Logitech G Pro X Keyboard review: Hot-swappable switches let you mix and match

Spend enough time with any niche hobby and you’ll start to intuit what’s likely to become mainstream in the future and what won’t. With mechanical gaming keyboards, there are a number of trends I expect to see popularized in the near future. The more resilient PBT plastic is an obvious one, and indeed we see Razer experimenting with that on its latest Huntsman Tournament Edition keyboard. Optical switches are another feature that Razer has toyed with. Low-profile keyboards are also gaining in popularity. Custom keycap designs? Telephone cables? Hell, Topre switches? Maybe, maybe, and maybe.

But I can definitively say: I never saw the Logitech G Pro X coming. I still find it hard to believe it exists. Of all the novel features that enthusiasts are passionate about, hot-swappable switches seemed a long shot for any mainstream manufacturer—and yet here we are.

I hope you’re ready to mix-and-match.

Note: This review is part of our best gaming keyboards roundup. Go there for details about competing products and how we tested them.

The default plank

Before we get into key-pulling, best to cover the G Pro X as it exists out-the-box. It’ll look mighty familiar to Logitech fans, as it’s essentially identical to the existing Pro keyboard—which is, in turn, a sort-of tenkeyless version of the G213.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

Logitech is consistent, in other words. Like most of Logitech’s modern boards, the G Pro X is a standard black rectangle, unadorned but for the backlit “G” typelogo in the upper-left corner. That forehead also plays host to two circular buttons, for Game Mode and brightness, plus indicators for Caps Lock and Scroll Lock. Media controls are printed on the front of the F9 through F12 keys, as well as the Print Screen, Scroll Lock, and Pause keys.

And…that’s pretty much it. Logitech’s designs are simple and unobtrusive nowadays, and the G Pro X even more than usual since it lacks any standalone media buttons or macro keys. This is about as stripped-down a keyboard as you can get, at least at first glance.

No wrist rest, no standalone media keys, no frills of any kind—and yet the G Pro X costs $150. That seems steep, yeah? And admittedly, the lack of a wrist rest is sorely felt given the price. Logitech’s magnetic wrist rest has been a standout since its introduction alongside the G610, and while the G Pro X is geared towards tournament use I’d still have welcomed the inclusion.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

Really you’re paying for what’s under the hood, though. As I mentioned up top, the G Pro X is what’s known as a “hot-swappable” keyboard. Let’s delve into what that means.

Unless you’re a mechanical keyboard enthusiast it’s unlikely you’ve thought long and hard about how they’re built, but it’s really rather simple. You need two components: the switches and a PCB, or printed circuit board. The switches are the part you type on, and the PCB is the electronic brain that…