Logitech claims new wireless mechanical gaming keyboard is better than wired

Over at PAX West, Logitech has revealed a pair of new gaming peripherals in the form of a nifty-sounding wireless mechanical keyboard and partner wireless mouse.

Nestling under the Logitech G brand, the Logitech G613 Lightspeed Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is a smart new concept that gives you the tactile feel of a mechanical keyboard with freedom of movement granted by cutting the cord, yet should remain as responsive as a traditional wired keyboard.

Indeed, Logitech claims its new wireless peripheral is actually more responsive than the majority of wired gaming keyboards thanks to a 1ms report rate (known as a ‘Lightspeed’ connection, hence the name of the device) and high-quality keystroke signal processing.

Alternatively, instead of hooking up using the Lightspeed tech, you can connect via Bluetooth which gives you the flexibility to control multiple devices using the keyboard (switching between different pieces of hardware at the touch of a button).

You also get Romer-G mechanical switches with a short-throw actuation point that Logitech claims makes key presses around 25% faster than a standard mechanical keyboard, along with six programmable keys which can be used for custom macros.

The G613 keyboard runs off two AA batteries which should give you 18 months of longevity, and is available immediately direct from Logitech priced at $150 (around £115, AU$190).

Mouse in the house

This keyboard has a partner peripheral, Logitech’s G603 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse, which as the name indicates uses the same Lightspeed connection technology.

So again you get that highly responsive 1ms report rate, and the ability to switch over to a Bluetooth wireless connection if you prefer, in order to pair with multiple devices.

The gaming mouse also utilizes a Logitech's new HERO (high-efficiency rated optical) sensor delivering high accuracy and sensitivity of up to 12,000 DPI – and it’s highly power efficient, meaning a better battery life for the peripheral.

Like the keyboard this is powered by two AA batteries, and you’ll get 500 hours of life from the device in ‘hi’ mode, which Logitech notes is double its last-gen peripheral’s longevity.

Alternatively, switching to ‘lo’ mode drops the 1ms response time to 8ms for when you’re not gaming (i.e. just using the mouse on the desktop), in which case you’ll get 18 months of longevity from the pair of batteries.

The G603 mouse will retail at $70 (around £55, AU$90) when it becomes available next month, and both these peripherals benefit from a two-year warranty.

It’s worth bearing in mind that Logitech is also releasing the G840, an extra-large mouse mat which will be out next month priced at $50 (around £40, AU$65).

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).