These days you can’t blink without coming across something that is related to the monster hit Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. From soft drinks, to bullet shaped earphones we are all just passengers in MW3’s world. As with any major game release peripherals are a major component of a brand launch. We got our hands on Logitech’s Modern Warfare 3 branded keyboard and took it for a spin. Let’s take a look at what we thought was cool and what down right sucked about it.
What We Thought Was Cool
Setup:
You might be wondering to yourself why this is even under the cool topic so sit back and let me explain. While most people would have no problems setting up hardware, I find myself falling into the group of people who have problems. In most cases I will ask a tech savvy friend to help out with major installs as I have been known to cause mini nuclear clouds when trying to do things myself. I appreciate the plug and play feature of this keyboard as it is as simple as finding an open USB port. Windows 7 picked up the keyboard right away and found the appropriate driver for it. I was up and running in about 2 or 3 minutes and it was so easy I am sure my English bulldogs could figure it out.
Illuminated keys:
Most keyboards these days have some sort of no light playing option. The MW3 keyboard comes with a classy Call Of Duty branded green backlit keyboards that is really pleasing to the eyes.. There is a button on the keyboard to choose a low, bright, and off setting for whatever you feel like playing with at the time. Most backlit keyboards I have come across can make the keys harder to read for those with vision problems. I am happy to report that the MW3 keyboard’s green color works really well and causes no problems with my Mr. Magoo like vision. I tested it in both complete darkness and bright office light with perfect results.
Programmable Macro Keys:
The main feature of the MW3 keyboard is the programmable macro keys. They keyboard has a row of buttons along the top left to easily switch macro profiles and on the left of the main keys is six programmable macro buttons. Using the standard G105 downloaded software you can easily program these keys to do what you want to. Feel like setting up a macro to throw a grenade, duck, and then fire off some rounds? You can do that and tons more. I found that the keys were very easy to program even with someone who is a noob when it comes to macros. Not only do the keys work for FPS games but for other games as well. I tested them out on an MMO for various actions with perfect results.
What We Thought Sucked
Key Sticking:
At some point during our test period certain keys became a hassle to press. The keys themselves are smooth to the touch and have a great feel to them but after extended use some of them became stuck. We found this most common with the WASD keys who can get a real workout during long gaming sessions. While this is a minor complain, it is worth nothing that it did occur over our testing period.
Macro Keys Odd Placement:
While the macro keys did their job quite well during our play testing, they are placed in an odd spot. Residing on the left side of the keyboard right next to the control and caps lock keys can cause some hilarious problems. For non gaming use I found myself hitting the macro keys by mistake instead of the copy or paste key shortcuts. During battle when typing I also found myself accidentally hitting a macro key that caused some funny death moments. This problem could be solved by a little bit of extra space between the key backs allowing the user to not hit them as much.
The Final Cut:
The Logitech Modern Warfare keyboard is really just a G105 with unique branding. If you are a Call Of Duty fanboy then you will love the ability to add a solid keyboard to your lineup of branded gear. The MW3 keyboard provides a great backlit design and delivers with everything that it promises. This keyboard definitely does not get sliced by the GamingShogun sword and is a good buy for those in the mark for a new gaming keyboard.
