In an explosion of color, Logitech today announced a suite of light-colored PC peripherals, wireless options, and, like it or not, RGB lighting.
Logitech calls it the Aurora Collection, and while the gadgets are designed for gamers, the high programmability and premium features can make them interesting for casual power users as well.
The new series is characterized by trendy white colors, enhanced RGB LEDs, and high price tags. The series includes the G735 Wireless Headset ($230), the G705 Wireless Mouse ($100), the G713 Mechanical Keyboard ($170), and the G715 Wireless ($200). There are also Aurora PC accessories, including top plates and keycaps, as well as new Aurora colors for some previously released Logitech microphones.
And, like anyone who recently walked by my desk, they immediately noticed that I had some hands-on time with the wireless keyboard in the parking lot.
Dividing design
The polarizing look of the G715 goes beyond white bear style. Let’s start with a sticky cloud-shaped wrist rest.
It pairs well with the white keyboard casing, but looks childish and is not helped by the faux leather, which I predict will flake off after frequent use.
The wrist rest is surprisingly firm and comfortable when typing. I couldn’t feel my hard desk through the wrist rest, even when pressed hard. However, its lumpiness irritated my wrists.
The G715 only comes in white, and as the white PBT caps on my work keyboard and white mouse can attest, white PC peripherals can get dirty easily and noticeably. Keep that in mind when considering this expensive nutcracker.
Luckily, the keyboard has dual PBT keycaps, so the legends shouldn’t rub off (for more on keycaps and other terms in this article, see our guide to mechanical keyboards). Plus, they have a delightful texture that offers a better grip than cheap ABS keycaps and feel right for the price of a keyboard.
White is the main color here, but I was still showered with color with per-key RGB lighting, which created incredibly vibrant legends and glow between the keys.
The RGB strip around the bottom of the G715 also created a bright glow on my desktop, especially south of the keyboard.
RGB draws strong opinions, and if your opinion is generally positive, there’s nothing to complain about here, except that software is required to change the RGB settings. You can even customize the LEDs on the underside of the keyboard and use pre-made effects.
But if you’re negative about RGB or interested in saving battery life, you can quickly turn off the lights (no software required). But given the price of the keyboard, you should probably like most of the other things about the peripheral if you’re going to forego one of its most important features.
Mechanical keyboards designed for gamers tend to have great multimedia keys. And while the G715 has a truncated design, it still has a set of multimedia keys (which can be backlit by RGB) in a relaxing lavender hue, including a rubber scroll wheel. However, the wheel is not the most tactile. I prefer wheels with more serrations.
Unfortunately, like most of the G715’s keys, the multimedia keys are not programmable.
