We all remember the toys that tried to do too much—the RC car with flashing lights, wailing sirens, flip-out weapons, and a spring-loaded rocket launcher. That’s how the Logitech G512 X feels.

This gaming keyboard tries to cram in so many features, but nearly all of them feel half-baked. It’s a mechanical keyboard with optional analog switches, tactile rings for those switches, and even a case on the back where you can swap out your switches on the fly. The number of features gets in the way of the overall design.

I can appreciate that this keyboard is trying to solve the problem that plagues analog keyboards—the lack of tactile feedback—but its solution ends up creating just as many new problems. Confusing and cluttered, it's a mish-mash of ideas that don’t quite cohere.

The largest limitation of analog switches, as seen in Hall Effect keyboards, is that they are almost always linear, meaning there's no bump to tell you when a key has triggered. Because the actuation distance can be adjusted, simply having a static tactile bump creates a mismatch between the feeling and actual input. Inaccuracy defeats the whole point of this keyboard.

Much like trying to have your cake and eat it too, the Logitech G512 X 98 is a hybrid that doesn't quite hit the mark. It’s a very pretty, stylish keyboard with options for white or black with blue accents, but what makes it unique is all under the hood.