Ripten Hardware Review: Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard
When it comes to video games, I find nothing gives a better sense of control and use than the traditional keyboard and mouse. Need to pull off that perfect headshot? A mouse will let you. Need to control your huge army base from the other side of the map? Your computer keyboard and bindings will let you do that too.
Out of the box, the G13 looks perfect. A curved design, wealthy amount of keys and strikingly large LCD screen (160×43 pixels) that can display a plethora of information. Four of the keys on the face have a shallow circular feel, obviously aimed at making the first person shooter community feel right at home using the device. At $72 USD, it’s quite a pricey device but will it live up to that? Here at Ripten we wondered the same thing, so we tested it heavily across a number of games.
The ergonomics of the G13 are brilliant and really make the G13 a stand out from the likes of other game pads. The wave design flows through to the wrist pad that is soft whilst not letting your hand get bogged down. The G keys are numbered 1-22 and tilted slightly forward at the bottom then slightly upwards at the top. To the bottom right of this is a joystick sided by two clickable buttons, with the joystick best being use to control your onscreen movements. Located just above the main keyboard is three bank select buttons that let you quickly switch between keysets, giving you a grand total of 88 mappable keys. It’s quite a lot when you think about it, and honestly I could never imagine someone using them all.
To control the LCD screen you must use four buttons just below the display, whilst there are two circular buttons responsible for turning the backlight on and off and changing your screen apps (of which there are plenty). On the subject of backlighting, you can choose literally any color in the rainbow. Mine is currently red to match the theme of my computer and keyboard, but I’ve got the other game modes mapped to different colors.
To operate all the keys you obviously need a set of dedicated software, and that’s where the Logitech G-Series Key Profiler comes in handy. Using the key profiler you can map keys easily by clicking their corresponding key in the program, then selecting the keys you want to replace it within the program. It’s then ready to be used. All the data is saved to the G13 itself, so if you’re taking it to a LAN party, your profiles and macros will follow you.
Another piece of software is the LCD Manager, which allows you to manage all your LCD apps, as well as their brightness, scroll speed and even how often your applets cycle from one to another. These easy to use and handy pieces of software really make the G13 go from being a Jet control panel to a bike. In other words, it makes it easier to use.
When in the testing phase I used the G13 on Torchlight, ArmA 2: Operation Arrrowhead and Left 4 Dead 2. Torchlight is the perfect sort of game to test this with because there isn’t a lot of keys to be used, but the ones you use, are used time and time again. Having a smaller play space made my spell casting, potion drinking and magic casting a lot easier and I found myself powering through the dungeons a bit quicker simply because I wasn’t bogged down with my keyboard and mouse. Something I really loved was being able to map the different banks for different spells, then hot swap the banks and start using different spells!
For ArmA 2 I found the G13 wasn’t suitable, not because the device didn’t work, but more so because there are way too many keys in the game. In comparison, nearly every key on a standard QWERTY board is used in ArmA 2, whilst the G13 only has 22 keys, and switching banks every time you’re in combat is both impractical and annoying. The G13 worked perfectly for Left 4 Dead 2 though, as everything was able to be kept in a tight nit environment and my fingers didn’t have to move as much. I was even able to map the keys for reload and health pack just above my thumb, allowing me to keep my three other fingers on the board at all times.
The LCD screen is really useful in many games, as certain games can display your health, ammo and even your current quests. If you play World of Warcraft, the G13 is really for you thanks to the amazing macro capabilities and the awesome LCD screen.
The G13 is perfect in my eyes but obviously, it’s not for everyone. If you play a lot of games like World of Warcraft or anything that requires the input of very few keys time and time again, then the G13 is definitely for you. Unfortunately it fails when it comes to more in depth control based games like ArmA 2. I am yet to test it on Starcraft 2, although when I do, expect a thorough write-up.
For only a few dollars more you could purchase a fully fledged gaming keyboard (Like the Logitech G15), but if you’ve already got one you’re extremely happy with but want a bit more minute control in certain games, then I highly recommend this brilliant addition from Logitech. If anything it’s an awesome system monitor, and that’s what I use mine for when I’m not getting my game on.
The Rundown:
+ Amazing customization and macro expandability
+ Awesome LCD screen and apps
- Doesn’t handle a lot of key heavy games
- Not good for left handers
The Logitech G13 is a specialist peripheral made by Logitech and sold through numerous vendors. The prices vary but this model was purchased by Ripten for the reviewer for $72 USD through PCCaseGear. The G13 was tested on a PC with 4GB DDR3, AMD Phenom II Black Edition Overclocked to 3.60Ghz, 2 HIS 5750′s in Crossfire and an ASUS M4A89GTD PRO.
