Installation is fairly straight forward process. All it requires is for the keyboard to be plugged in and the software to be installed from the CD. Logitech have the latest software for download on their site for added convenience. Once installed, users are open to a plethora of customisable options but Logitech have to be commended for making it very intuitive. The G15 software actually works with the G510 and the software even allows you to customise both individually but it is advisable to get the latest download as the updated software (Logitech Gaming Software 8.0) is far more intuitive. So let’s have a look.

Main screen


On the main screen, we are presented with the keyboard layout and a number of selectable icons at the bottom. The Logitech logo in the corner links to their site while the question mark provides an in-depth tutorial on the various features of G-Series peripherals. There are 4 features that can be configured; the G-Keys, the GamePanel LCD, the M-Keys and backlight, and profiles. These can be selected in two ways; either by clicking on the respective icons at the bottom of the screen or the highlighted areas on the keyboard. Clicking on one is followed with a smooth transition animation to the next screen. Let’s start with the G-Keys.

G-keys


At the top of the screen are icons depicting games that are installed on the system and that have native G510 support. What it means is that Logitech have already programmed keys and functions that can simply be assigned to the G-keys. Clicking on the game icons loads up their respective profile. These icons can be changed manually. The M-Keys switch between 3 modes and each mode allow 18 G-keys to be programmed so each profile can have 54 programmed G-keys.


Under the Profiles heading, users can search for games or manually add executable files for custom game profiles that are not supported by default. There are a number of options that let you name the profile and choose how it should behave. In the example above, the profile will load automatically as the game is loaded. It is also possible to use the screen buttons to manually select profiles.


If the pre-programmed keys for supported games are not what you want or you are assigning functions for your own profile, then you can simply click the Commands + sign or edit the keys on the list. This brings up the command editor where you can assign any command to that key. All the options are as described; ‘Keystroke’ allows users to assign any regular key to the G-Key; ‘Text Block’ is to assign a block of text to a specific G-key; ‘Mouse Functions’ lets users use the G-keys as mouse button including right/left/middle/double clicking and scrolling; ‘Media’ can be used to emulate the media keys; ‘Hotkeys’ are for Windows, Zoom and Editing commands; ‘Shortcut’ can be programmed to open applications, files or folders; ‘Function’ is to open emails, browsers, media players, the calculator or My Computer.

The most notable option is ‘Multi Key’ which is useful for programming macros. Delays can be specified between each keystroke, a useful feature when you want keystrokes that are faster than your own reaction. Once done, the command will appear named on the list.


Once all the commands have been programmed, they can be assigned to the desired G-Key by simply clicking the command and dragging it over the key. The command name will then hover above the assigned G-Key. Alternatively, users can just click on the G-Keys and edit them, rather than creating commands and then assigning them to the G-Key. As implied, the bin is to delete commands.


The software also allows intricate Lua scripting for each profile.

GamePanel LCD


The next customisable option is the GamePanel LCD. Several applications are already included as previously discussed. These can be configured individually such as the Media Display that can be set to work with any media players. Applications that have native G15 or G510 support will also be automatically added to the list, Core Temp being an example demonstrated above. More applications can be found on the Logitechusers forums .

Backlighting


Next up is the backlight customisation window. Here each M-Key can be assigned any colour from the RBG palette. The functionality is two-fold. The first is for aesthetic reasons; a keyboard that can be any colour you want will no doubt be the centre-piece of any gaming set up… The second reason is to let users know which M-mode they have their profiles set to. The colours are not profile specific when assigned to the M-keys. Adjusting the backlight using the software changes it on the keyboard on-the-fly to show users exactly what it looks like.

Profiles


Profiles can be saved to the keyboard memory so they can still be used on a different computer. It makes the keyboard less software reliant. Based on the memory usage, a fair few profiles can be saved before it runs out of space.

The brand new G510 gaming interface has to be one of the most intuitive and easy to use software I have ever used. It is well presented, provides a vast number of options to be configured, and yet it manages to not to overwhelm users. For more updates and info, Logitech’s blog is very useful.