Logitech stuck me in a room with gaming keyboards that cost hundreds of dollars, but this new budget alternative impressed me more

Last week I flew out to Warsaw for Logitech G Play 2026.

<![CDATA[ <article> <p>Last week I flew out to Warsaw for Logitech G Play 2026. The gaming brand’s annual flagship event saw a wealth of new product reveals, with the Pro X2 Rapid keyboard and <a href="https://www.techradar.com/computing/mice/logitech-g-just-released-an-upgraded-version-of-its-revolutionary-5-star-gaming-mouse-heres-what-makes-the-pro-x3-superstrike-better-than-its-predecessor">Pro X3 Superstrike</a> mouse dominating headlines in the PC gaming peripheral space.</p><p>I tried them out at the venue ahead of the official launch, and they’re great pieces of hardware, but ones squarely aimed at a very specific audience of esports pros and aspiring competitive gamers. With top-of-the-line specs, they’re also pretty expensive at $229.99 / £209.99 / AU $399.95 and $199.99 / £169.99 / AU$299.95, respectively.</p><p>I naturally assumed that such high-end kit would be the highlight of the show for me, but it was actually something right at the other end of the price spectrum that impressed me the most.</p><h2 id="more-for-less">More for less</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2443px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="CYxBmyfdDkKQEr2AS3BJm7" name="g316-x-75-gaming-keyboard-lifestyle-black-gallery-2" alt="The Logitech G316 X 75 keyboard." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CYxBmyfdDkKQEr2AS3BJm7-1920-80.webp" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2443" height="1374" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The keyboard is available in both white and black. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Logitech)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Logitech G316 X 75 is the latest arrival in the brand’s more budget-oriented G3 series. </p><p>It’s a smaller version of the existing G316 X 98 from earlier this year. I didn’t really pay much attention to the original launch: it was a full-size keyboard, and I’ve always preferred more compact designs for that extra desk space. </p><p>As a 75% size model, the G316 X 75 ditches the pointless numpad (seriously, when was the last time you used yours?) and a couple of little-used keys like Home and End to give you roughly 2.4in / 6cm on the right-hand side — perfect for positioning your mousepad if, like me, you’re short on desk space. </p><p>It wasn’t just the size that drew me to the G316 X 75 on the show floor, however. It’s a very flashy-looking keyboard with full RGB backlighting and a large LED strip with zones you can customize in the compatible Logitech G Hub software. There’s also a little LED screen in the top right corner which, alongside an accompanying button and dial, is used to turn on game mode (locking the Windows key), adjust music volume, or tweak key settings like RGB brightness.</p><p>It seemed like a practical little addition in my hands-on time, with some playful touches like a dancing smiley face that appears if you leave the keyboard idle. I found myself wondering if you could display your own little custom icon or emoji on the screen, though, sadly, a representative told me that wasn’t possible for now. A missed opportunity for even more personalization, perhaps.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2443px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="ve2dp4nJQgar6qbKwoQ5n7" name="g316x-keyboard-white-gallery2" alt="The Logitech G316 X 75 keyboard." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ve2dp4nJQgar6qbKwoQ5n7-1920-80.webp" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2443" height="1374" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The 75% form factor leaves plenty of room for your mouse. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Logitech)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The materials were decent for the price too. The whole keyboard is plastic, but it still feels weighty and suitably premium, with no noticeable flex when typing. Keycaps are double-shot PBT, with shine-through legends, so they should hold up for a long time as well. If anything does go wrong, both the keycaps and switches are hot-swappable for easy repairs.</p><p>On the subject of the switches, they’re tactile ones developed by Logitech that feel a bit different to alternatives from the likes of Cherry or Akko. They require a bit more force to press, and don’t really have that noticeable mid-press biting point characteristic of tactile switches. Unusual, but not necessarily a bad thing. They’re not super loud either, and are very smooth and still suitably satisfying to press.</p><p>This is obviously a keyboard geared more towards casual gaming than anything else and is wired-only, though that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few decent specs. The big one is the 8kHz report rate, which should ensure that you’re not held back by delayed inputs if you do venture into more competitive titles like <a href="https://www.techradar.com/gaming/counter-strike-2-review-clicking-heads"><em>Counter-Strike 2</em></a>.</p><p>All of this comes in at just £89.99 / $99.99 / AU$169.95. I’ve tested keyboards that cost a hell of a lot more and offer far less bang for your buck, so I can see the Logitech G316 X 75 becoming the go-to choice for cost-conscious gamers.</p> </article> ]]>