Logitech had two target audiences in mind while designing their G810 Orion Spectrum keyboard. First were serious gamers, which comes as no surprise — the brand’s mantra is “Gaming Devices for the Serious Gamer.” About a decade ago, I could have fallen into the “serious gamer” camp; I was in high school and stayed up most nights until 4:00 a.m. playing Counter Strike: Condition Zero. (Map: Aztec. Weapon: M4.) But now in my mid-20s, working nearly 50 hours a week, I’m not the gamer I once was. Fortunately, however, I fall into Logitech’s second target audience: professionals curious about gaming.
Aesthetically, the G810 Orion Spectrum is approachable. It doesn’t have the added palm rests (or the smartphone dock) of the brand’s G910 Orion Spark, nor the additional macro keys of Corsair’s Vengeance K95. Yet it’s clear that this isn’t a stock keyboard from the 2000s, and that comes across, visually, in the lights. The G810 is equipped with, according to Logitech, “the most advanced RGB lighting” on the market and each key can be customized — gamers can choose from a spectrum of 16.8 million colors.
Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum
Mechanical Switches: Romer-G
Lighting: RGB-lit keys
Keys: Programmable “F” keys (instead of traditional “G” keys)
Bonus: Tom Clancy’s The Division included in purchase (expires March 31)
Cool? Yes. But the real allure of the G810, at least once you’ve embraced the gaming side of the keyboard, is Logitech’s proprietary Romer-G mechanical switches (the mechanisms that make the keys function). Compared to rival gaming keyboards with Cherry MX switches, Logitech claims their Romer-Gs are 25 percent more responsive, with a 1.5mm actuation point (the distance the key needs to travel before being recognized by the keyboard). Additionally, the G810 Orion Spectrum keyboard comes decked out with other specs that experienced gamers will love — like their programmable “F” keys (instead of the traditional “G” keys, which are absent on the G810) and Logitech’s gaming software pre-loaded with over 300 gaming profiles. All this means that you’ll have an edge when playing an opponent on a traditional keyboard.
But for novices looking to get into the PC gaming world, the decision really comes down to price and games. The games side is the easy sell, as some of the most highly anticipated games of the upcoming years, like Star Citizen and Routine, will be exclusive to PC. As for price, the G810’s $160 is right in the middle of the pack compared to other gaming keyboards, like the Corsair Vengeance K95 ($150) and Roccat Ryos MK Pro ($150). So, along with the keyboard launch, Logitech rolled out their ace up the sleeve: until March 31, 2016, everybody who purchases the G810 will get a free copy of Tom Clancy’s The Division when it comes out on March 8th. That’s an extra $60 incentive to encourage those thinking about get into PC gaming to dive in head first.