At first we would like to thank SteelSeries for offering the Apex Pro Mechanical Keyboard for testing and reviewing.

 

About SteelSeries:

"From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making high performance gaming gear used by the most demanding, top professional gamers worldwide and peripherals that provide superior quality and a competitive edge to gamers of all skill levels. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying!

 

What originally began with two people who recognized the need for superior, high-quality/performance gaming gear that would give gamers a competitive edge, has grown into a global leader in gaming and entertainment gear sought after for their high performance capabilities.

 

Fast-forward to today, and we’ve come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!

 

While we are proud of our technology and product innovation, we are even more excited about how these products are developed to meet the needs of gamers. Many companies may claim to develop superior gaming products but few actually do. Instead, they spend countless hours with lab engineers trying to force fit a new technology with bells and whistles and mediocre functionality for the end-user.

 

At SteelSeries, we develop our products with a small internal team and a vast network of technology partners, channel partners, game publishers, and gaming communities around the globe. We aren’t afraid of being challenged and implementing new ideas. Our main goal is to always to listen to the collective feedback of our professional gaming community.

 

We won’t bore you with cheeky slogans, trying to underline our authenticity as gamers. We fully acknowledge that the best professional gamers in the world know more about what they want and what will make them better, than we do. We are proud to be working with our partners, but we can’t take credit for their invaluable input and feedback. Instead we tell it like it is: they help us. We want to know what works and what doesn’t. For this reason, SteelSeries creates innovative solutions that provide a competitive advantage for all gamers.

 

Critical to our company’s success is also our reinvestment in the gaming communities and the individuals who support them. As a result, our corporate philosophy is to take a substantial portion of our revenue and put it back into the gaming community to help spur industry growth. We support our community in numerous ways, ranging from co-hosting tournaments like Iron Lady and King of the Hill, and supporting gaming competitions of all sizes, to promoting the top and up-and-coming gaming teams/organizations.

 

Put simply, SteelSeries does not claim to invent or reinvent the gaming industry. Nor do we focus on one specific product, copy other companies or follow the crowd.

 

Instead we leave it to you, the gamer, our customer/partner/inspiration, to decide if we are deserving of such declarations and accolades. What we do promise, however, is to remain committed to you. We will continue to work with you and the gaming community to make the best products possible and give you that competitive edge. We will continue to do our best to support the growth of the professional gaming industry and give back to the gaming communities. By doing so, we don’t just talk a good game, we win!"

The Next Leap in Mechanical Keyboards

 

The Apex Pro is the biggest leap in mechanical keyboards since the invention of the mechanical switch over 35 years ago. Each key can be adjusted to meet your preferred sensitivity level, whether it’s for gaming, work, or anything else.

 

Adjustable mechanical switches

 

From the world’s fastest featherlight touches, to deep and deliberate keypresses, the Apex Pro doesn't just adapt to every game, it seamlessly adjusts to you.

 

Record-breakingly fast

 

Use a sensitive actuation for WASD and in-game ability keys that need the absolute fastest split-second edge on the competition. Or, adjust slightly deeper for speed with added precision.

 

Deep & deliberate

 

Use a deeper actuation for typing or gaming with extreme accuracy. Any key set at this level will register when you've confidently pressed it, giving you less typos and more peace of mind.

 

OLED Smart Display

 

An integrated command center displays useful information for adjusting settings, changing profiles, and seeing on-the-fly updates. Avoid tabbing out of what you're doing, and instead let your keyboard show you the important details.

 

Aircraft Grade Aluminum Alloy

 

The Series 5000 metal frame is manufactured for a lifetime of unbreakable durability and sturdiness, making it the perfect centerpiece of any high end setup.

 

Premium Magnetic Wrist Rest

 

The perfect keyboard accessory, with a simple magnetic solution for easy and secure attachment, full palm support, and durable soft touch finish, so you’re comfortable typing and gaming for as long as you want.

 

Dedicated Multimedia Controls

 

A clickable metal roller and the media key allows you to adjust volume and settings on the fly: change brightness, rewind, skip, pause and more, all at the touch of a button.

 

USB Passthrough Port

 

No more crawling behind your PC to plug in USB devices. Instead, insert a flash drive, wireless mouse/headset transmitter, phone, or any USB device directly into the keyboard.

 

Three-Way Cable Routing

 

Prevent your cable from stretching, pulling, and getting in the way. The frame has built-in channels that allow you to choose from one of three possible places for your cable to exit, keeping your desk tidy.

 

Dynamic Per-Key RGB Illumination

 

Millions of color options and reactive typing effects make you the designer of your ultimate setup. Sync up with your other SteelSeries gear for the most gorgeous setup ever.

 

Customize Everything

 

SteelSeries Engine unlocks a library of features for all SteelSeries products, so you can customize, sync, and tweak your setup to perfection.

 

 

The new Apex Pro mechanical keyboard manufactured by SteelSeries does incorporate quite a few interesting features such as an OLED display with dedicated menus and easy access, a series 5000 aircraft grade aluminum frame, one magnetic detachable soft touch wrist rest but also a novelty: the adjustable switches for customizable per-key sensitivity.

 

With the new adjustable mechanical switches, SteelSeries gives more control to the user so it is no longer needed to try a ton of switch models in order to see which accommodates her/him best: with the OmniPoint switches we can choose at which point a keypress is registered by measuring the exact distance that a key is pressed at all times. Depending on the usage type, you can always choose if you would like very fast actuation response or if the keys would actuate near to bottoming out. These new OmniPoint switches do have a smooth and linear feel of the familiar Red mechanical switches which are great for both gaming and typing activities.

 

 

The product is shipped inside a large cardboard box, that shows on the top layer the keyboard in operation, along with the list of supported platforms; the manufacturer does also highlight here the existence of the OLED smart display:

 

 

 

On one of the sides, we will get to see some of the main product highlights listed:

 

 

 

The technical specifications are also available nearby:

 

 

 

More details can be checked out on the back, along with a photo of the OmniPoint switch:

 

 

 

After removing the top packaging layer, we will get to see that the Apex Pro is kept secure inside a cardboard enclosure, but the keys are also covered by a fabric layer for additional protection during transit:

 

 

 

After removing the keyboard from its place, we will get to see the bottom layer, that includes the bundle (wrist rest), but also some documentation:

 

 

 

The supplied manual does show a short introduction regarding the keyboard main interfaces, but also how to operate it:

 

 

 

 

The Apex Pro is a full-size keyboard with premium components, that can be spotted right away; the top plate is constructed from aluminum alloy, while for the bottom the manufacturer has chosen to use ABS plastic:

 

 

 

The key caps do feel premium as well and certain function keys do feature additional mappings as well:

 

-F9 is the Profile Switch key

-F10 is the On-the-Fly Macro Recording key

-F11 is the Illumination Brightness Down key

-F12 is the Illumination Brightness Up key

 

 

 

The Insert/Home/PgUp/Del/End/PgDn do have functions as Macro keys as well:

 

 

 

In the top right corner, we do have a nice OLED display, the OLED Menu button but also a Multimedia Volume Roller, also used for working with the OLED display menus:

 

 

 

 

A side photo does reveal how to the top aluminum plate does combine with the bottom plastic housing:

 

 

 

Between the ESC and F1 keys we do have an USB passthrough port, for connecting other devices as well:

 

 

 

The lower keyboard area, where the wrist rest should be attached, we will get to see a subtle manufacturer logo:

 

 

 

On the bottom layer of the keyboard, SteelSeries has included no less than three routing channels, so you can set up the cable depending on how your desk is set up:

 

 

 

A closer look does reveal the kickstands:

 

 

 

 

Small rubber feet can be observed around the frame, which will help the keyboard not to move around on the surface:

 

 

 

The premium feel does continue with the offered wrist rest, that is fitted with a soft rubber coating in the top area:

 

 

 

A SS logo can be spotted here as well:

 

 

 

On the bottom area of the said wrist rest, we do have a similar finishing as on the keyboard, with multiple small rubber feet:

 

 

 

 

The wrist rest is attached to the keyboard with magnets, for an easy attach/removal process:

 

 

 

Here is a look of the full assembly:

 

 

 

The cable gets into a splitter, that provides the two separate interfaces:

 

-USB Keyboard plug

-USB Passthrough plug

 

 

 

 

After connecting the keyboard to the test PC, you will spot the interesting LED lighting effects, that are intensified by the aluminum plate as well:

 

 

 

 

On most keyboards with an USB passthrough port, we have encountered difficulties connecting different devices faster, because of the positioning of the USB port. This issue is gone as well with the Apex Pro, because you can easily take note of the port location thanks to the additional lighting provided by the manufacturer:

 

 

On first use, we will be prompted on the OLED display to update the keyboard to the latest available firmware:

 

 

 

After installing the Engine 3 unified software, the keyboard has been detected right away for customization purposes:

 

 

 

 

As we have been accustomed before, the GUI is very clean, easy to work with; on the left side we will be able to configure each on-board profile, set up new profiles, launch the Macro Editor or reconfigure the key functions; on the top area we’ve got the main sections we can work with:

 

 

 

The user can choose to reconfigure all the available keys or sets of keys:

 

 

The configuration options are the following:

 

Default

Keyboard Buttons

Macros

Media Buttons

 

Mouse Buttons

Deactivate

Launch Application

Launch Configuration

Launch Engine Apps

OS Shortcuts

Record Macro

 

The Macro Configurator will also show the delays between key presses and we can configure miscellaneous options as well:

 

 

 

The highlighted 61 keys are available for configuring the Actuation point; what is interesting is that we can also configure each key with a different actuation point, quite a novelty element!

 

 

 

The graphical interface does also assist for an easier understanding of the actuation current setting (we have ten different levels to choose from):

 

 

 

The Illumination configuration area is no less impressive; we can choose to begin with a Base Effect, configure what happens when a key is pressed (Reactive Layer) but also choose what happens when keyboard lighting goes into IDLE mode (AFK effect):

 

 

 

We have plenty of lighting presets to choose from:

 

LEDs Off

Single Color

ColorShift

Gradient

 

Breathe

 

OLED screen settings do have a dedicated menu; here we can choose which image or animation should be used as a splash screen:

 

 

 

 

The Engine 3 does include an assortment of modules that can be accessed as well:

 

 

 

We can link profiles to certain applications from the Library area:

 

 

 

SteelSeries Apex Pro RGB LED Lighting Exemplification

 

 

SteelSeries Apex Pro OLED Animations

 

 

SteelSeries Apex Pro OLED Menus

 

The new Apex Pro keyboard from SteelSeries is quite unique in terms of the mechanical switch choice, which permit adjustment in just a couple of seconds. Depending on the usage type such as typing or gaming, you may need to set different actuation distances and you can also do this per key! In our tests, the OmniPoint switches have proven to be quite silent and we really enjoyed the keyboard while writing articles, playing Need for Speed Heat, Diablo III and Project Torque.

 

The newly employed switches are guaranteed for no less than 100 million keypresses since there are no metal contact points involved as seen with the regular designs.

 

In terms of configuration, Engine 3 assists the user with all needed aspects, but if you do prefer to use the OLED screen instead, its interface is filled with plenty of configuration options as well. As with the Rival 710, we have the option to upload other splash screens or animations for when the OLED display is not used.

 

The keyboard comes with premium materials and we do also appreciate the fact that the USB passthrough port is lit as well, for easier access. The wrist rest follows the design lines of the Apex Pro and attaches to the keyboard with magnetic force so it is very easy to attach/detach when compared to other products that use plastic claws.

 

Not a lot of negative points can be told about this keyboard: we could only think that the USB cable is a bit rigid, but this is about it…

 

The Apex Pro keyboard can be currently found online for about 230 Euros.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mechanical Keyboard is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to SteelSeries for making this review possible!