Logitech is one of the most prolific gaming peripheral makers out there. From mice to joysticks to keyboards and more, the company has attempted to cater to every gamer’s needs but every so often it’s important to fall back to simpler times. The Logitech G213 Prodigy gaming keyboard is a simple device, something many PC users will find familiar due to its lack of gaming-only keys.
The Prodigy line from Logitech is meant to familiarise users with high-end gaming features in an otherwise simple looking product. The Logitech G213 is one of the products in the Prodigy line, the others being the G403 mouse and G231 headset. Before I delve into its performance when it comes to gaming, how does it stack up aesthetically?
The Logitech G213 measures 218x452x33 mm, with about a third of the width coming from the integrated palm rest to help you through those long gaming sessions. The light weight ( 1000g) will also let you carry it over to your friend’s place for some LAN gaming.
The G213 features backlit keys, something that is now a staple of gaming keyboards (or so I would like to think). Customising the colour variation requires you to download Logitech’s Gaming Software which lets you choose a number of different lighting modes. While many seem to have found the backlit keys a bit dull in terms of brightness, I found them to be perfect; I don’t want my peripheral vision to be blinded.
“While simplicity may be the strong point of the G213, it could also be its Achilles heel.”
Build wise, the G213 isn’t the sturdiest of keyboards. You won’t notice this if you don’t have the two adjustable feet propped up, but the keyboard does bend slightly when applying force to any of the middle keys. Pressing the F8 key and keys near to it cause a slight, yet noticeable bit of bending.
In terms of key layout, the Logitech G213 looks like the average off-the-shelf keyboard that you could buy at your local computer store. You have the usual array of keys, albeit with a few more multimedia keys above the numeric and system command keys. On the whole, it’s a simple, familiar design, devoid of any extra keys that could deter some casual gamers but is sure to be missed by more hardcore gamers.
Now I’m not the only person who often devours a meal at their desk. While the resulting stains from chilli sauce and juice can be easily cleaned, spilling liquids into your keyboard is still a point of paranoia for me. Thankfully the G213 has a spill resistance up to a 60 ml liquid rating.
When it comes to performance, the G213 falls short. The reason it has a bit of spill resistance is due to the fact that it uses membrane keys, not mechanical keys. When it comes to performance, that’s a big factor. Mechanical keys are something all PC gamers are familiar with. The variety of tactile and audible responses, to the clickity-clack sound of you strafing and spam-crouching using the WASD and Control keys are some of the factors that cause PC gamers to gravitate towards them. Unfortunately, the G213 doesn’t have mechanical switches.
“While there is no “click”, there is a “clack””
Now that’s not to say that membrane switches aren’t bad; the G213 is one of the better membrane switch keyboards I’ve used. While there is no “click”, there is a “clack” in terms of sound and feel when typing. The travel distance (4 mm) is akin to that off various mechanical gaming keyboards out there (the Logitech Orion Spectrum has a travel distance of 3 mm), with the actuation force (50 G) being about the same. However, in terms of feel, the lack of the “click” plays a big part in how sloppy the key presses felt.
While it may fall short in terms of gaming performance, it does stack up well when it comes to lengthy typing sessions; once I got used to the actuation force and travel distance of the keys, I was able to type out an essay’s worth of words in a period of time that I couldn’t have accomplished with a mechanical keyboard. An added bonus the G213 has is the “Gaming mode key”which disables the Windows and Menu key, meaning you won’t accidentally switch to the desktop when your finger slips off of the control key.
While this is one of the best membrane keyboards out there, it still can’t live up to the performance and feel of a mechanical keyboard. That said it’s a perfect entry peripheral for gamers looking to get the extra edge gaming peripherals can offer, without needing to blow a hole in their wallet (it costs just over AED 250). More dedicated gamers would look to buying mechanical keyboards such as Logitech’s Orion Spectrum.
