Logitech aimed for its G3-series products to represent its affordable but not budget PC gaming peripherals. However, the G316 X gaming keyboard, particularly the tactile switch version tested, proves to be a significant disappointment. While the keyboard features some appealing elements like its lighting and sturdy keycaps, the overall keypress experience is severely compromised, especially for gaming.
The tactile switches on the UK version of the G316 X, the only configuration available with a UK layout, lack the characteristic tactile bump felt midway through a keypress, a sensation typically associated with actuation. Instead, these switches require substantial initial force to engage, feeling more like stiff membrane keys than genuine mechanical switches. This unusual resistance makes accurate actuation difficult and can lead to unintended inputs, as demonstrated by an accidental spacebar press that cost a round in Counter-Strike 2.
This stiffness also impacts typing. While the initial clacky sound might be appealing to some, extended typing sessions can lead to finger fatigue. The reviewer found that the keys felt like a stiff membrane keyboard, offering little of the satisfying feedback expected from mechanical switches. The US market will reportedly receive a version with linear switches, which may offer an improved, albeit potentially still disappointing, experience.
Despite the subpar key switches, the G316 X offers some redeeming features. The switches are hot-swappable, allowing users to replace them with compatible alternatives if they are drawn to the keyboard's aesthetics. The per-key RGB lighting and a 30-zone light bar add a cyberpunk flair, though the accompanying software offers limited animations and can be laggy when adjusting colors.
The keyboard is housed in a plain, sturdy plastic chassis that is neither cheap nor premium in feel. A welcome addition is a rotary knob for volume control, which can also be configured to manage music tracks, adjust RGB brightness, or change the polling rate through long-press functions. A dedicated game mode button disables the Windows key and other user-defined keys, and a small LED display indicates the status of Caps Lock and Num Lock.
Retailing at $120, the G316 X faces stiff competition in the gaming keyboard market. Its primary drawback—the unsatisfactory keypress experience—is particularly problematic given its price point. Cheaper keyboards with standard Cherry or Gateron switches, and even keyboards with Hall effect sensors available at a third of the price, offer superior feel and performance. Unless the aesthetic is a major draw and the user is prepared to swap out the switches, the Logitech G316 X, particularly in its tactile configuration, is difficult to recommend.