LOGITECH G603
An understated wireless wonder
LOGITECH’S LIGHTSPEED is some seriously fascinating stuff. Even after checking out the groundbreaking G613 keyboard last issue, and the Powerplay mousecharging mat before that, we have absolutely no idea how it works, and can find no technical information on it beyond the company’s own marketing spiel. Buy into that, and Lightspeed is the result of repeated refinements of every component in the wireless signal chain, from antenna geometry to circuit pathways to communications protocols. And while we still suspect either a little number-fudging or suspicious time-travel chicanery, we’re happy to accept Logitech’s explanations. All of this in tandem results in a reported 1ms response time, and absurdly long 18-month battery life.
Not both at the same time, though. You’ll only get that length of service from the G603’s dual AA batteries if you switch it to low response mode, via the base-mounted switch. This drops the polling rate from the full 1ms to a still-reasonable 8ms, and as you might expect, this has a noticeable effect on the mouse’s DPI. Keep it in hi-res 1ms mode, and Logitech suggests you’ll get around 500 hours of gaming out of it—still very respectable, but as this lacks the rechargeable internal battery of its more expensive siblings, you’d better have cells on hand when the Logitech Gaming Software and its single indicator LED tell you time’s about up. Switching those batteries is quick and easy: Pull up on the magnetic upper shell, and the whole thing comes off, revealing the Omron upper switches and battery compartment within.
It also reveals the vast amount of engineering know-how that’s gone into the G603. The levered mouse buttons, which contact the microswitches at the same time they meet the solid braced frame of the upper shell. The precisely placed neodymium magnets, matching with fine steel screws for just the right amount of attraction. The internal slot for stowing the minuscule USB receiver while on the move. For what is, on the desk, an unassuming gray mouse—with just one tiny RGB LED, that you’ll rarely see lit, and nothing else in the way of bling—this is something of a secret winner.
Even the stuff that you can’t see is pretty sharp. Every button, including the DPI toggle, can be configured and switched around. The resolution levels of Logitech’s Hero sensor can be minutely customized between 200 and 12,000, and all the relevant settings are stored within the mouse itself, meaning it’ll perform exactly as you expect, even if you’re taking it to a machine without the Logitech software suite on board. It’s easy enough to use the G603 with multiple machines as it is—it supports Bluetooth alongside Lightspeed, quickly switchable via a button on its underside, so if you’re doubling up on your desktop, you may be able to do without the KVM.
If we were to stop gushing for a moment and be critical instead, as our stern-faced editors insist we must, there are a couple of holes we could just about pick. The G603’s slightly bulbous right-hand-only curve isn’t quite as comfortable for palm grip as we might have liked, for example, and its ratcheted wheel doesn’t have the same smooth bump as some of its competitors. Had the side buttons been a few eighths of an inch lower, they might have been more quickly accessible, although sitting directly above the natural grip position does mean it’s difficult to accidentally activate them. And maybe, just maybe, that price is too steep for you to consider for something so plain. But don’t be so vain; this is easily responsive enough for gaming, resilient enough for years of desktop use, and flexible enough for multiple machines. It’s worth the price. Lightspeed connectivity is sharp enough that it has to be at the top of your list of requirements if you’re considering new wireless peripherals, and the G603 is a reasonably cost-effective way in. –ALEX COX Logitech G603 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse
GAMING MOUSE Great sensor; awesome battery life; flexible design; fast wireless response.
POORHOUSE Slightly expensive; not for every hand.
$70, http://gaming.logitech.com