me to be a remnant of the noughties, when almost every gamer keyboard had dedicated keys. What's more, the G915 Lightspeed is around 2.5 centimetres longer than other full-size keyboards at 47.5 centimetres because of the G-keys.

What the G915 lacks is a palm rest. This is not included in the scope of delivery. I don't care, as I never use one anyway. My colleague Phil is a little sceptical at first, but then realises after using the keyboard for a short time that the palm rest is not necessary. As the G915 is so flat, your hands are resting on it anyway.

The switches

The flat tactile switches of the G915 Lightspeed are only half the height of conventional Logitech switches. The actuation travel of the tactile switches is 1.5 millimetres, the total key travel is 2.7 millimetres. At the actuation point, 60 grams of actuation force are required and from the operating point, it is only 50 grams.

The switches are very good for typing, although I prefer clickies. The feedback feels very pleasant and satisfying. The short key travel is well suited for office use. Anyway, I would like to keep the keyboard. It's better suited to the office than my Razer Huntsman. The clickies on my Razer are louder and this sometimes annoys my office colleagues.

Features

The G915 Lightspeed can be connected to computers or other USB and Bluetooth-enabled devices via USB dongle or Bluetooth. It is charged via a micro USB cable. Logitech has made the move to USB-C for its mice. Why the manufacturer is sticking with the outdated standard for the G915 Lightspeed is a mystery to me. Please Logitech, switch to USB-C for all your devices.

The battery is supposed to last for 30 hours at 100 per cent RGB brightness. A status light above the F buttons provides information about the charge status. One full charge takes three hours.

Like all newer Logitech peripherals, the G915 Lightspeed runs with the Logitech G Hub software. This allows colour effects to be programmed, from the illumination of individual keys to pulsating rainbows that circle across the keyboard as you type. You can also record macros and set up profiles for individual games and programmes.

Gaming

Now it's Phil's turn. His first reaction: "Wow, what an awesome thing this is." Phil almost snatches the keyboard out of my hand as I unpack it. He is a loyal user of numerous Logitech keyboards and when the French-speaking Swiss company introduces a new model, he has to touch it. He has a G910 that he would like to replace. He is immediately hooked when I ask him if he wants to test it for gaming. His current keyboard also has tactile switches like the G915, but in a concave shape. The flat design of the G915 appeals to him more visually and when typing.

I'll let Phil tell you his further impressions himself:

The G915 Lightspeed cuts an excellent figure for gaming. The shorter key travel makes it feel more responsive in games while still offering enough sensitivity.

Because I normally use a palm rest, I was initially sceptical as to whether the G915 would be suitable for longer gaming sessions. Thanks to the flat design, my hands are in a very natural position for me and I never had to struggle with cramped hands. The first thing I did was to deactivate the programmable G-keys. Unfortunately, as I don't type using the ten-finger system, I regularly click on them by mistake and trigger some unnecessary command. And I never use macros in games either.

One point of criticism concerns the Wi-Fi connection. The keyboard didn't respond properly several times and only isolated inputs were registered. After a few seconds, the spook was usually over. Each time, the battery light lit up green. However, the keyboard was almost fully charged at the time. The problem never occurred with a USB cable. After a few days, the phenomenon disappeared or I no longer noticed it. I can't say for sure whether it was fixed by an update.

I still liked the keyboard so much that I bought it. However, the version with cable. On the one hand because of the connection problems mentioned above and on the other for cost reasons. In addition, the cable on the keyboard has never bothered me.

Cool keyboard for a hell of a lot of money

The Logitech G915 is a beautifully crafted keyboard that offers all of today's standard features. It is perfect for the office and gaming. So if you also run a home office in addition to gaming - or vice versa - it's the ideal keyboard.

As is so often the case with Logitech high-end products, the price is also high-end: just under 280 francs is a lot for a keyboard without a palm rest and USB-C.