The Logitech G Pro X 60 is ideal for diminutive desktops

Whether you’re on a PC or gaming laptop, nothing beats a compact keyboard for getting your game on in a small space. It’s why you’ll see 60% ‘boards on almost every desk at esports events; if you only need to hit a handful of keys, a smaller keyboard leaves your mouse more room to roam. That’s the thinking behind the G Pro X 60, the latest addition to Logitech’s pro-focused hardware line-up.

Sixty esports professionals had their say on the G Pro X 60’s features, across eight rounds of testing. The 60% size mechanical keyboard was designed to travel between tournaments as well as take up permanent residence on players’ desks at home, so comes in its own hardwearing carry case.

You’ll find Logitech’s rapid response GX Optical switches underneath those hard-wearing doubleshot PBT keycaps, with just the essential keys included – there’s no extra macro keys to clutter the layout here. The per-key RGB lighting defaults to a static blue out of the box, just like Logitech’s other gaming keyboards; apparently pro players weren’t fond of the ‘rainbow puke’ effects that other brands default to.

It inherits a bunch of features from the larger G Pro X TKL, including Logitech’s zero-latency Lightspeed wireless tech, plus Bluetooth for quick connections to multiple gadgets. There’s also a game mode switch to prevent any unwanted Windows key presses or accidental return-to-desktop snafus when you’re mid-multiplayer match, and a teeny volume rocker at the side.

Like all compact keyboards most of the keys have secondary actions, triggered by holding down the Fn key. That includes a bunch of handy multimedia controls, as well as the usual function keys and backlight controls. Logitech decided that wasn’t enough, though: the new KeyControl software lets you set up to 15 separate layers of macros, activated by holding down a key (or mouse button).

Logitech reckons the keyboard is good for up to 65 hours of battery life – and that’s with all the LEDs at a sensible brightness. Expect more if you switch them off.

The Logitech G Pro X 60 is on sale right now, in black, white and pink colours. Expect to pay $179/£189/€229 to get one on your desk, with optional key cap sets in different shades set to follow separately. That puts it on par with 60% rivals including the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless and Asus ROG Falchion RX.

First impressions

I’ve only recently been made a 65% keyboard convert, courtesy of the excellent Cherry K5V2, so was intrigued to see if this Logitech could convince me that going even smaller was the way forward. Things started off well: the G Pro X 60 takes up a tiny amount of space on my desk, leaving even more room for my gaming mouse to move around. I don’t play on a particularly low mouse sensitivity, but anyone that does will love the space this frees up.

It didn’t feel like I was sacrificing very much to go 60%; the volume rocker at the side of the keyboard was easy to find with a pinkie or ring finger, and the multimedia Fn shortcuts are clearly labelled. The full-size keycaps and mostly standard layout meant I had no trouble typing at full speed right away. The small footprint meant I could move it closer for gaming, and angle it to make those all-important WASD keys easier to hit.

Logitech’s optical switches have never let me down in the past, and proved perfectly responsive here whether I was using wired, Lightspeed wireless, or Bluetooth. Speaking of, my G Pro X Superlight 2 mouse doesn’t have Bluetooth, so being able to pair it to the G Pro X 60’s 2:1 wireless adapter meant I didn’t have to sacrifice two USB ports.

I’ve barely scratched the surface of Key Control, which could be the thing that elevates this keyboard over rivals for anyone unsure about going 60% for the first time. After a week of daily use I’ve yet to need to plug it in to recharge, too.

It’s not all positive vibes, though. As colourful and customisable as the per-key RGB lights are, they don’t quite fully illuminate some keys; the right shift, Alt GR, and always awkward euro symbol stick out when everything else is fully lit. And while the travel case is a nice pack-in, I don’t take my gaming rig on the road any more, so it basically stayed in the box.

I also rely on arrow keys too much during work days to make this my go-to keyboard; I was constantly forgetting to hold down the FN key every time I wanted to nudge my text cursor a character over. Arrow keys are usually sacrificed when going 60%, but the Asus ROG Falchion RX avoids that by squeezing a 65% layout into a 60% frame. That said, it uses low profile key caps to do so – which not every gamer will get along with. The Logitech doesn’t have fully analogue keys like the Wooting 60HE+, either, which some players swear by.

As a way to save desk space, though? The G Pro X 60 is a fantastic addition to your gaming setup. It’s got plenty of features normally reserved for full-size or tenkeyless ‘boards, great battery life, brilliant build quality and incredibly customisable keys.

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