Working with Gamers Every Day
It's easy to say that you know what gamers want in their peripherals, but Logitech takes it to the next level in their daily routine. They sponsor top esports teams like Cloud9 and TSM, but it's not just about signing contracts and sending them gear and never talking to them again. Logitech actually works alongside the pros they sponsor every single day. Heck, Cloud9 even practices inside the Logitech offices!
Logitech has long since mastered the technical side of creating kick-ass gaming peripherals, thanks to their decades of experience. But they rely on pro gamers to test out their gear and give feedback to help guide them towards the next big thing. Pro gamers like Sneaky, Dupreeh, and WildTurtle know what it takes to perform at the highest levels, and they've each helped Logitech create and refine brilliant pieces of hardware like the G303 mouse and the G410 keyboard.
In fact, Cloud9's Sneaky (LoL) told us how impressed he was with Logitech's dedication when we talked with him last month. "Logitech interacts with us on a regular basis, both at their offices in the Bay Area and on-site at major events when we compete."
But business offices are boring, right? What gamers wants to hang out there? Hold up there, buddy. The Logitech offices aren't normal--they're incredible. Let's take a look.
Logitech Gaming Mecca
Logitech started their support for pro players at their core: their office building in the Bay Area. More gaming house than stuffy cubicle farm, the pros visit the office frequently to play in the epic practice center (the Logitech G eSports Facility) that Logitech built on-site to help all of their teams.
Cloud9's Meteos (LoL) loves that Logitech went out of their way to make sure that they had everything they needed to succeed.
"We get 24/7 access to their offices, where we have PCs set up and our choice of awesome Logitech products to use," he says. "It’s great for getting ready for big events or using our off-time between tournaments effectively."
Logitech also asks the pros like Meteos to try out their new gear and give feedback on how to make it better. This gear has been pro-tested and pro-approved.
Meteos talked with us a little bit about the process and how it helped convince him that Logitech was a valuable partner for the team. "It's really cool that Logitech asks us to give feedback on products that are still in development." he says. "Having the engineers who are making these peripherals listen to us makes me feel confident in their dedication to esports."
Those engineers gather around to watch the teams compete in matches when they're bootcamping in the Logitech G eSports Facility, too! They have 10 optimized PCs on-site, linked to one of the fastest internet connections available in the US, 80" 4K TV monitors for teams to plan and review matches together, and a broadcasting station for interviews and shoutcasters!
It's also got some sweet food options to help the pros stay focused, but gamers know that what matters most is the internet connection. So when we asked Cloud9's LemonNation (LoL) what he liked most about the office, his answer was simple: "The super-low ping."
G303: Team Solomid's Favorite Mouse
When Logitech built the G303 mouse, they wanted to create the perfect weapon for CS:GO players. Every millisecond counts in the fast-paced firefights, so they gave it an ultra-lightweight body lets you make quick, precise movements faster than the other guy. And then they gave it an optical sensor to match: the exclusive Delta Zero, which is the best in their lineup for tracking fast movements.
It's got all the other goodies games want, like Logitech's exclusive spring-tension buttons, DPI and lighting options, and six programmable buttons that can be tied to keybindings or macros through Logitech's built-in software that lets your profiles travel with your mouse.
Like any of us who game in epic-length sessions, TSM's Dupreeh (CS:GO) appreciates the ergonomics of the mouse too. "Practicing long hours makes me appreciate the shape of the G303," he says. "And how my hands feel better at the end of the night."
His teammate, Xyp9x, chimed in as well, saying how the mouse actually helped him get better at the game. "After switching to the G303, I’m now a huge fan of lightweight and compact mice. It took me a little time to get used to it, but, after awhile, I started seeing actual improvement in my movement control."
But of course, it's not just for CS:GO. The top-notch specs work great for any game. Their ally on the LoL squad, WildTurtle, even tried to show both CS:GO players up by bragging about the tournament he had won with the G303 earlier in the year.
"I recently won IEM Katowice using the G303!" he says. "It was the first event that any western LoL team had won in a long time. Relying on your peripherals as a pro gamer is essential and because Logitech products have never failed me, I was able to go into our matches with confidence."
G410: Cloud9's Favorite Keyboard
Oh, the wonderful, joyous feeling of mechanical keys. We've recommended gamers pick up mechanical keyboards for years: the response time is impeccable and the tactile feeling is irreplaceable. So here's another reminder: you need to be gaming with a mechanical keyboard. Seriously, just try it once and you'll never go back.
And Logitech's G410 is as good as it gets for gamers. It's ultralight, has the unparalleled Romer-G mechanical switches, and ditches all the non-essential keys that get in the way of your wide mouse movements. Its Tenkeyless design cuts the macro buttons and numpad to allow for a super compact body that's also easy to tote around pro tournaments and LAN parties.
Every member on Cloud9's CS:GO team that we talked to had a different reason for loving the G410, which really shows the level of detail and thought put into this device.
For N0thing, it was the button indents. "The WASD buttons on the G410 has these indents that help me feel the keys and give a bit more grip during rapid movement."
For Skadoodle, it was the compact size. "Personally, I'm not a huge fan of keyboards that have extra keys on the left edge. So eliminating that extra space in the G410 really helps with the compactness."
For Sgares, it's those sweet, sweet mechanical switches. "The best part about this keyboard--and why I prefer it over the G710--are those great Romer-G switches."
But even if you can't play like a Cloud9 pro gamer, there's no reason you can't look like one. Logitech's incredible software lets you control every tiny detail about the lighting on the keyboard. Want to give a single key specific front or back lighting? Easy. Want to have those colors change when you actually press the key? Done. Go ahead and make a massive light show or fine tune every detail to keep it low-key. Playing with all of the lighting options to find the perfect customization for you is incredibly fun.
We Hope This is the Future
We're really excited to see Logitech taking such a hands-on approach with the pro gamers that they sponsor. Not only does it help our favorite players gain an edge over their competition in tournaments, but all of the results of that top-level R&D help the rest of us gamers too!
When Cloud9 helps Logitech find the absolute best way to shape keyboard keys, we all get to enjoy better gaming peripherals. All the pros we talked with were excited to give feedback to Logitech and it's really exciting to see that feedback result in real, tangible designs that excel at the highest levels of competitive play.
We really hope to see more sponsors follow Logitech's lead and work with the pros we watch on stage to design amazing peripherals that help every gamer do better and have more fun as they play. Well done.
Sponsored by Logitech
