Logitech today took the veil off two major releases in its G-Series line of PC gaming peripherals. A new G9 wired gaming mouse will supplant the G5 and G7 as Logitech's flagship gaming pointer, and a full revamp of the G15 keyboard maintains the integrated LCD but shrinks the overall footprint and adds more modern styling.

The G9 mouse adds an entirely new set of features to the long running G-series line. On-the-fly DPI switching will function much like previous G- incarnations, but the range will now be expanded to run from 200-dpi all the way up to 3200-dpi without interpolation thanks to the G9's first-to-market true 3200-dpi laser engine. Like the G5, the G9 will also offer a customizable weighting system, though instead of a bottom slot the G9 will feature a rear-mounted drawer for the weight widget.

New to the G9 will be a more aggressive overall design than other G-series mice. Gone is the traditional rearward hump, and the previously curvy main mouse buttons are dropped in favor of flatter buttons with a much lighter click. The biggest new feature, however, is obviously the G9's ability to dramatically customize its width and shape by means of interchangeable shells. The two designs to be included with the G9 at launch offer a wider, longer shell for players who use the traditional palm gripping style, and a shorter shell for the more modern pro-gamer style fingertip grip.

Other small niceties include the addition of a second thumb button (finally!), customizable colors for the dpi-readout, and the MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel from Logitech's well received MX Revolution mouse, which, via a bottom mounted button, allows players to choose between ridged-roller or free-wheeling mouse wheel movement. The G9 mouse will launch in September for $99.99.

Also unveiled today was a revamped G15 gaming keyboard. We're big fans of the original design, thanks to its excellent keystroke feel, masses of macro buttons, and the slick integrated LCD that can be used to display game information like ammo or more productive apps like RSS feeds. The new G15 design obviously sports a slicker, more modern look, and the 160 x 43 pixel backlit LCD is now melded into the G15's body as opposed to its previous position on a hinge.

Some complained that the previous G15 was simply too big, and there's no denying that it was indeed a very large keyboard. To address the complaint, Logitech cut the G15's dedicated macro keys from 18 to 6 in the new design, though several macro modes will still allow up to a total of 18 macros per game or application. The keyboard and its software will be able to automatically detect launched applications and load the appropriate macro sets for whatever game or program is in use.

Like the original model, the new G15 will feature fully backlit keys, media controls, and a Game Mode switch that disables the Windows key. Two USB 2.0 ports are also positioned somewhat more conveniently than the older model. Like the G9, the G15 keyboard will launch in September for $99.99.