The basic idea with which Logitech wants to sell us the new Aurora Collection sounds good. Away from the black gaming stereotype, away from angular, bulky designs, towards more colors and a more delicate look, which is intended to appeal to female gamers in particular. And that too at the high level of quality that one is usually used to from Logitech. After all, real gamers also want real gaming hardware and not some cheap stuff that only sells halfway because of other colors. The idea is good, the catch is the value for money.
With the Logitech G Aurora Collection, the manufacturer has put together a complete line-up of peripherals that is supposed to break away from common, masculine gamer clichés, at least visually. A lighter, open design, paired with light colors such as White Mist, Pink Dawn, and Green Flash, should primarily attract female gamers who value high-quality hardware. Why not? There are now plenty of female gamers and the idea that black, pragmatic products with motley RGB don't necessarily appeal to this clientele is certainly not wrong and an area that peripheral manufacturers have rarely tackled.
When looking at the collection, however, it becomes clear that Logitech is not exactly throwing this idea onto the market cheaply. Let's take a look at the prices of the Logitech G Aurora Collection in detail:
- G705 Wireless Gaming Mouse – $99.99
- G713 gaming keyboard (wired) – 169 euros
- G715 Gaming Keyboard (Wireless) – 199 euros
- G735 wireless gaming headset – 229 euros
- YETI microphone – 139.99 euros
These are prices across the board that are in the upper midfield and make a complete setup appear very expensive. But that's not the end of the story, because Logitech also offers accessories in different colors to further personalize the devices:
- Travel case – 39.99 euros
- Mouse pad – 29.99 euros
- Keycaps - $39.99
- Keyboard top shell – 19.99 euros
- Ear pads + microphone boom – 19.99 euros
- Palm rest – 19.99 euros
So it should already be clear that Logitech can pay damn well for the – at the same time quite unique – optics. Getting a complete setup, preferably with some customization, is nothing more and nothing less than quite a luxury. Basically, that wouldn't even be a big problem, there are plenty of people who buy expensive hardware. The problem is rather that there are at least equivalent, if not better, or at least cheaper alternatives to each of the products. They're just not that pretty.
Anyway, let's get to the products that were made available to us for the test. We won't dive into too much detail, because there are basically no real unique selling points in any of the products - mind you, apart from the design.
G705 wireless gaming mouse
Let's start with the mouse, which is ergonomically designed for right-handed users with smaller hands. The mouse, which weighs just 85 grams, feels good in the hand with a pleasant bulge on the left side below the two thumb buttons. The interface has a soft-touch feel, and the button layout is good. In addition to the mouse buttons, mouse wheel, and said thumb buttons, there is a DPI switch and a power button along with a pairing button on the underside.
The mouse is operated wirelessly via a USB dongle with Logitech's Lightspeed technology with low latency in the 2.4 GHz range, which is a modern dual-connect dongle, which means you can also wirelessly connect a second device using the same dongle. This saves a USB port on the computer. Alternatively, you can use the mouse with BlueTooth. A USB-C charging cable is included, with which you can fire up the battery, which lasts around 40 hours. Under the hood is a sensor with 8,200 DPI, which does a rock-solid and precise job.
The configuration is done using G Hub software. There you can, among other things, set the three RGB zones with different profiles, but also various aspects such as DPI assignment, button assignment, and Lightsync RGB across multiple devices. All in all, a rock-solid gaming mouse that has very little to complain about, even if it doesn't scratch the technical high-end.
G713 gaming keyboard
For our test we received the wired G713 keyboard, as an alternative, there is the identical G715, which allows wireless operation and BlueTooth, but also costs 199 instead of 169 euros. It is a tenkeyless keyboard without a number block, but with dedicated multimedia keys. The keyboard is available with linear or tactile switches and is always available in the color white mist. If you want it to be more colorful, you have to use the separately available key caps and the upper shell, which cost extra.
There is also little to complain about on the keyboard. The workmanship is flawless, and the GX switches do a rock-solid job. The Lightsync RGB lighting is a bit uneven, but visually it's only noticeable if you look closely. Also on board is a cloud-shaped but very comfortable palm rest. The configuration is also done via the G Hub software and offers macros and game mode in addition to the RGB settings.
G735 wireless headset
At €229 you have to expect a lot from a headset, and while it makes a good impression, the G735 is perhaps the product of the collection that best describes the term "overpriced". At least it has wireless functionality in addition to BlueTooth and can optionally be used with a jack cable (cable is not included). Both work well and the battery life is good with a good 50 hours without lighting and around 15 hours with.
The headset is designed with a little more filigree than you are used to from gaming headsets, but it is well made. Thanks to the low weight of only 260 grams, soft ear pads, and rotating ear cups, it is very comfortable to wear. The spacious ear cups also give enough space for earrings, and there is hardly any pressure on the sides for people who wear glasses. The usual controls are sensibly placed and include everything you need, including volume control and mute. The microphone is detachable and delivers a decent performance in voice chat without being too brilliant.
In terms of sound, the 40 mm drivers are quite balanced and deliver a clear and solid sound image in the frequency range from 20 to 20,000 Hz. Thanks to appropriate optimization, it also cuts a good figure with Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic, but without shining or standing out from the strong stand out from competition. There are plenty of cheaper headsets with a similar range of functions and the same or better sound. By the way, according to our information, the headset is only available in white, for the color you have to use the accessory packs.
You have configuration options via the G Hub software. In addition to the Lightsync RGB lighting, this also includes various presets for stereo and surround operation, DTS Headphone:X, sidetone, and a 5-band equalizer. For us the weakest part of the collection in terms of value for money. Good, but just not good enough for the price. For example, there are headsets from SteelSeries' Arctis series for much less money, which have more on the pan overall.
YETI microphone
If you want to build a nice streamer setup from the Aurora Collection, you can also use the YETI microphone from Blue Microphones - the company has been part of Logitech for some time. Again, there is a model in a white or pink dawn. The three-capsule microphone has a table stand, USB connection, and four polar patterns. A 3.5mm headphone jack is provided, controls are rotary controls for volume, gain, pattern, and a mute button.
The processing is solid, thanks to the metal grid nothing should happen to the membranes. The G Hub software offers an extensive portfolio of functions, from various effects and presets to Blue Voice features and connections to NVIDIA Broadcast. Definitely a good and solid microphone, in this case also at a fair price, even if we would generally recommend Rode microphones. But if you want everything from a single source in connection with the Aurora Collection, you can hardly go wrong with the YETI mic.
CONCLUSION
Inclusion yes, but only for a full wallet
The basic idea of building gaming peripherals that break away from common masculine gamer clichés and, above all, should also appeal to women without neglecting quality sounds very good on paper and is actually implemented quite well. Different color variants, interchangeable accessories, high-quality products - that sounds almost too good to be true. Basically, there is really not much to complain about in any of the products. The headset sounds good and is comfortable, the mouse fits well in smaller hands and works perfectly, and the keyboard is good, as is the microphone.
The root problem is that basically, just about every part of the Aurora Collection is overpriced for what it can do. The feeling of inclusion ends exactly when you realize that a complete setup consisting of a mouse, keyboard, headset, and microphone costs over 600 euros and can do no more than a number of alternatives that are available for significantly less money. To make matters worse, not all products are available in all colors, so accessories are sometimes automatically due. This makes the whole thing quite expensive and luxurious.
So the bottom line is that it's a good idea, solid to good hardware, but overall the price is too high in our opinion. We are curious to see whether and how well the Aurora Collection will ultimately be received in reality. My tip as a pragmatist and advocate of fair value for money: wait until the prices have reached a reasonable level. Or just strike, knowing that you are buying high-quality products, but are investing a lot of money in the pure optics.
Pros
- rock-solid to good products
- visually appealing design
- all devices without major weaknesses
- Mouse suitable for small hands
- high wearing comfort and good sound with the headset
- flawless wireless operation for the wireless products
- Dual connection dongles
- everything can be configured via software with a sync function
- extensive range of accessories
Cons
- by the bank for what is offered clearly too expensive
- mediocre microphone (headset)
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