Verdict
One of the best gaming keyboards out there proper now providing wonderful construct high quality, infinite customisation choices and a few revolutionary new concepts.
Pros
Keys are absurdly responsive and ripe for customisationOLED good show is compelling and effectively executedRobust and trendy construct qualityRGB lighting is refined and explosive in equal measure
Cons
Making essentially the most of its customisation options requires investmentLacks dual-function keys
Key Specifications
Review Price: £199.99Adjustable mechanical key switches0.4 to 3.6mm actuation pointAluminium chassis with magnetic wrist-restOLED Smart DisplayCustomisable RGB lighting
The SteelSeries Apex Pro is a premium gaming keyboard with a uncommon expertise: customisable actuation factors for each key.
While this gained’t alter the texture of the keyboard, it should let you customise the sensitivity of every key. For instance, you might set the WASD keys to be tremendous delicate in order that they set off from the slightest of presses, whilst you might configure the ‘G’ key to require a deeper press to keep away from unintended grenade tosses.
While this new gaming keyboard innovation is definitely spectacular, it’s not fairly as fleshed out because the likes of the Wooting One or Razer Huntsman V2 Analog, which may bind a number of inputs to a single key at totally different actuation factors. But the SteelSeries Apex Pro is £50 cheaper than the latter, with an RRP of £199.99.
While it’s costly, the Apex Pro greater than justifies its asking worth with a spread of spectacular options and construct high quality that sits among the many larger echelon of gadgets I’ve reviewed in recent times. Those searching for a cushty, sturdy and customisable keyboard of the very best calibre needn’t look a lot additional than this. There can also be now a SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023), a smaller tenkeyless model of this keyboard should you fancy taking over much less house in your desk.
Price and availability
The SteelSeries Apex Pro is offered proper now, from each the official SteelSeries retailer and third-party retailers akin to Amazon.
The Apex Pro is formally priced at £199.99/$199.99/€229.99, though it’s doable to get it even cheaper from the likes of Amazon Renewed.
Design and construct
A £200 gaming keyboard clearly geared toward lovers
Sports an aluminium alloy body described as “aircraft” grade
Comes with an optionally available magnetic wrist-rest for additional consolation
Upon eradicating it from the packaging, the Apex Pro left an instantly placing impression. It possesses a notable heft, touchdown on my desk with a ‘thunk’ as I plugged it in and was greeted by a stunning show of RGB lighting. The aluminium-alloy body has been described as “aircraft” grade, which means it might seemingly face up to numerous punishment, though I wouldn’t advocate hurling it in opposition to a wall if you’d like all of the keys to stay intact.
That apart, realizing the Apex Pro will definitely final by means of a good quantity of damage and tear makes it really feel like a premium product, a aspect additional bolstered by its slick OLED good show, scroll wheel and assortment of different options that elevate it above a typical gaming keyboard. You’ll additionally discover a USB passthrough port on the again, supreme for plugging in controllers or different gadgets that could be eliminated in fast succession.
You can customise the aforementioned OLED show with quite a lot of totally different statistics, and even modify it your self to show bespoke pictures or textual content to suit your preferences. I’ll admit, it’s a reasonably useless function for almost all of avid gamers, however when used accurately, it’s a delightfully complimentary aspect that I’ve come to understand throughout my time with it.
By normal, the OLED display screen will flip between the present temperature and utilization of your GPU, CPU and RAM. This is nice for testing how arduous the newest video games is likely to be pushing your rig, or evaluating what number of Google Chrome tabs it could actually face up to earlier than buckling.
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Delve into the customisation settings, nevertheless, and this show turns into an awesome basket of potentialities. It can be utilized to indicate your present music, management the actuation factors of various keys, and even provide a straightforward technique to swap between totally different profiles on the contact of a button
You may alter quantity and pause movies and different media with the scroll wheel and accompanying button. It solely takes up a small quantity of the keyboard’s general actual property, however this good show is arguably what makes the Apex Pro stand out subsequent to a lot of the competitors. Animated GIFs and pictures may even be transplanted onto the show, however such a feat would require plentiful dedication and intensely small customized decision codecs.
Performance
Actuation level might be customised for each key
Key actuation factors vary from 0.4 to 3.6mm
Smart show creates a compelling multimedia expertise
The SteelSeries Apex Pro is well among the best gaming keyboards I’ve used in recent times, possessing so many distinctive options and a blazing quick efficiency that it’s actually arduous to fault.
The keyboard is constructed utilizing SteelSeries’ distinct OmniPoint switches. These boast a really snappy 0.7 millisecond response time, with an actuation level of simply 0.4 millimetres. As a outcome, the Apex Pro feels supremely satisfying to make use of every day, whether or not smacking 1000’s of phrases into Google Docs, or taking part in just a few rounds of Overwatch within the night. This isn’t merely a peripheral for avid gamers, though it definitely leans closely in that path.
Each key options an actuation level starting from 0.4 to 3.6mm, which might be customised to your liking. Bespoke actuation factors housed in their very own switchable profiles might be supreme for avid gamers who’re severely particular concerning the responsiveness of their keyboard. For instance, aggressive gamers might have one profile centered on Overwatch, whereas one other might be devoted to League of Legends. Switching between them is carried out with a few button presses, as long as every part is confirmed in SteelSeries Engine beforehand.
It’s comparatively seamless, and the distinction you can also make in how keys reply to your contact is genuinely astonishing at occasions. More informal avid gamers will seemingly be proud of the Apex Pro’s default setup, because it feels completely snappy exterior of the field with minimal fiddling, though ignoring this function arguably defeats the purpose of shopping for such an costly peripheral.
The solely main subject right here is that customising the actuation level for each key for particular person video games is usually a prolonged and intimidating course of, so it’s most likely greatest reserved to your most performed video games. The added time required to make use of this keyboard to its full potential may deter some, however I actually assume the additional little bit of training is greater than worthwhile. However, it’s a disgrace which you could’t bind two capabilities to a single key like you’ll be able to with the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog and Wooting One.
SteelSeries has mentioned the Apex Pro will face up to over 100 million keypresses, so anticipate to maintain it round for years to come back upon throwing down £200. I’ve been utilizing it for a number of weeks now, and I haven’t observed any drop in efficiency or ease of use. If something, the Apex Pro has solely grown extra intuitive as I’ve begun to gel with its distinctive design sensibilities, solely strengthened additional by delicate but sturdy keys that enable me to kind at blistering speeds with little to no errors.
Software and lighting
The RGB customisation choices are nearly limitless
You can have it sync to music and a choice of video games
Easy to mess around with in SteelSeries Engine
The Apex Pro’s RGB lighting possesses the identical degree of absurd customisation because the keys themselves, with your whole choices being housed in SteelSeries’ bespoke programme. It’s simple to make use of, permitting you to register quite a lot of profiles, every with their very own distinct lighting patterns. Individual keys might be adorned with their very own color, so you might doubtlessly make any picture you want, as long as it labored throughout the house provided.
RGB lighting might be made to pulse or explode in a cavalcade of shiny colors should you so want, and even pulse alongside music, video games and purposes to make the expertise extra immersive. Once once more, you’ll have to dedicate a little bit of your individual time to learn the way the Apex Pro works greatest, however for my part it’s definitely worth the funding. This is a number of the greatest RGB lighting I’ve seen on a gaming keyboard in a while, proving itself to be each explosive and refined in equal measure.
Conclusion
The SteelSeries Apex Pro is a incredible gaming keyboard, that includes quick and snappy mechanical switches, whereas additionally bragging revolutionary options akin to configurable actuation factors and an OLED show.
It’s a disgrace that the Apex Pro misses out on dual-key capabilities, making the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog a extra tempting proposition should you’re ready to fork out an additional £50, but the SteelSeries Apex Pro remains to be one of many very best gaming keyboard choices you’ll be able to at the moment purchase.
You can buy it if…
You need among the best gaming keyboards roundThe SteelSeries Apex Pro has obtained important reward from gamers and critics alike, and such reception is greater than deserved. If you need among the best keyboards out there proper now, that is one effectively value contemplating.
Customisation is vital to youThis is a keyboard that gives a strong degree of customisation, not just for its RGB lighting, but in addition for the actuation of the keys themselves. You can dig extremely deep right here should you so want, so this could possibly be one for hardcore tech followers.
You’re a aggressive participantThe means to modify between totally different efficiency profiles on the contact of a button makes the Apex Pro a super keyboard for aggressive avid gamers. It’s sharp, correct and comfy to make use of in a means that might vastly profit such an setting.
You shouldn’t purchase it if…
Price is an obstacleComing in at £200, it is a very high-end gaming keyboard, and actually offers an expertise that displays such an asking worth. But if you’d like one thing cheaper, there are many nice choices on the market.
You need one thing simpleA time funding is required to make use of the SteelSeries Apex Pro to its full potential, so shoppers searching for a keyboard that’s merely “plug in and play” may need to look elsewhere. That being mentioned, the vanilla providing right here stays beautiful regardless of this.
You need twin capabilities per keyThe SteelSeries Apex Pro has an abundance of options, however misses out on the aptitude of assigning two capabilities to a single key with differing actuation factors. If you’re prepared to spend additional for this function, try the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog.
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UK RRP
USA RRP
EU RRP
Manufacturer
Size (Dimensions)
Weight
Release Date
First Reviewed Date
Ports
Connectivity
Switch Type
Number of Macro Keys
SteelSeries Apex Pro
£199.99
$199.99
€229.99
SteelSeries
436.7 x 139.2 x 40.3 MM
1 KG
2020
09/03/2021
USB-A for passthrough
Wired
Mechanical
0
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