LOGITECH SPOTLIGHT 2 HANDS-ON: I do hundreds of presentations a year in my classes and workshops, but I rarely use a presenter remote to control my slides. I just rely on my mouse, and I have never liked the plasticky feeling of the generic presenter devices out there.
But when Logitech asked me to try the new Spotlight 2 advanced presenter remote, I was intrigued. In Gen Z speak, “this hits different.”
It’s a sleek slab of dense aluminum that feels cool and substantial in the hand like a sci-fi movie device. There are the standard left and right buttons (or rather, forward and backward). Above them is a circular concave area that provides haptic feedback to your thumb.
Once you install Logi’s Options+ software on your PC or Mac, you can start using the haptic pad in two ways:
🔵 A soft thumb press will activate a virtual digital pointer, which I prefer to the traditional laser pointer that is also present on the Spotlight 2 via the side button.
🔵 A firmer thumb press allows you to highlight your slide content in different ways: cast a circular Spotlight, draw a rectangular highlight (‘Squarelight’, like creating a manual screenshot), magnify a section, or annotate with freehand squiggles.
These two features are very useful for presentations, especially the Spotlight and Squarelight features. However, you can only activate one type of highlighting at a time.
The haptics can also be used to alert you to your remaining time, or you can activate the wellness feature if you’re feeling stressed by a stoic audience – grip the Spotlight 2, follow the guided breathing instructions in the Options+ app, and the haptics will “hum” along to calm you down. I do deep breathing exercises too, and this is a nice alternative.
You can connect the Spotlight 2 to your laptop using Bluetooth, or the Bolt USB-C adapter. Each Bolt receiver allows you to connect several compatible Logitech wireless devices so you don’t need more than one USB port. You can charge the Spotlight 2 via USB-C (obviously) and each charge lasts about three months.
It’s hard to find any fault with the Spotlight 2, but the S$219 retail price will raise eyebrows. The Spotlight 2 is clearly targeted at business executives and educators who spend hours each day presenting to audiences. There will always be customers who want the most hardcore flagship model, and for presenter remotes, the Spotlight 2 is as hardcore as it gets.
#Logitech #Spotlight2