SteelSeries Apex Gaming Keyboard Capsule Review
by E. Fylladitakis on October 20, 2014 2:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Keyboard
- Gaming
- SteelSeries
Final Words
In terms of feel, key travel and comfort, the SteelSeries Apex feels just like any good membrane keyboard. Of course it lacks the travel and feeling of mechanical keys; the keys of the Apex feel mushy and need to bottom out in order to register, which is the way all membrane keyboards work. For everyday use, the SteelSeries Apex will do great and in some ways it's even better than common membrane keyboards.
It is comfortable to use, the extra macro keys can be programmed to launch favorite webpages and applications, and its programmability allows the user to adjust the function of any key at will. Multiple layers that can be changed on the fly are handy, especially for those that have a gaming profile with multiple modified keys and need a sub-layer for basic functions, such as chatting. The only thing that will require a learning curve is the position of the media keys and ESC key, as seasoned users will instinctively reach to the edge of the keyboard and press the wrong keys instead.
For gaming, the SteelSeries Apex is a double-edged sword and some of its features are practically unusable. It will work great as long as the game is restricted within the 20 keys that are included in the anti-ghosting areas. True enough, up to six of these keys can be pressed simultaneously and all will register. However, if another key is pressed, chaos ensues. Outside these areas, it is hard for even two keys to register simultaneously, but the real problem is that they will also interfere with the keys inside the anti-ghosting areas.
For example, W-A and Space will all register together, but pressing X or Tab in the process will cause abnormal behavior. Some or all of the keys that are being held pressed might stop registering, or the key that has been pressed might not register at all. In addition, from a practical point of view, only the four (maybe six) top macro keys are usable while gaming. The rest may be used for non-critical gaming actions, like messages and inventory equipment swaps, but obviously it's not possible to reach any of those from the WASD area while gaming without moving your hand away from the normal WASD location.
Finally, the quality of the SteelSeries Apex Gaming keyboard is troubling. As with all keyboards reviewed here, the Apex has been used for seven to ten days, to get a feeling of the keyboard's quality and behavior. These ten days usually include the typing of at least twenty pages every day and some mild gaming. Within that short time period, the keycaps of the Apex have already begun to show obvious signs of wear (i.e. they are getting "polished").
This is expected to occur on very frequently used keys after some time, such as on the WASD keys of someone who is gaming daily for several months; however, this happened on almost all of the keycaps of the Apex within a few days of heavy typing. What would happen if it were to spend a year at the hands of a professional typist is a frightening question. Finally, do note that the glossy black frame that surrounds the keys is extremely easy to scratch, even if a soft cotton cloth is being used to clean it.
In conclusion, the SteelSeries Apex Gaming Keyboard is an overall good product for users that want advanced keyboard features and RGB lighting but are either unwilling to pay the premium price of a mechanical keyboard or simply want to stick with a membrane keyboard instead. On the other hand, the SteelSeries Apex Gaming keyboard retails for $87. If budget is the primary concern over a mechanical keyboard, this price places the Apex dangerously close to programmable mechanical keyboards such as the Rosewill RK-9100 ($90), the Razer Blackwidow UItimate ($100), and the Cooler Master Trigger Z ($120). If programmability is not a primary concern, Corsair also lies in waiting with the Vengeance K70 ($112).
And these are only the mechanical keyboards that threaten the SteelSeries Apex; there are even more membrane keyboard at lower prices (too many to effectively list). They do not have the number of extra keys or the RGB backlighting that the Apex does, but they do have backlighting and are fully programmable. We have a feeling that the SteelSeries Apex cannot really sway users away from purchasing a slightly more expensive mechanical keyboard. It will however appeal to users that want to stick with a membrane-based keyboard and like the layout, the extravagant number of extra keys, the programmable keys and the versatile lighting options.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
19 Comments
View All Comments
wetwareinterface - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
i also gsettled on the k70 rgb however i have the red switch version. i also still have and love the poseidon. for the moeny the poseidon is a fantastic keyboard and can be had for $70 even in some retail box stores, hard to beat it for value for money...however the k70 rgb is more than just about backlighting each key whatever color or color change you like. the macro programmability is truly the best out there so far. you can program mouse events and edit the timing down to 1 millisecond if you desire.
and for your desire there's the k95 rgb no extra arrow keys but a massive array of macro keys on the left
Impulses - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
I've had an original K90 for a couple years (membrane F keys and all), no major complaints. I think I wanna try a Ducky TKL board next tho, specially now that there's a speaker and headphone amp on my desk (so the volume control feels less necessary).If I don't end up loving the compact TKL I'll probably jump on a K95 RGB... I wish Corsair had a more high end TKL board with backlight etc. I actually use my K90 macro keys outside of gaming more than anything (Lightroom, coding shortcuts, etc), but I could live without them.
TellarHK - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
You might want to check your nearest Best Buy location, as they have an exclusive TKL model there, the K65 RGB. Not sure what switch options they'll have though. I think it's browns.piiman - Sunday, November 16, 2014 - link
They have a K65 RGB which is just like the K70 but TKLTellarHK - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
Unfortunately, the K95 with RGB blues doesn't appear to be shipping in quantity any time soon, people are pretty upset about it. I decided to go with the K70 after my time with the Poseidon, as I really liked how compact it is on my desk. As to the macro programming, that's a great feature to have sometimes. My previous keyboard was a Razer black widow ultimate, and I used the macro feature there too.editorsorgtfo - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
I've been using this keyboard for a few months for work. I got it on sale from BestBuy for $30 which i think is a good price for it.One thing the review doesn't mention, is that the keys on this keyboard are VERY tightly spaced. Probably a consequence of trying to cram so many keys on one platform. If you have big hands I would not recommend it. My hands are moderate size and I have some discomfort after long periods of typing.
I'm a programmer and use a lot of shortcuts. I have the macro keys configured to various text macros and that works reasonably well. The config "engine" is somewhat sluggish, but it has a lot of options.
Long story short, i would be much happier with it if the keys were further apart.
Zan Lynx - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
I have one of these. I just got it recently to go along with a new gaming machine.I'm still not sure what to think about it. It types fine. It has a LOT of macro buttons. The lights are very pretty.
I am sort of wishing that I had got a third Das Keyboard instead though. The Das Keyboard lets me hold down W and also press Shift-X, something I've gotten used to doing while playing SWTOR. The Apex just ignores the X. I hadn't even realized I was using this key combination until it stopped working on the Apex.
I assigned some macros but I don't really use them. I've also been so used to going without macro keys that my game key maps all assume the use of 12345, qwert, asdf, zxcv and Shift, Alt, Control. Using the macro keys actually takes my hand off that left-hand keyboard position.
I guess my review would say to get a Das Keyboard instead. It doesn't need lights because mine has the unlabelled key caps. :-)
SeanJ76 - Tuesday, October 28, 2014 - link
I'll keep my G15aksiram - Sunday, November 30, 2014 - link
This is the nicest keyboard I've ever had. I sold my Blackwidow Ultimate and Corsair K90 and got this Apex. Mechanical keys for gaming is obviously just a placebo effect if it actually improves someone's gaming. The customisability of the Apex is fantastic. It even allows you to record media functions, like volume up/down, play/pause/mute to the macro keys, which means I can use my left hand to raise/lower volume without needing to let go of my mouse with my right hand. That's something I've always hated: needing to lift my mouse hand to adjust volume, as the media keys are usually on the right of a keyboard.The only complaint I have with this keyboard is that the LEDs are very weak. You have to be in a dark room to actually be able to see them. If any kind of light is on, they will be invisible. The reason for this is partially because, unlike the Black Widow, each key does not have its own individual LED bulb, but instead there is a light conducting fabric that spreads the light coming from a few strategically placed LEDs across all the keys.
TL;DR: This is a great keyboard if you don't suffer from the mechanical key obsession. Try not to have your decision to buy this be influenced by those here who clearly shouldn't even be looking at the review of a rubber dome keyboard.