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Logitech’s latest mechanical keyboards use its new super slim switches

Logitech’s latest mechanical keyboards use its new super slim switches

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Featuring its new GL Switches

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Image: Logitech

Logitech has announced a pair of new mechanical keyboards, the G915 Lightspeed Wireless and the G815 Lightsync RGB, which use what the company calls its new low-profile GL Switches. Both feature RGB lighting with support for up to 16.8 million colors and five programmable macro keys, while the G915 is also wireless, connecting to your PC via a dongle using Logitech’s proprietary Lightspeed technology.

The new GL Switches are available in three variants — linear, tactile, and clicky —which would make them the equivalent of Cherry MX Red switches, Brown switches, and Blue switches respectively. Whichever variant you prefer, Logitech says the GL Switches are half the height of standard mechanical switches. It also claims that they are 25 percent faster to press, since you don’t have to press them down as far before they actuate.

The low-profile switches mean both models are slim compared to other mechanical keyboards.
The low-profile switches mean both models are slim compared to other mechanical keyboards.
Image: Logitech

The wireless version of the keyboard, the G915, uses Logitech’s proprietary 2.4GHz wireless Lightspeed technology to connect the keyboard to your computer. In order to benefit from it you’ll have to use a dongle rather than being able to rely on your machine’s built in Bluetooth (which the keyboard also supports), but in our past experience we’ve found that Lightspeed offers a really reliable wireless connection. When we’ve used the technology with Logitech’s gaming mice, for example, we’ve found that it’s able to maintain a solid connection, even when used in a busy cafe filled with wireless devices. Battery life is rated at 135 days with RGB lighting turned off, or 12 days with it turned on (based on an assumption of eight hours of use a day).

Logitech isn’t the only company to have developed a low-profile mechanical keyboard switch. Cherry, whose MX design is one of the most popular mechanical switch designs around, recently introduced a low-profile version of its MX Red switch that’s found a home in keyboards from Cooler Master and Ducky.

The Logitech G915 and G815 keyboards will be available to buy at some point this month, priced at $249.99 and $199.99 respectively.

Correction: Logitech calls the switches used in this keyboard “GL Switches” not “Romer GL Switches” as previously stated. We have also updated this article to make it clear that the keyboard also supports Bluetooth in addition to Logitech’s Lightspeed wireless technology.