Introduction
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
The optomechanical switches made by Razer are still some of the best things the company has to offer, and they perform very well for both gaming and typing. Also, every key on the device can be reprogramed, media can be controlled with a few keyboard shortcuts and you can customize RGB lighting settings. Yes, you’ll have to do without a numpad but that’s something you’ll need to expect in most tenkeyless gaming keyboards.
Logitech G Pro
The Logitech G Pro doesn’t have numpads as well. However, truth is, while the numpad might prove useful to data entry specialists, retail clerks and touch typists, gamers are beginning to realize they really don’t have much use for them during gameplay, especially in the ever-growing e-sports market. Anyway, the G Pro is also a colorful tenkeyless gaming keyboard that’s a little pricey but is robust and can more than handle the tournament scene.
They’re both very good at what they do, though, but let’s take a closer look at what really makes them different.
Design
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
The Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition is a sleek, small and pretty plain gaming keyboard. Measuring in at 14.0×5.5 inches, it won’t occupy too much space on whatever desk you place it on. Furthermore, the fact that it lacks a few extra keys ensures this further. The chassis is made up of a plain black plastic material and a small Razer logo is plastered above the arrow keys. Even though it technically lacks that unique flair Razer is world-renowned for, it still doesn’t look too shabby.
Another thing that makes the Tournament Edition such an interesting choice is its removable cord. Like lots of tenkeyless gaming keyboards, the Huntsman comes with a removable USB cord. This makes storage easy and gamers can fling it into their suitcase, carry-on or backpack without fear of damaging it. Furthermore, it’s also not the more traditional micro-USB cord and, instead, its the USB-C connection. Okay, it may not seem like much of a functional difference but at least Razer is showing that they’ve got their mind on the future and are starting to fully embrace more efficienct standards. A glaring downside, though, is that it doesn’t have any grooves for cable management, and this makes it harder to optimize setups.
Logitech G Pro
The Logitech G Pro basically looks like what you’d get if Logitech took its sleek Orion keyboard and sliced off the numpad area using some high-tech paper cutters. Although it lacks this numpad, it’s still got its full selection of keys. And, in addition to this, it also has a designated key designed to activate Game Mode and one that controls light settings. There’s really not much to say about this gaming keyboard. It’s small and measures in at 14.2×6.0x1.4 inches, with a streamlined and attractive overall aesthetic. The Fn keys found on the top row can be used as media controls.
One major highlight about the G Pro, though, is that it also comes with a braided, detachable micro-USB cord, which uses the hooks found on both sides to help secure it in place. As much as this is already so useful when traveling, they could’ve still done better by match the carrying case Razer provides its consumers with. When going the G Pro route, you’ll either have to buy a separate case or keep the box it came in
Keys
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
The linear optomechanical switches by Razer are undoubtedly one of the most exciting things on the Tournament Edition keyboard. This tenkeyless variant of the Huntsman Elite uses new key switches that are very similar to Cherry MX Reds. Keys have to be depressed completely if commands are to be accepted. Furthermore, they also make less noise than tactile switches do. The linear switches are very comfortable indeed. They don’t have those clicky noises tactile switches usually have. However, this doesn’t mean they’re completely silent. There’s an audible tap produced each time a key is pressed, and this can be distracting if the laptop is being used in an office.
Logitech G Pro
Gamers that have had the privilege of experiencing the recent gaming keyboards from Logitech know what to expect with the mechanical G Pro gaming keyboard. This keyboard uses Logitech’s Romer-G switches. If you haven’t come across them before, they kind of feel like the fairly quiet and tactile Cherry MX brown switches. While the standard most look to beat are Cherry keys, the Romer-G switches are supposedly slightly faster, more durable and more responsive. In fact, if you take them on their own merit, these switches are pretty comfortable. Romer-G’s are also good for typing as well, and not only gaming, which is kind of a breath of fresh air when it comes to gaming keyboards.
Features
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
The Tournament Edition is powered by Razer’s mercurial Synapse software. Sometimes it’ll take a full reinstall to help it run and sometimes it works just fine. In the Huntsman TE. fortunately, it works beautifully. The Synapse software gives the user the ability to reprogram all the keys to help make it more functional, fully customize RGB lighting settings from a variety of attractive presets and so on. In fact, one could say that the best thing about the Huntsman is how you can program alternate key command sets, especially considering the fact it lacks the extra keys.
Entire new sets of commands can be programmed to open whenever a designated button is pressed, for example, left Ctrl or left alt. This way, the number of keys at one’s disposal can be essentially doubled. This can prove very helpful in the event you require productivity shortcuts, or if you consider programming macros.
Logitech G Pro
Logitech Gaming software is what the G Pro keyboard uses, which, as expected, performs very well. Not only can the F1 to F12 keys can be reprogrammed, but the keyboard also allows users to keep track of their stats and allows for the adjustment of the backlighting as well. Considering most tournaments forbid gamers to run proprietary software or program keys, there’s really only one feature that helps the Logitech keyboard standout. The keyboard has an onboard profile like the one you usually find in Logitech mice. One lighting profile can be stored in this profile, meaning that the keyboard can be hooked up to any personal computer device and retain the lighting profile you previously programmed.
Granted, not many will feel as though this feature is such a big deal, especially because the default color wave can sometimes be distracting. Furthermore, figuring out how to save onboard profiles is a little difficult, though, which is one of its downsides. You can find this option on the home screen.
Performance
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
Final Fantasy XIV, GreedFall and Overwatch, being RTS and FPS which are very common and popular in the e-sports world, work without a hitch. As you’d expect with a Razer product, Tournament Edition runs most titles beautifully, faithfully executing all the commands you give it instantaneously. Whether you require more hands to bring up more Egyptian houses or whether you’re swinging Bridgette’s flail, you’ll never have to really worry whether the keyboard will carry out what you’ve commanded it to. Furthermore, the tenkeyless design helps keep the keyboard stay close, nice and centered.
One thing you’ll have to remember, though, while Razer’s optomechanical switches do indeed transmit commands much faster, it’s difficult to test this theory in real-time. Razer says that because light is what’s used in optomechanical switches, it makes them way faster than the traditional switches that use mechanical force. On this, we’ll just have to take their word for it, for now, even though it’s difficult to determine whether it really has any functional differences.
Logitech G Pro
The Logitech G Pro can more than handle both narrative-driven and e-sports titles alike. You’ll have no problem gliding through Overwatch’s battlefields as Mercy or encase foes in ice by commanding JainaProudmore to do so in Heroes of the Storm. The keyboard is, likewise, responsive and competent when exploring Final Fantasy XIV’s Eorzea realm or destroying enemy camps in The Witcher.
The G Pro’s compact design does superbly well in the e-sports realm and a lot of gamers will love it just because of that. The keyboard can be right in front of you when gaming, or at an angle on the side. Such maneuverability and portability come in handy when you’re in a tournament that provides limited desk space. Otherwise, it’s as responsive as its Orion keyboard counterparts, which have already shown how highly thought of they are in the e-sports realm.
Verdict
The Huntsman Tournament Edition has many clear value propositions. For starters, you’ll be getting super-fast mechanical switches in a very small package. This gaming peripheral has a specific target audience and Razer has tailored most of its features to cater to this particular clientele. Furthermore, the linear optomechanical switch design feels fantastic and the small, compact design comes in handy when you have limited desk space. It has comprehensible Synapse software and the device does excellently with most gaming titles. It’ll be very hard for the gamers that love Razer gear to pick the Logitech G Pro over this.
With that said, the Logitech G Pro, on the other hand, is also a tenkeyless gaming keyboard that runs most of the popular gaming titles out there very well. If you do not intend to sacrifice performance and comfort but still want to be as competitive as ever in gaming tournaments then the G Pro should do just fine for you. It’s more or less the same price and specs as the Tournament Edition and if you happen to be the rare few that aren’t so big on Razer products, then the Huntsman TE gaming keyboard will be the ideal alternative.
Anyway, when it comes to which between the two is better then that would, no doubt, go to the Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition. If you absolutely had to pick between the two, well then this is the device you need to strongly be considering.
