Logitech G19s LCD Gaming Keyboard Review

6:50 PM g19s , gaming , keyboard , logitech , review 3 Comments

     I remember when I went to my first ever PC Fair, poor secondary school student me bought my first ever gaming peripheral; the G110, a gaming keyboard made by none other than Logitech. It's been almost 4 years since that happened and it's fortunate to say that my G110 is still working perfectly fine as one of my family member had since then snatched it from me. Today I will be reviewing the G19s LCD Gaming Keyboard, sitting atop the price range bracket in the keyboard category, let's see what the G19s has to offer.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX

TECH SPECS

• Dimensions (L x W x H): 495mm x 267mm x 51mm
• Weight: 2204 grams
• Display: Colour 320-by-240 pixel display

REVIEW

     Taking the G19s out of its box, I notice the packaging is fairly simple with the keyboard being the first thing you see right from the get go. I would have like to seen maybe a plastic shroud to protect the keyboard especially since it has a LCD screen right on top of it. After getting the keyboard out, there's a cardboard partition that holds the AC adapter, the wrist rest and also the user documentation.


     Putting the packaging aside, let's focus on the star of the show. Checking out the keyboard in its entirety, if you have used any of Logitech's previous gaming keyboards, the G19s doesn't deter too much from its original aesthetics. You have your 12 G-keys on the left side of the keyboard and on top of that you have the easy profile switch buttons that allow you to switch between three profiles that you have created and customized via the Logitech Gaming Software. I will elaborate more on the software later on in the review. Not forgetting also the macro recording button which allows users to record macros on the fly and review it later in the software. Beside that is the toggle to enable 'gaming' mode that will disable keys like the Windows key. Right above the numpad, we see the classic media control setup that has been a staple of Logitech gaming keyboards. What I like about this particular setup is that Logitech actually made the volume control into a scroll wheel, which makes controlling the volume a much more intuitive action compared to the conventional "press modifier key + function key" volume adjustment method.



     Right behind the media control keys, we see 2 USB ports which are also powered by the AC adapter, making them both active USB ports which allow users to plug in devices like smartphones to charge alongside the keyboard when they are using their PC. I find these 2 USB ports especially useful when you have a wireless mouse like the Logitech G700s (review coming up very soon) which has Logitech's slim receiver and a charging cable so you can easily switch between wireless and wired mode.


     Flipping the keyboard around, we get to see the cable management lanes. Cable management lanes are always handy to have. We also get to see the keyboard feet as well as how the detachable wrist rest works. In my opinion, the keyboard lacks grip as can be seen from the lack of rubber grips. While the chances of you pushing the keyboard while you are gaming is pretty low, I would have like to have seen more grip on the keyboard.


     The wrist rest on the other hand, is able to attach to the keyboard firmly without much hassle. The wrist rest attaches so firmly to the keyboard to the point where removing it becomes a really difficult task. Do keep in mind though, in normal usage conditions one wouldn't constantly remove the wrist rest. Anyhow, a detachable wrist rest is always a plus in my book.



     Now let's shift our focus to the star of the show and pretty much what makes most of the price tag, the LCD screen. The LCD screen is a colour display that bolsters a 4:3 screen aspect ratio and a resolution of 320x240. While that might look like a little low on the pixel count especially when considering nowadays the marketing trend is to slap a "1080P" or "4K" sticker on a product, the resolution on the G19s' LCD is perfectly enough for its usage. Right beside the screen, one will find the controls that are used to navigate the interface on the LCD.



     So what exactly can you do with the G19s' LCD display? A quick run-down inside the Logitech Gaming Software will give you guys a pretty good idea. Users can enable or disable certain applets and also control how bright they want the display to be.



     Here are some in real life shots to demonstrate the G19s' applets right out of the box.


     There are also some 3rd party plugins by developers like LCDHost or FalNET Display Manager that allow for more functions like a much more throughout system information display or user created layouts for certain applets. One particular applet that I find interesting is the ColorFactory applet found inside FalNET Display Manager that lets the keyboard go all out on illumination settings like what I have linked down below.


     Other than what I've written above, some games also have applet support for the LCD screens. You can find the full list here.

     Earlier in the review, I have already mentioned about Logitech Gaming Software, so here's the part where I explain what Logitech Gaming Software is and what is it designed to do. For starters, the Logitech Gaming Software allows users to customize what they want the 12 G-keys to do. Users can bind macros, single or multiple keystrokes, mouse functions if you have a Logitech gaming mouse plugged in and even shortcuts to other programs on the keyboard. I would have liked to have the ability to rebind every key on the keyboard instead of just the 12 G-keys as it is an industry standard already even for cheaper keyboards by other manufacturers. What I like about LGS though is that you can have unlimited profiles for different games on my PC; however this perk does not extend to when you are using the on-board memory featured on the G19s and you are limited to 6 profiles.These profiles also can also have a trigger associated to a certain program.




     Users can also customize what colour they want the keyboard to be lit in. Users can either choose their favourite colour using the colour wheel or by punching in RGB values (particularly useful so I can use the exact cyan blue I use in my logo.) Users can also opt to use some pre-determined colours which pretty much cover every colour on the rainbow. That pretty much covers everything about the software.


     Before I go on to the conclusion, there is something I would like to mention. If you don't plug in the AC adapter and use the keyboard by using solely the USB connection, understandably, the LCD will not be activated. However, the backlight will not function as well. Just something you might want to take note if you are planning to buy the keyboard.

CONCLUSION
     The Logitech G19s is a well-built membrane keyboard that does not alter the original keyboard layout other than extending it out a bit on the left to implement the G-keys. However, a big bombshell to this keyboard would be its retail price which is a whopping amount of MYR 699.00. While I understand that most the cost comes from probably the LCD screen, some parts of the keyboard just doesn't cut it for the price tag. For a keyboard of that price, I would have like to have seen a much more advanced lighting system like lighting zones as opposed to one colour across the board. I would also like to have seen per-key programming as opposed to just the 12 G-keys. Removing the only speciality of the keyboard - the LCD screen, you will be left with the already phased out G110 which if I remember correctly, you could get at about MYR 210.00 a few years ago. So the question you would have to pose to yourself would be: Is the LCD screen worth the additional cost? In my honest opinion, I just can't find myself owning a keyboard like this.