Review of the gaming wireless mouse Logitech G305 Lightspeed / Overclockers.ua

After the PixArt PMW3366 sensor was no longer exclusive to Logitech, and other brands got their hands on analogues under different names, the company began to actively transfer its gaming mice to a sensor of its own design called Hero. In many respects it is similar to the 336x series of sensors, but this similarity is more limited to the characteristics than the internal device, you just need to look and compare the appearance of their chips. Unfortunately, the origin of the Hero is shrouded in the darkness of trade secrets (however, like the AM010 and Mercury), but there is no doubt that this sensor is unique. And the main difference of Hero, nevertheless, consists in extremely low power consumption (10-fold superiority relative to all 336x sensors is declared) and it is not surprising that a place has firmly entrenched behind it in wireless gaming mice. And the first representative of a new cohort of devices with this sensor, which came to our review, was the Logitech G305 Lightspeed manipulator. At first glance, he wants to ask a question – is this the wireless version from the G102, or from the G Pro? Let’s take a look in detail.

Specifications

Contents of delivery

But first, traditionally consider the packaging and delivery. The mouse box is blue and small in size. It features a product image on the front and back and lists the four main features in multiple languages ​​- light weight, Hero optical sensor, LIGHTSPEED wireless technology, and battery savings. Specifications can be read on the left sidewall. Inside, a cardboard damper and a bag are provided as protection against damage.

In addition to the mouse, the kit includes a 1.5-meter USB 2.0 extension cable for connecting the receiver, warranty information, a short user manual, a receiver, and one Duracell AA battery.

Appearance and design

Logitech G305 has a fairly simple streamlined and symmetrical shape, which generally follows the contours of the G102 and G Pro. The size of the mouse is medium, not small, as it might seem at first. The top panel is made of smooth matte plastic, which is highly resistant to dirt. The G logo is painted on the back in gray paint. The LMB and RMB panels are separate, under them are Omron switches with a MTBF of 10 million clicks. In addition, these panels are spring-loaded, so they have no play and quickly return to their original position. They are quite light in terms of pressing force, with loud juicy click sounds. Between the keys is a glossy insert, which has a built-in scroll wheel, a small oval key for changing the resolution (light, with a muffled click sound), a dot indicator of the current resolution and battery level.

The back of the top panel can be removed by slightly pressing it in the center and sliding it back. Below it is a centrally located compartment for a single battery, on the side of which a pocket for the receiver perched. Under the top cover there is a soft springy insert that provides a good hold on the battery. The weight of an empty mouse is 74 grams.

No matter how wonderful and stable wireless communication LIGHTSPEED technology provides, nobody canceled the laws of physics. The greater the distance between the receiver and the transmitter, the greater the delay in signal transmission and the more extraneous radio interference interferes with the signal in the now overloaded 2.4 GHz band. Therefore, the kit also includes an extension for the mouse receiver, which allows you to place it next to the rug and minimize these problems. The receiver should ideally be less than 20 cm from the mouse and no closer than 2 meters from other wireless devices such as a Wi-Fi router.

The left sidewall is made of rough plastic. In the middle, at the top, there are two narrow glossy side buttons. They are easy to press and resonant in the sound of actuation. Buttons have no free play.

In the front projection, you can see that the main keys have indentations for the fingers. The detail fit is good. The scroll wheel is rubberized, with even transverse notches. It rotates quite quietly, has clearly defined fixation positions, clearly distinguishable tactilely. The middle key is pressed tight and quiet.

The right side of the mouse is the same as the left, but without the side buttons.

The stern of the mouse is streamlined and rounded. Fits comfortably at the base of the palm when gripping with a “claw” or “palm”.

Logitech G305 is well suited for all major types of grip and will be equally comfortable to lie in both the right and left hand. The mouse is most versatile for small and medium-sized hands; those with large hands will probably prefer to use it purely in a finger grip.

The base of the mouse has four oval Teflon feet at the corners, a pad around the sensor, and another small round foot at the back. The power switch is also located there. In the center is the Hero optical sensor window with infrared illumination.

We did not open the manipulator; videos about disassembling this mouse can be easily found on the Internet. And there we noticed one interesting feature. The Hero sensors on the Logitech G305, G Pro, and Pro Wireless look very different, although they are named the same. And most of all, the sensor from the G305 is similar in shape of the microcircuit and the external backlight diode to the mysterious Mercury from the G102. As for the Hero sensors in the G Pro and Pro Wireless, although they have a backlight integrated into the microcircuit, they also differ in appearance.

Luckily, the mouse doesn’t have RGB lighting elements to save battery, and the only thing that can glow on it is a dotted indicator in the middle. It does not shine for long either, but it shows in color what mode the mouse is currently working in (when turned on), what resolution level is selected and how long the battery will last.

Software

To configure the Logitech G305 Lightspeed mouse, the user can choose between two software options. The first is Logitech Gaming Software’s traditional generic driver, and the second is a new variation of the Logitech G HUB driver, which is still under development and testing. Both software can even be installed at the same time, however, in this case, G HUB will have priority until its removal. That is why we will tell about it. From the main screen there is quick access to device selection, profile change, program settings (upper right corner), account (lower right corner), news viewing and access to the official website (bottom feed).

If you wish, you can create your own account to access the cloud storage of profiles.

The mouse supports one built-in memory profile. In order to edit it, the program needs to be allowed access. In LGS, in this regard, everything was a little simpler.

Once enabled, we get access to the assignments of any of the six keys. The set of valid commands is standard – keyboard and mouse clicks, Windows functions and macros. It is possible to set alternative commands that will be activated in G-Shift mode when the button responsible for it is pressed.

The macro editor looks pretty funny and allows you to record a sequence of commands from the keyboard and mouse, taking into account delays. When you finish recording, you can choose from four ways to play back the macro. Mouse cursor positions and scroll wheel directions are not fixed by the application. You can add text and emoji directly to the body of the macro, embed a connection with the start of the application, a system command or a delay.

In the sensor settings, you can select up to five levels of sensitivity in the range from 200 to 12,000 cpi in 50 cpi increments. To quickly select a specific level, you can assign the “DPI SHIFT” key. The polling rate is selectable from 125, 250, 500 and 1000 Hz, but this is only available in high performance mode. When the mouse is set to sensor save mode, the polling rate is fixed at 125Hz.

In the profile management (tab in the center at the top of the main screen), you can bind a profile to the start of a specific application, create a usage scenario for it, assign a basic profile, add the necessary macros to it.

And this is how the G HUB settings window looks like. Here you select the parameters for its launch and operation, the interface language, here you can also update the program or view the manual for it. In the “My Equipment” section, options for supported devices are selected, and in ARX Control, you can configure pairing with an external screen or mobile device to display program data on it.

Ergonomics and testing

The Logitech G305 Lightspeed mouse was tested on a plain black Mionix Alioth M cloth mousepad. The receiver was placed right next to the gaming surface, as instructed. Compared to what is now considered to be “gaming mice”, the G305 looks a little primitive, like a guest from the past. There are no rubber or metal inserts, soft-touch, multi-colored garlands and aggressive forms. Everything is extremely ordinary, and if someone else remembers Logitech Pilot mice from the early 2000s, they will definitely notice the similarities. But behind all this lies reliability and functionality. The body is assembled strong and at the same time light. The weight of the mouse with battery is 96 grams, and it is perfectly distributed along the axes of symmetry so that the manipulator does not fall to the sides when lifted off the surface. The mousepads fit well in the fingers and are resistant to dirt. The behavior of all keys and the scroll wheel can be called excellent – they are clear and responsive. The main buttons are additionally spring loaded. The legs here are not particularly slippery and in general the mouse has low inertia.

As far as communication stability is concerned, everything is also very good. When working and playing, both in the maximum mode and in the reduced performance mode, I was not able to experience delays or lags. This mouse in use cannot be distinguished from a wired one without special devices. The mouse has a sleep mode after several minutes of inactivity even in the game mode, but the power saving is not aggressive and to exit this state, just move the mouse slightly, while the cursor freezes for just a fraction of a second. The mode of constant activity is not provided here, because this option of automatic saving can be considered an acceptable compromise.

If the mouse is used at the lowest settings, its charge will last for approximately 9 months of active daily use. But at maximum speed, the battery life is up to 250 hours, which is about a month of playing 10 hours a day. Thus, in addition to the mouse, players will have to splurge on a decent battery, or even two (in reserve) if they do not want to use battery bandoliers for a year (especially since the battery will pay for itself in full in a year).

Regarding the operation of the Hero sensor (in the modification that is installed here), I had no complaints. It is not much different from the PMW3360 in terms of performance, maintains high speed and pointer positioning accuracy. It is also impossible to cause the cursor to stall on it, and there are no parasitic features like acceleration, excessive smoothing of the trajectory and angular binding. The only difference is the impossibility of adjusting the separation height, here it is fixed at a level of just under 2 mm. The ideal range of resolutions, from my point of view, will be a segment of 800-2000 cpi.

Results

The Logitech G305 Lightspeed is a quality and durable yet simple looking gaming mouse that is the wireless version of the Logitech G102. Its advantages include an excellent optical sensor, a strong and balanced body, light weight, good keys and a scroll wheel, stable communication without lags and long battery life. I have not been able to find significant shortcomings in the G305 that could spoil the impression of working or playing on it.

However, the recommended price of this mouse looks overpriced, even compared to other products from the company, not to mention competing solutions. After all, it is worth considering that in a gaming scenario of use, the buyer will have to purchase a couple of batteries and a charger for them. As they say – good, but expensive. However, if the convenience of the absence of a wire is above considerations of economy, and the shape of this manipulator fits the hand, then the Logitech G305 Lightspeed is a worthy choice.