Logitech G515 LightSpeed TKL review
Wireless gaming keyboards have come a long way and this one looks good while proving it
KOSTAS FARKONAS
PublishED: July 22, 2024
The tech industry can often seem obsessed with offering flagship products in every conceivable category, to the point where most manufacturers sometimes give the impression that they’d only like to focus on expensive top-of-the-line models rather than on attractively priced ones. It obviously has to do with those desirable profit margins, sure, but offering an extremely good product for less can be a more interesting challenge than offering a hi-end product for (much) more. This is precisely the kind of challenge Logitech seems to have taken on with the G515 LightSpeed TKL, its new wireless gaming keyboard positioned just below last year’s flagship Pro X TKL and the popular G915 TKL in terms of pricing.
Yours truly has been testing the G515 for a couple of weeks now with his favorite PC games, as well as using it regularly for productivity work (although Logitech obviously offers other productivity-focused keyboards of the highest quality for some time now). This product costs almost half of what the G915 TKL went for at launch, but is it the type of bargain that deserves the attention of most consumers? Without further ado…
Beautiful design, a delightful typing experience
In terms of design, Logitech hit it out of the park with the G515: the company managed to strike the perfect balance between the popular gamer-y look and the more discrete, streamlined home-office-style of peripheral. The duo-tone dark grey/black keyboard (it’s also available in light grey/white) looks pretty pro and serious on its own, but PC gamers who just love their RGB can adjust the backlight of each and every one of its keys, creating a more aggressively modern look that can still work well on any desk.
The clean lines of the G515 and its minimalistic look overall is a testament to Logitech’s experience and confidence when it comes to these products – it is also highly appreciated in this world of over-designed, needlessly garish gaming keyboards.
It’s true that the built quality of the G515’s all-plastic body and keycap tops leaves something to be desired – it’s not up to par with the company’s most expensive gaming models, which is understandable – but it’s still pretty high compared to most other keyboards in its price range. Logitech has nailed all the other basics in any case: the G515 sits at just the right height and angle for a low-profile keyboard (whether its feet are extended or not), all keys are normally spaced out despite the device’s compact size (by TKL standards) while additional function buttons or switches are all within easy reach. There are even a few thoughtful, nice touches, such as the really small but perfectly readable indicator LEDs or the compartment for storing the included USB wireless receiver at the back.
Most important of all, though: both the feel of the G515 while playing all kinds of PC games, as well as the typing experience while using this keyboard productively, are extremely satisfying. Logitech offers two kinds of mechanical switches as options for this model – tactile or linear – and yours truly really, really liked the key travel, contact feedback and response of his tactile test unit. These switches also make very little noise, a big plus in many people’s book.
Most hi-end mechanical keyboards offer swappable switches, which is something hardcore PC gamers seem to appreciate if they are particularly fond of a specific type of mechanical switch and thus reluctant to use anything else. This model does not go that far, for a number of different reasons, but it’s more than likely that mainstream consumers – as well as many PC gamers who have already settled on the kind of switches they prefer – won’t mind that, definitely not when the G515 is so pleasant to use in every scenario.
Connectivity options galore, versatile software, excellent value overall
One other thing many consumers will love about the Logitech G515 is the range of connectivity options it offers right out of the box. There’s a USB-C port for a wired connection to a USB-C or USB-A PC port (the included cable is of the latter kind), there’s Bluetooth for easy pairing with all sorts of devices and then there’s Logitech’s LightSpeed high-speed wireless tech, as utilized by the included 2.4 GHz receiver. Bluetooth is more than good enough for productivity and compatibility with a wide range of devices for different use cases, while PC gamers are obviously expected to take advantage of the LightSpeed receiver for best results.
So how well does LightSpeed perform in around a dozen PC titles when tested, given the fact that most hardcore PC gamers avoid wireless gaming keyboards altogether? Incredibly well, as it turns out: Logitech’s tech delivers a totally stable, impressively low-latency connection between the G515 and the PC the included receiver is plugged into, to the point that it’s practically indistinguishable to a wired connection. That’s high praise for any gaming wireless keyboard and, as a welcome bonus, Logitech fans who already own any one of the company’s LightSpeed-compatible mouse models can use the same receiver with that and the G515, thus avoiding using two USB ports (a boon for laptop owners).
Advanced gaming keyboards truly deserve the right kind of software in order to be properly configured and utilized to the max, so kudos to Logitech for providing two such applications. G-Hub is the one all owners of the G515 will want to download in order to adjust the device’s RGB lighting, switch profiles, assign certain functions to specific keys or remap existing functions to different keys or combinations of keys, for instance. Pretty standard stuff, yes, but it’s good to see Logitech providing an easy way to set the G515 up in a way that’s accessible to mainstream users.
And then… there’s KeyControl: this allows hardcore PC gamers to really go to town when it comes to configuring the G515. It lets them practically build layers upon layers of functionality, allowing for up to 15 (!) different functions assigned to each key depending on different combinations and game commands. Productivity control freaks could, in theory, use the same app in order to create complicated macros taking care of specific command sequences, all in one keystroke. Never thought of repetitive tasks as gamification objects, yet now…
Having said all that, no tech product is perfect and the G515 is no exception. Battery life, for instance, can be an issue because of a choice Logitech made on a design level: the legends of the keys are not painted, so that backlight can admittedly be really impressive when at work, but this means that without any backlight they are quite hard to read in good lighting conditions and almost impossible to discern in bad ones. Having the keys backlit all the time – even not at 100% intensity – is pretty much necessary, so battery life takes a hit: yours truly noted anything between 35 to 40 hours on a charge, depending on the workload, which is OK but not great.
One can just keep using the G515 in wired mode while it’s charging through any PC’s USB port, obviously, while doing the same thing through e.g. a tablet or laptop USB-C charger is much, much faster. Others have pointed out the absence of a wrist rest or a USB passthrough port as potential weaknesses, but – truth be told – few people would mind stuff like that if Logitech’s latest provided more battery life in wireless mode.
This one issue aside, though – which won’t affect everyone, just people who’d like to game or work with the company’s new keyboard for really long stretches at a time – the G515 is a winner. At $139/€149 it is considerably more affordable than Logitech’s latest flagship, the Pro X TKL ($199/€229), as well as the top-end G915 TKL ($229/€259), while being somewhat better than either of those in some respects.
The G515’s build quality may not be as luxurious, granted, but every important feature offered by its more expensive siblings is present and accounted for (which is what most people care about when it comes to everyday use). This is a safe, easy recommendation for a modern wireless mechanical keyboard targeted at PC gamers and productivity users alike. For people who happen to be both, it’s twice as easy a choice.
LOGITECH G515 LIGHTSPEED TKL SCORECARD
TO THE POINT
Battery life may prove to be an issue for some truly demanding, hardcore players, but everybody else will love this beautifully designed, well-specced, high-quality wireless gaming keyboard.
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Very nicely designed
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Wide range of connectivity options
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Extensive software customization
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LightSpeed really does work very well
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Great value for money
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Build quality is just OK
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Battery life is acceptable but not great
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