Logitech G has long since been a go-to for affordable but great gaming gear, with the company’s G435 Lightspeed headset still demanding an R1,800 price even four years later – a worthy cost for the overwhelming comfort and decent audio chops. Keeping in line with the mid-range price comes the Logitech G522 Lightspeed, serving as both a spiritual successor to the excellent G435 and an actual follow-up to the R3,700 G733 Lightspeed.
Time to reach Lightspeed
If the G522 Lightspeed can mimic even a fraction of the comfort provided by the rest of the family, you’re in for one hell of a comfortable ride. Logitech G says that comfort was a big factor when building these new cans, featuring a revitalised design that’s made to be worn for hours at a time. It’s doing that with a wider cup design and an extra layer of memory foam, all wrapped up in a new material that’s both “softer and more durable.”
It’s joined by a reversible suspension band that’s supposedly meant to sit flatter across your head to reduce the chance that these might go flying at the tail-end of a competitive match that didn’t go your way. Increased breathability and extended durability are a result of added ridges and ‘upgraded materials’, though Logitech doesn’t actually mention what those are. It’ll still have that plastic-y feel, but with a more premium finish.
Available in black or white, the G522 Lightspeed also features a hint of RGB – found in four distinctive lighting zones on each of the cups – a big upgrade over the G733’s two zones. All of that can be tweaked to your liking in the Logitech G Hub desktop app or over on the Logitech G mobile app.
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That’s great and all, but it isn’t of much use if the headset isn’t going to help you hear what little Timmy has to say about becoming your new father. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be an issue. Previous Lightspeed headsets never skimped on quality, and the G522 only seems to be upping its game. Buried deep are Logi’s new synchronised 40mm Pro-G drivers, with 48 kHz/24-bit digital signal processing to boot.
You’ll also get an attachable 48 kHz/16-bit omnidirectional microphone out of the box, the same as you’d find inside the far more premium Astro A50 and A50 X. It’s an impressive feat when you take the massively inflated price of the Astro series into account.
The Logitech G522 Lightspeed has all the chops of a decent, even great gaming headset, and takes it even further with an impressive 90 hours of battery life (30 if RGB is a must) that we’d love to really put to the test. As for connectivity, you’re spoiled for choice here. The included Lightspeed wireless dongle is an option when hooking it up to a PC or PS5, but the more traditional Bluetooth 5.3 is there if you’re hoping to use it elsewhere.
How the $180 (∼R3,250) price overseas will fare by the time it reaches South Africa’s shores remains to be seen. It does appear to be making its way to South Africa, judging by the listing found on Logitech G’s local site, but no pricing or availability details were present at the time of publication. The G522, being a successor to the G733, means it’ll almost certainly top the R3,700 price point.
