Customer Ratings & Reviews

My first impression of this keyboard was “wow this is heavy!”. It felt like a few pounds in the box, not so bad when I took it out but I love the quality weight and feel to it. As a TLDR, I will say this keyboard is one of the better keyboards I’ve ever used and it does have a great typing experience, for gaming and off-gaming. My next impression was how well and quiet it types. My last gaming keyboard, was a very clickity clackity mechanical-type keyboard. At first I really liked it but I transitioned to a quieter one for a few months (until it started having issues) and really enjoyed the gentler sounds from typing. This keyboard has sound dampening foam built-in, so just based on that alone, its been a great upgrade for me. I work from home, so my keyboard is used for work and for gaming, and serves both purposes quite well. It’s really an enjoyable experience using this keyboard while having a sturdy palm rest. My last one had the palm rest falling apart because it was too soft, this one should not have that problem, but sits slightly lower than I like. It uses a strong magnetic attachment to the keyboard which should not detach easily. From a gaming standpoint, it is probably the most advanced keyboard I think I’ve ever used. I play a lot of FPS games with a few RPG’s, so I don’t take advantage of the macros as much, but I did go through the Steel Series GG software to see what the options were…and there are lots! You can really customize the keyboard exactly how you like, there’s even a custom physical Steel Series key on the keyboard you can configure. Besides the typical lighting effects (which are pretty cool) and key bindings, you can adjust your Actuation and Dual Actuation settings, letting you adjust the sensitivity of the press/retract, and even determine how the amount of pressure affects your movements (walking vs running for instance). There are some compatibility requirements I’m sure for this, but great features to have. And of course you can save your configs for each game or situation you would want with individual profiles. The built-apps are another great feature. Many of these have integration with popular apps such as Discord, a nice selection of popular games, and a variety of other apps. For instance, I got a Discord call, the OLED display would show the caller on it. Speaking of OLED display, this is one of the better bells and whistles of the keyboard IMO. Whiles its not essential to the function of the keyboard, it adds some nice customizable options. You can upload your image to it or for me, I installed the System Monitor app which shows me the configurable resources my computer is using…love it! As you can see in my image it’s showing my current RAM usage and cycles through other resources every few seconds such as CPU, GPU, temperatures, etc… Overall, I do have to say I’m very happy with this keyboard and surprised to see such a high quality product come from Steel Series since I don’t have much experience except for their Headset, which I have been satisfied with, but never thought they could surpass many of the other major computer peripheral brands out there! They are calling this the “Worlds Fastest Keyboard” and that could very well be accurate with my experience. It’s a premium feeling keyboard, with an easy to use volume roller and action button (pause/play by default)., and adds a nice aesthetic look to my desk.

If you’re a serious gamer, you need a serious keyboard. Steel Series has been making serious gaming peripherals for many years. They’re well built and built to last. The Apex Pro Gen 3 is no exception. My first impression was the weight and sturdiness. It will not move, even as you get excited. Each key press reinforces the feeling that you’re in control. The coolest part of the programmability is the integration with other apps. The lighting can be synchronized with music or a gaming sound track. The colors will flitter and flit around the board to really envelop you in the feel of the game. Steel Series also has integrations with Discord and selected games so that the keys will light up showing health status or list who’s talking during a call. Of course, there’s the usual assortment of pulse, fire, breathing, and ghost chasing the other gaming keyboards offer, as well. With the basics down, Steel Series takes the Apex 3 a bit further than keyboards from Corsair or Razer. The keys can be set for the level of actuation which makes sense for you in a given situation. If you want to gain a millisecond in a given game, you can set the keys you use most often to be extremely sensitive such that even a brush against it will trigger a key press. If you’re a heavy typist, the keyboard can prevent responding until the key has been pushed as far as it will go. It can even be set to only trigger when the key is let up from it’s lowest position. This can be useful if you’re waiting for just the right instant to pounce! Steel Series added a protection mode on this latest iteration which helps those who accidentally brush other keys than what they’re going for. I tried this out by deliberately being sloppy in jamming some commands and the keyboard was admiral in how well it kept me in line. Since this keyboard, like most gaming keyboards, doesn’t require much pressure on each key, the protection mode definitely helps out. The only downside to the keyboard is that you can’t change the key caps. Other boards from Steel Series allow this, but you’re stuck with what you get on the Apex Pro 3. As the keys felt smooth and compliant on my fingertips, I have no issue with this, but keep it in mind. Otherwise, realize this is a solid piece of hardware which will let you level up your E Sports fun!

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 keyboard is an amazing feeling full sized keyboard that has a high-quality feeling when typing with it. The cool thing about this keyboard is the adjustable sensitivity of the keys. Using the on-board OLED screen, you can scroll through the options of changing sensitivity, brightness, rapid-trigger, and macros. You can choose the preset lighting schemes or customize the color options through the SteelSeries GG Quickset app. The base of the keyboard has a nice heavy matte finish, and the keys have positive feedback without being loud and clicky. The keycaps are shaped with the right amount of indent that helps prevent accidental side touches. If you accidentally do side touches, the keyboard has a Protection Mode which reduces the sensitivity of the surrounding keys of the key you are pressing. The keyboard runs off a USB-c connection which is detachable from the keyboard allowing a smaller footprint when you transport the keyboard. Included is a magnetically detachable wrist rest which has a nice soft touch to it. Using the keyboard to type is a dream and the accuracy and sensitivity of the keyboard helps playing first person shooters amazing. This was voted one of the best keyboards of the year and after using it myself, they are spot on in awarding this keyboard one of the best keyboards out there.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro is the highest quality keyboard i have used to date. Everything about the keyboard is quality. Right out of the box you immediately notice the weight and heft of the keyboard itself. I really love the look and feel of it, the texture especially. It comes with a nice long usb cable, a wrist testing pad, and a key pulling device. Once connected you are treated to a brilliant RGB light show! The colors are the prefect brightness and are not too distracting. There is a small lcd touch screen in the top right corner that allows you to play and pause media via touch controls. There is even a wheel that controls volume. That is one of my favorite features. When using the keyboard you will notice the keys feel ultra premium. They have a wonderful clicking to them that is so smooth. The keys make a nice subtle click as well, not too loud. My old mechanical keyboard i replaced was too loud and others found it annoying. The other thing i like is that it had a full numerical keypad. This keyboard is built for more than just gaming. Not only does it outperform all of my previous gaming keyboards, but it outperforms all previous keyboards. I highly recommend this keyboard, five stars!

--- SETUP --- Keyboard is plug and play. Connect the USB-C connection to the keyboard and the USB-A to your PC and you are ready to roll. Download the optional, yet highly encouraged, software for full customization and gaming presets. --- FEATURES --- Full size QWERTY keyboard, wired, volume control, quiet and smooth typing, rapid tap and rapid trigger, adjustable actuation, RGB lighting, programmable, customizable. --- EXPECTATIONS and PERFORMANCE --- This keyboard has brought me one of the best gaming experiences ever! From how quick and easy it is to set up, to its quiet key presses, to its customization options, this keyboard truly has it all for any avid gamer. Under the keys, you’ll find magnets that are adjustable with the downloadable software. This allows for a precision to your actuation like never before. After I downloaded the software, it identified the games that I already had installed on my PC. I then had the option to add the profiles I wanted to add to the software and turn on auto-change of profiles depending on which game I booted up. After I tested it with several games by only using the presets for those games, I quickly realized that a lot of thought has gone to the presets that every keypress felt natural and where it should be. There is an included magnetic wrist wrest that connects to the keyboard. It has a smooth, slick finish and is a great addition to the comfort level of an already amazing keyboard. The keys on the keyboard are spaced just enough for a great comfort when typing, but not too spread apart for when gaming so that you don’t miss that button press in a tight situation. When I missed a shot, it was due to user error and not once did I feel it was because of the keyboard. Silence is golden at my home. Previous keyboards I’ve used are extra clicky and loud. This one still produces sounds when pressing the keyboards, but all keypresses are much more silent, and that is greatly appreciated. Watching the RGB lighting take off to the edge of the keyboard after every press is very amusing, but not distracting while gaming. --- APPROVAL --- This keyboard is a great prolevel keyboard and a welcomed addition to any PC gamer. It also works for Xbox and Playstation, though I didn’t test it on those platforms. Overall, this keyboard is highly recommended and stands above the competition!

Introduction Steelseries has been making many pc accessories from headsets, mice, and keyboards. They have built a great reputation for themselves over time. Going in I’ve only had a headset from Steelseries, so it would be fun to see how their keyboards hold up. What comes in the box? You get the keyboard, a USB-C to USB-A cable, a magnetic wrist rest, a keycap remover, and a starter’s guide. Major wins I am a huge fan of the included wrist rest. The soft touch material is great, and it offers high quality comfortability. Usage The keyboard is probably the heaviest keyboard that I’ve ever picked up. I like that fact. It let’s me know that it’s made of great material, and has a nice build to it. The wrist wrest attaches to the keyboard magnetically. Once you attach it, it stays on quite nicely. The keyboard is great to type on. The thing I noticed immediately is that it is relatively quiet. I know that most mechanical keyboards are known for their loud clicky keys, but the Apex Pro goes in the opposite direction. The actuation can be changed via the OLED settings. The keys aren’t that high up in their default state, so there isn’t a lot of travel. I like the default settings. I use the multimedia roller a lot. You can control the volume, and if you press it, you can switch audio on and off. The OLED screen seemed very gimmicky to me when I saw it, and after playing with the settings for a bit, I do get some usage out of it, but I find myself not using it more than actually finding use for it. You have a good number of setting options at your disposal. It’s here you can change the RGB settings, actuation, brightness of the RGB, etc… Primarily for This is obviously aimed at gamers, and well, considering how comfortable it is to type on, one could argue that it could be used for regular use, but not at the cost. Probably not for People who don’t like RGB lighting and the whole concept of a gaming accessory being this costly. All in all I enjoyed using the keyboard. It was quiet and comfortable. The price may scare some people away, so it all comes down to is it worth the price for the individual.

Far superior to the glorious gmmk 3 HE keyboard. I got this one because my other keyboard I bought worked great for 1 week then the software updated and bricked it. This one has been filled with unique and cool customizations. The tiny OLED screen I have a gif of a cat running, the RGB has multiple layers of what you can have it do. The key activations can also be customized. It's genuinely my favorite keyboard I've used.

Excellent mechanical keyboard for my workstation! The OmniPoint adjustable switches are fantastic - being able to customize the actuation point makes a huge difference for both typing and productivity work. The key feel is outstanding with great tactile feedback and responsiveness. Build quality is solid and premium, and the RGB lighting adds a nice touch to my setup. The wrist rest is comfortable for long work sessions. This keyboard has really improved my typing experience and workflow. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a high-quality mechanical keyboard for their workstation.

I love this keyboard. Typing on it is wonderful, it has just enough Tactile feedback, is quiet and adjustable switch actuation is easy to set up with the app. the RGB is overload for me, but I know other users appreciate that. I'd love dedicated media keys more than the tiny screen it offers, but overall its a great keyboard.

I can safely say at this point that the Steel Series Apex Pro Gen 3 Full Size Wired HyperMagnetic Keyboard is the best gaming keyboard I have used. Not only that it is the best keyboard I have used period. First of all the key responsiveness on this keyboard is next level stuff. It feels amazing and definitely helps in first-person shooting games and I am sure any game requiring lightning-fast reflexes. The Apex Pro Gen 3 has all of the best features for custom key assignments as well as things like Rapid trigger that dynamically resets keys for faster trigger reaction time. I am amazed by the what I assume is the Hypermagnetic action in the keys. They bounce back so fast and seem to have the perfect travel compare to other keyboards I have used enabling very quick movements. Not only that you can adjust the responsiveness of the keys and change how they respond depending on what you are using them for. Basically this keyboard with the Steel GG software will allow you to program a perfect custom set up for whatever your use case is. On top of it’s vast versatility options it feels very solid and has some heft to it all while looking premium while doing it. The lighting really looks good and is of course fully customizable as well and it has a first for me small Oled info screen that can display different computer stats. The only downside I noticed at first was the keys seemed a little small. However, I have quickly gotten used to them and it has put my concerns to rest. I have big hands and fingers and was worried at first but it does have key protection as well to help detour accidental presses. While there may be better keyboards out there so far this is the best one I have had the pleasure of using and I have a lot of keyboards and have used many different keyboards over the years.

This has to be one of the smoothest keyboards i have ever used. The design of thekeys and the wristpad make this a must a have for extended computer use. I was very pleasantly surprised. I am going to highlight the best aspects of the keyboard that stood out to me. KEY TRAVEL The key travel is satisfying, the travel provides for a smooth key travel that has a satisfying click. The design is smooth that the click is almost softened by the design. It makes it responsive and very nice keyboard. The design also keeps the fast pressing of keys to not feel muddled or have the keys sticking. They springy responsiveness makes fast gameplay and quick key pressing a breeze. without a sloppy feel. WRISTPAD The simplest design of including magnets make this a non-slip support pad with a nice matte feel. The angle is flows right into the keyboard. KEYBOARD SCREEN The keyboard screen and media controls makes it easy to mute the sound or adjust the volume with the rocker button. It allows you to create profiles and shows you the response bar which lights up when pressing the keys. I dont use it as much but it is a nice feature. SOFTWARE The software is pretty simple to use the preprogrammed light designs but it also lets you create your own lighting zones if you have the time and patience to play around with the software. Creating the custom lights isn't difficult but it is involved. LIGHTING The lighting is very smooth and seamless in transition but i feel most keyboards are on par. The brightness is nice and adjustable. amazing keyboard, the first keyboard which immediately felt like a step above the rest.

I really wanted to like this keyboard. It's quiet, the keys are smooth, I liked the layout - the software and features seemed great. However, the moment I first used it on was nothing but problems. Double prints were a common thing, which seemed to be resolved by turning up the travel required to 2.6mm - but they still happened. That's not a me thing, it was definitely the keyboard and it continued after making all the adjustments per their recommendations. The real issue I just couldn't get past, though, was the left shift key ghost sticking. I'd press the key, hold, type a letter, release -- and 200ms-5 seconds later the release would register. The key was physically coming back up - but for whatever reason it wouldn't register. I updated the firmware, tried multiple recommended settings changes - and after wasting way more time on it than I should have I finally returned it and bought a new keyboard. Thus far, I am very happy with the new keyboard and have had absolutely none of the issues I had with the SteelSeries. The grump in me wants to leave it a one star - because that was my experience. However, recognizing that I likely got a dud based on the countless great reviews - I will leave 3 stars for others to find and maybe save themselves some time if they have these issues and just exchange it or get a different keyboard. Currently have the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro Full Size White Edition and it blows the SteelSeries out of the water, in my opinion. Way, way noisier, though. I definitely enjoy having the 'click' back of mechanical keys and that was something I disliked about the SteelSeries. The keys were nice, but I missed that click.

The keys have great responsive and feedback. The actuation force is very light and nimble, making each key press very fast (doesn't take much strength to push each key down). Especially with the adjustable actuation (0.1-4.0mm) is a awesome feature, so you can get the exact actuation you want. In my opinion, the keyboard is slightly expensive. At the time of this review, I paid over $200+. If lowered to $120 or $150 would have been better. I have been thinking about purchasing this keyboard for a few years now, and the price doesn't seem to drop, but with my old keyboard breaking, getting a new one was a priority. RGB lighting is pretty standard, just like other gaming keyboards with similar RGB lighting features, but my favorite feature of all, is the sound of the keys (if you can call that a feature). It has a clicky sound, but much more subdued compared to keyboards like Razor, which their key sounds are LOUD, almost like a typewriter, but this keyboard gives me the auditory cue that the key has been pressed, but without being obnoxiously loud. For that, I give an A+ on sound. So, if sound matters to you, and you don't want a keyboard that is too loud, but enought click sound to be responsive, then this SteelSeries is for you!

The keyboard itself is absolutely beautiful. Fairly quiet for a linear gaming keyboard. Keys feel great, the oled screen is a nice touch. Rgb lighting looks great. Magnetic hand rest is feels great too. My main gripe is the software. Right now, for some reason, all the configuration has to be loaded through the windows software. I think the macros are able to save into thr board, but actuation configuration, rgb lighting profiles, oled screen config you are currently unable to save to the board. So unless you are running the steelseries software on your machine, youre limited to trying to configure everything directly on the keyboard itself, which is missing some features that the software only supports, specifically the rgb profiles and the oled screen settings. Havent tested the other features, but in general save to board feature doesnt seem to work well at all. Other than that, the keyboard hardware is quite beautiful. If you dont care too much about rgb, it's a great board.

There are many things to really like about the Steele Series Apex Keyboard, but lack of on board RGB control and pricing may be of some concern. I routinely test and try out keyboards and when something feels "right" to me, I switch to it and will use it for months or even years while actively testing for its new replacement when the opportunity presents itself. My current keyboard is an EVGA Z20 Optical Switch gaming keyboard. I like this keyboard for a few reasons: It is truly "full sized" and not a compacted variant with a numerical pad claiming to be full size. It also requires no active running software to be functional. It was priced very competitively at purchase (~$70USD) and it has a good set of extra function/action keys on the left. Lastly, the included wrist rest is the best I've used. Does it have it's drawbacks? Of course. One of them being it requires slightly higher striking on the keys and the cable is thick and cumbersome along with being non-removable. Lastly would be the keyboard is very loud when in use. So with that out of the way, enter the Steel Series "Apex" which I guess means it is at the top of the food chain by their definition. The keyboard itself looks and feels solid and includes a key remover (standard issue for decent gaming keyboards), manual and a nice braided USB-C to USB-A cable with good length. It includes a palm rest which strikes a decent balance between ergonomics and a slightly softer texture versus some of the hard plastic ones which I find grossly uncomfortable. I do prefer a softer, plush like wrist wrest like on the EVGA but I can always swap it in eventually. The Apex's palm wrest has two magnets which will dock it to the keyboard itself. The Apex is definitely full sized but the tight, streamlined bezel around it may trick you into thinking it is not. I physically compared it next to my CherryMX, Corsair K70 and EVGA Z20 and it is overall about the size of the Corsair which is slightly smaller overall than the CherryMX and definitely the EVGA but the actual key size and spacing is equal across all four. It does have a volume media roller for volume control which I always like on my gaming keyboards as I can quickly turn the volume up or down during game play or even on the desktop. Numlock and Caps change colors when toggled off and on which I like. You can use the Apex right out of the box, but to optimize and properly use it, you will want to download the Steel GG software. As soon as you load it up, there is a critical update awaiting your Apex. Once that is installed off we go. One thing I do like about the GG software is you do not need an account to configure your devices. You will need one for the extra functionality but at its core you can get by without an account....for now. Besides fine tuning key actuations and settings, you can also upload a custom image to the built in OLED display or attempt to use their built in drawing software, but it only supports a very small 128x40 display and it is in black and white. The real use for this display is to use it in conjunction with the button and volume control roller to load in customizations/access to configs (see below). Like most gaming keyboards these days, you have a wide range of RGB settings/patterns but I always set mine to a static single color which is easily set in the software. The lighting is bright and nice and extends to the secondary functions of the numbers too which I like. While the GG software gets the job done, this is where we encounter it breaking one of my peripheral rules and in the worst way and that is the inability to save your keyboard RGB configuration on the device itself. The keyboard itself will store your OLED/actuation configs but it refuses to store the RGB patterns itself. Steele egregiously extends this even further and requires you to have their software running at all times to properly use your Apex. Turn off your computer? RGB configuration goes away. Boot up and shut down the GG software? RGB configuration goes away immediately. You MUST have it running at all times even after loading up your config. This is an absolute deal breaker for me. One thing I love about EVGA and Corsair is they allow you to "set and forget" your configurations and you can even uninstall their software and their devices will just keep working. Razer seems to pick and choose which devices have persistent settings but at least they allow you to shut down their software after loading up your configuration. If you run the GG software it will override any keyboard config you have running. Shut it down and it will revert to a built in config. Either way, the software needs to be running to keep the keyboard colors in check. I'm hoping this is a software bug and if this changes I will update my review accordingly. As for using the keyboard for general use and gaming it gets it done. I've been using it for the last several days since it can take a bit to adapt to a new keyboard and I've found it to be a very pleasant experience. The keys are the quietest of my lot of gaming keyboards and even slightly quieter than the Razer TKL V3 which was my previous quiet king for a mechanical gaming keyboard but too small for my personal long term usage. I am a casual gamer, but during sessions of World of Warcraft, Fallout 76, Fortnite and COD, there are certain instances I can tell and feel the keyboard is a notch above my EVGA. Sometimes in the heat of battle, certain keypresses would get slightly laggy/stuck that are gone with the Apex. Another thing is in Fallout 76 when selling a lot of items, it is easier to rapidly tap the spacebar as fast as possible to sell the items. Sometimes on my CherryMX, K70 Core and EVGA Z20 this would "stick" sometimes and miss an item (I alternate two finger tap it so it's incredibly fast) but the Apex didn't miss a single stroke. I repeated this over several nights to confirm and even swapped back in my EVGA for testing. I did this also during several raids and the Apex provided a smoother, more consistent gaming session and that was without even tuning the keys. This is because of the heightened key sensitivity and response time. I was pleasantly surprised. This is showing the hall effect advantage especially in Fallout 76 where something as tedious and mundane as vendoring items as fast as possible presents a smoother, more consistent experience because of the two finger effort to sell as fast as possible. So finally, it comes down to price. The Steelseries Apex is a $200USD+ dollar keyboard which puts it into the pricing range of Wooting and other "top echelon" gaming keyboards. Do I think the Apex is a great keyboard? I do. I very much like it and want it to replace my EVGA after ~4 solid years of service but my EVGA keyboard was only ~$70USD so price is another potential deal breaker depending on what you're seeking in a gaming keyboard. I could switch back to my EVGA Z20 and still be happy or even the CherryMX so you will have to decide if it is worth the cost. I will say though as a casual gamer I can feel the difference in pockets versus my other keyboards so if the cost is justifiable to you and you have no problems using the software at all times to keep your RGB in control, the Apex is a solid choice. I will have to dock two stars from the rating because of the lack of saving RGB on the keyboard itself, price and lack of extra function keys but it is still overall a solid keyboard.

Very nice controllable lights that can sync with a SteelSeries mouse if you have one.

Great keyboard, the screen is very nice and you can customize it to games you play to give info about your game. The keys are super quiet and when you press them it does feel very comfortable

Just the right amount of key movement. The clicking sound, especially around Christmas, was magical. The best part was that it had the right amount of keys.

This keyboard is a serious upgrade compared to anything that Razer has. I am thoroughly impressed with the build quality and I love how the keys feel and sound.

I love this keyboard. The build quality feels premium and the keys are smooth and responsive. The best part is how customizable it is being able to adjust actuation and fine tune most of the keys makes a big difference for both gaming and everyday use. Definitely one of the best keyboards I’ve owned.