Logitech’s new “gender-inclusive” PC gaming accessories come with a pink tax

Logitech has announced a lineup of PC gaming accessories that are designed to be more gender-inclusive — and specifically geared toward women — than any of its previous releases. Companies should not try to market consumer technology based on gender in 2022 and instead recognize the diverse tastes and physical needs of consumers. But Logitech went and did it anyway.

And the Aurora Collection’s gadgets look good, and in particular, they’re new—not just new colorways to existing products. But apart from a few interesting features throughout the Aurora collection, it still feels like a case for pink at work.

With its latest collection of gaming accessories (and a number of expensive add-ons you can buy to customize them), Logitech wants to let you know that it now recognizes underrepresented groups… Largely overlooked for years.

A variety of genders enjoy playing games and using all the accessories they need, but several peripheral companies, Logitech included, have spent too long designing products for a very specific type of gamer: a Larger than average hands and comfortable to use The peripherals are decked out in dark colors and RGB lighting.

Logitech has slowly realized that not everything needs to look like it comes from the office IT department or from where the “gamer aesthetic” emerged. It has started offering accessories with more rounded corners and fun colors over the years. The Aurora Collection focused more on gaming than the productivity-oriented peripherals that were launched earlier. In addition to the neat looks relying only on, “gender-inclusivity” marketing, this collection boasts over-accessible prices and surprisingly lousy battery life.

The flagship of the class in terms of price and impressive features is the $229.99 G735 wireless headset. It looks like a more whimsical version of the G Pro X model, dressed in white with RGB LEDs around the perimeter of its bulbous, rotating earcups. Like the more affordable ($50 or so) G435 wireless headset, the G735 features Braille on each edge for left-to-right identification, a great accessibility feature that more companies should be copying. Logitech claims the G735’s design is more inclusive because it can accommodate things like smaller heads and smaller earrings and glasses. While this is technically true, it is strange that it obviously Makes its other headsets only for people with huge heads and full vision.

The G735 has dual wireless connectivity, the ability to connect via 2.4GHz and, say, your phone via Bluetooth. Logitech says the G735 can last for about 16 hours with LED lighting on and at 50 percent volume. Most wireless headsets these days tout at least a day’s worth of battery life, so that’s a disappointing statistic. Turning the light off apparently increases it’s lifespan to about 56 hours per charge.

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The $199.99 Wireless G715, along with the $169.99 Wired G713, are keyless models with media keys, a volume wheel, and lots of RGB LEDs. In addition to the backlighting under each of their double-shot PBT keycaps, they have LEDs around the keyboard to give off an aura. Logitech says you’ll be able to choose between tactile, linear, or clicky mechanical GX switches at the time of purchase.

The G715 can wirelessly tether to the included Lightspeed 2.4GHz dongle or connect via Bluetooth. Logitech says you can expect about 25 hours of battery life per charge. Like the headset, it’s on the lower end of the spectrum for longevity, given its high price tag.

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Finally, the $99.99 G705 Wireless Mouse is the first mouse that Logitech says was “intentionally” designed for players with smaller hands. From one angle, it looks like your normal gaming mouse, but from an angle that exposes its two thumb buttons, it looks like an ergonomic mouse with its contoured thumb rests. It has a “gaming-grade” sensor (Logitech didn’t confirm the exact sensor before publication) with 8,200 dpi sensitivity, and can last up to 40 hours with LEDs enabled. That battery life isn’t great. If it looks like I’m kicking a dead horse, it’s because I am.

Buying Logitech accessories is rarely affordable, and the Aurora collection is no exception. Each of the three items will cost you $499.97 to buy (assuming you bought the wired G713, not the G715 which is $30 more), but why stop there? There are also add-ons to buy!

• The G735 comes in white, but you can buy a different colored boom microphone bundled with two ear pads (in pink or neon green) for $20.
• As for the keyboard, you can buy the top plate for any keyboard for $20, and don’t forget the $40 set of keycaps.
• As for the mouse, there are two accessories to buy, including a $29.99 15.75 x 18-inch mousepad and a $40 heart-shaped carrying case for both the G735 headset and the G705 mouse.
• If you’re in Logitech’s all-inclusive lineup and you buy one of each add-on, you’ll pay at least $649.97.

Many tech companies, including Logitech, like to tell the press how each of its new gadgets is the byproduct of a lot of user research, testing, and collaboration with the intended audience as if those are the ingredients that would guarantee a great product. Angle in an authentic way. The team behind this collection was buoyed by the idea that its new products would give some people the viewing experience, and honestly, that’s pretty cool. Design that focuses heavily on one very specific group makes for products that feel repetitive and potentially off-putting. Gaming mice and glasses-wearable headsets are all good things for Logitech little hands. Making gaming less insular is a great thing.

But it’s crummy-sounding battery life—because Logitech doesn’t want to solve the problem of smaller gadgets needing less space for the battery—that’s a problem. It is the high price that is a problem.

If your target audience can’t afford the product or use it for the same amount of time as a cheaper item, how inclusive or accessible is it really?