by I’m not an esportist. In fact, in terms of gaming prowess, I’m what the kids might call “washed up”, and as a result I’m not exactly the target market for high-performance hardware aimed at esports. However, if you want to become an esports pro yourself in the future and are looking for a keyboard that can help you reach that skill level, Logitech has created a keyboard designed in collaboration with a bunch of the world’s best sports players , “engineering to break all barriers. between you and victory”.
It’s called the Pro X 60, and it can be yours for $180/£180, which, let’s face it, is a lot of money for any peripheral. Especially since this is a 60% key, which means it’s a small form factor board that’s missing a few keys that many of us would consider a necessity. That means there are no cursor keys or numpad, although it does have some software tricks to get around those limitations that we’ll get into later.
What you do get, however, is a backlit wireless keyboard with a Lightspeed USB dongle, a USB-A to USB-C charging and data cable, an extra Escape keycap, and a rather nifty carrying case. Because you’ll carry it to sporting events, I suppose, but in my case it was handy enough to keep crumbs out of the switches when I put it in my backpack to take to the office.
My review unit arrived in white, with a single black G key in the upper left corner, where the escape key would normally reside. As mentioned, Logitech provides you with an additional keycap if you prefer one labeled in the more traditional way, although there are no keycaps to help you fit it. Still, the dual-shot PBT keys are pretty easy to pull out with a little force.
Pro X60 specifications
Size: 60%
Switches: GX optical, tactile or linear option
Connectivity: wireless (2.4 GHz USB receiver or Bluetooth), USB connection
Keys: 61 in total, replaceable
Tilting: legs folded out
backlighting: customized
Media controls: side mounted volume wheel
Software: Logitech G Center
Price: $180/£180
Speaking of the key caps, these seem to be built “for the rigors of esports athletes”. Although I will not pretend to have great esportist numbers, I can say that they feel very strong under your finger, although this comes with a caveat – they are really “clacky” when you type.
Keyboard noise is about as subjective a matter as they come, but for me I found the noise quite distracting, and my partner was clearly resisting the urge to throttle me as I hammered out this review.
The switches here are the tactile version of Logitech’s GX optical units – although you can opt for linear models instead – and feel plenty clicky and responsive under your fingers. The main travel, however, has a level of resistance that took some getting used to, as I do my daily typing on a Corsair K65 RGB Mini equipped with Luas Cherry MX RGB switches that feel a bit “slippery”, without it. a better term.
Still, once I got used to the heavier switch resistance I found that my typing accuracy was a little better than what I was practicing with on a Corsair key, so make one for the esports pros – it seems that they favor accurate change. This is a keyboard that you like to actually turn the keys on, and while it took some adjustment to dial in my finger movements, I appreciated the boost in overall input accuracy.
There are a few features here that strike as unusual. First of all, the Pro X 60 has a volume wheel, but it comes in the form of a tiny control located on the left side of the chassis. This seems to be due to traditional volume wheels getting in the way when gaming at professional levels, so here Logitech seems to want you to reach out to the side of the table with your pinky and adjust the volume, and keep the rest of yours. fingers right next to the keys you’ll be using – probably WASD.
Hmm. As you can see from the images above, I have a set of long, thin digits that come in handy for all kinds of fiddly tasks. However, even with my slenderman sausages this movement feels really weird, and I can’t imagine anyone adjusting the volume often enough mid-game for traditional volume control to be an issue. And even if they were, this tiny wheel is still a pain to find mid-game.
The second unusual feature is a switch on the right side of the program that activates “Game Mode”, which by default disables the Windows and Menu keys. As an occasional hands-on individual I found it fairly useful for gaming, and it can be customized in the G Hub software to disable other keys as well.
Ah yes, the software. Logitech’s G Hub series opens up a wealth of customization options for this program which is impressive in its thoroughness. Not only can you customize each individual key to just about any key combination or rebind you can think of, you can download community presets for individual games, or upload versions of your own for others to use .
It’s a fairly intuitive system, although I’ll admit that I jumped right into it mainly to reassign the right Ctrl and Menu keys to Right and Left cursor keys respectively, because, well, I’m a writer and so are you. need those. 60% keyboards are an acquired taste and I’d much rather have those keys back than all the fancy software to help others do the same job again.
If you are an MMO or MOBA player, you will probably find this adaptation very useful. Although maybe so numpad. Still, it’s a well-thought-out system, with easy switching options to jump from preset to preset in an instant.
You can also customize the backlighting. There are huge ranges and color options available here, although none will get around a physical disadvantage of the switch design itself – on the longer keys, such as Caps Lock or Shift left and right, the lighting does not light up the text on both ends. sides, making the effect look inconsistent.
A little, maybe, but it doesn’t look as premium as you’d expect in low lighting for a keyboard this expensive.
Really, though, this keyboard screams from the rooftops that it’s all about gaming performance, and I’m happy to report that my multiplayer scores were… exactly the same. Of course. No amount of peripherals will compensate for shoddy reflexes, and while the accurate switchfeel and Game Mode function were useful additions, I don’t care about the legitimacy of leaning on esports pro endorsements to sell what, for most punters, would be a very expensive keyboard. . , it won’t make much difference over a much cheaper wireless unit.
Like the Keychron K2 Version 2, for example. You’ll even get some cursor keys to play with in there, in compact sound, for less than half the price.
Buy if…
✅ You need absolute accuracy: While I wasn’t a huge fan of the feel at first, I found the resistance in the key travel meant to improve my typing accuracy, and it’s also very responsive for gaming.
✅ You want a huge amount of customization: Logitech’s G Hub software lets you customize key input, lighting and function options in every way you can think of.
Do not buy if…
❌ You need dedicated cursor keys: While the Pro X 60 can be remapped to your heart’s content, and the cursor keys are a function swap option by default, I found myself still missing my dedicated arrow keys.
❌ You’re on a budget: It’s $180, and a lot of cash feels like it’s been put into things most gamers won’t need.
What I will say though is that the custom features are great, the inputs are very accurate, and the build quality feels like it will last. Connectivity was stable and lightning fast (at least, in my non-sports-professional assessment) regardless of whether I was using the Lightspeed dongle, the Bluetooth connection, or just the mini dongle itself plugged directly into my computer.
And how do you feel? It takes a bit of getting used to, but I have to say that after a few days of using it, I got around those switches a bit more clearly.
But really, I’d think carefully before laying down so much money on any peripheral that advertises it’s designed by, and for, the top of the competition battery. While that customization will likely be useful to many, I can’t shake the feeling that what you’re paying for here are response times that most players will never notice, and some other features, more doubtful of limited use.
For my money, I would still plump for my Corsair K65 RGB Mini and its small size in combination with its useful cursor keys, or the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless, a full size board that sits at the top of our best gaming. keyboard guide for a little less money. It’s got features out the wazoo, a proper multimedia wheel, PBT keycaps, partner-friendly sound dampening and it’s surprisingly compact for a full-sized board.
What it doesn’t have, however, is that nice carrying case to take your keyboard on the go. Looks like I need it, because after spending the morning getting rid of this Pro X 60 clacking keys review, I might have to find somewhere else to live.
