The Logitech G213 Prodigy is a full-sized membrane keyboard that was released in 2016. What’s interesting about the G213 is that it features Logitech’s Mech-Dome keys, so this keyboard is designed to feel like a mechanical keyboard. The membrane domes are specially tuned to provide a more tactile response, and have an actuation force of 50g and total travel of 4mm. The keyboard comes with an integrated palm rest, dedicated multimedia controls and zonal RGB. Razer also released a membrane-mechanical hybrid in 2016, the Ornata. The G213 kind of imitates a brown switch keyboard, whereas the Ornata feels more like a clicky blue switch keyboard.
So first things first, what’s the deal with these Mech-Dome keys? Does this actually feel like a mech keyboard or is it just a glorified membrane keyboard? The typing experience is definitely superior to your run-of-the-mill membrane keyboard, but still a far cry from an actual mechanical keyboard. It’s fairly similar to any other high-end membrane board. The keys feel quite mushy, and you don’t get that nice sharp tactile response that you would with a real brown switch. Kind of chunky and each keypress gives off a dull thump. They feel more like silent browns than normal brown switches. But all gimmicks aside, I found this keyboard quite pleasant to type on, and also liked the sound. The tactile feedback was nice and it reduced typos. I hit a maximum speed of 123 on the Aesop typing test, so about 10 words slower than what I would get with my favoured Cherry MX reds. The speed of 123 is pretty much what I usually get with a membrane keyboard, so I’m not faster or slower with the G213. Gaming performance was good, not quite on par with Cherry MX reds, and WASD movement felt a bit more laboured in CSGO. But this will be more than adequate for a beginner or casual gamer.
Dimensions
Width: 45.2cm
Length: 21.8cm
Height: 3.3cm
Weight: 1kg
The G213 has a big frame because of the integrated wrist rest and multimedia keys, so make sure space isn’t an issue. Quite a similar design to the G610. It’s kind of a pointless comparison, but quite funny to see how much more space this takes up than my main keyboard the Ducky Mecha Mini. Personally I don’t use a wrist rest, so it would’ve been nice if it was detachable. It just takes up a ton of unnecessary space. The G213 has a full plastic body. As expected, there is some frame bend, especially when you press down on the keyboard with the feet folded out. It’s not a big deal and I hardly noticed this during use, but something worth pointing out. On the underside you’ll find three rubber strips on the bottom, and two rubber feet on top. We also have rubber-tipped fold outs. Thumbs up to Logitech here, this keyboard will definitely not slide around. General look, case, bezel, RGB, keycaps, legends on keycaps (font), RGB brightness, grease marks, dust collection, ANSI or OSI layout, custom keycaps (show) extra buttons, Fn button with F1-12. The G213 has zonal RGB, with five individual lighting zones. The RGB looks quite spotty due to the plastic plungers of the keycaps blocking the light. You’ll notice this mostly on the edges of the legends. It still looks decent, but could’ve looked a lot better. There are 6 colour schemes to choose from on G Hub, and you can add your own colours in Freestyle mode.
The keyboard has a thick bold font. I generally like a thin and clean font on my keyboards, but Logitech somehow manages to pull it off. I really like the look of the legends, and a thicker font also allows more backlighting to pass through. The keyboard still maintains a professional and serious look. I definitely like this font more than the Corsair or Redragon font. The keyboards looks really good if you don’t mind the choppy RGB. Unfortunately the keycaps are grease magnets, and within half an hour of use the keyboard was full of fingermarks. There’s a full set of multimedia controls on the keyboard, along with a brightness and gaming mode button. I like the look and feel of these buttons, and I really enjoyed the dedicated multimedia keys. You can choose which buttons to disable in gaming mode with the G Hub software.
So to summarise, the G213 is an above average membrane keyboard. The Mech-Dome switches feel quite good, you get decent RGB and extended multimedia controls. Pretty much on par with other high end membrane keyboards, such as the Corsair K55. The keyboard goes for $70, which is very steep, however it’s usually on special these days for around $50. But even at that price you can buy a real mechanical keyboard like the Redragon K552 or Tecware Phantom 87. So rather than comparing this to a mechanical keyboard, let’s just think of it as a high-end membrane keyboard. So if you’re looking for a good membrane board, the G213 gets the job done.
headtr1p 