At first we would like to thank SteelSeries for offering the Apex 3 Water Resistant Gaming 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!"

Outshine the Competition

The water-resistant Apex 3 is a full-fledged gaming keyboard created by combining SteelSeries’ cutting-edge technology with a collection of gaming-focused features.

 

Rated water and dust resistant

Accidents happen, and Apex 3 can survive them. The keyboard is IP32 rated.

 

10-Zone RGB Illumination

Choose from brilliant rainbow RGB effects, your favorite color schemes, or even to react when you’re under attack. Personalize the illumination to match any style.

 

REACTIVE RGB EFFECTS

Minecraft ¬– Alerts for durability, HP and more

Discord – Alerts for messages, voice transmission, and more

 

Whisper Quiet Gaming Switches

Low friction switches for near silent use and unmatched durability, with performance guaranteed for over 20 million keypresses.

 

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 media keys allow you to adjust volume and settings on the fly: rewind, skip, pause and more, all at the touch of a button.

 

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.

 

Glow Up

Best-in-class affordable products with SteelSeries’ cutting-edge innovation and premium performance.

 

 

A few months ago, SteelSeries have launched another affordable peripheral with an interesting twist: it has IP32 rating, that is an industry standard for water and dust resistance. The Apex 3 internal components are sealed, so water spills will be a non-issue on this particular product; if an accident happens, we will only have to allow the water to get out from the built-in drainage holes on the bottom of the keyboard and that’s it!

 

Let’s get back to the product itself! The Apex 3 is shipped inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure, that sports the usual SteelSeries orange/white box art. On the top, we will get to see how the RGB lighting does look like in operation, but also a list of compatible systems:

 

 

On the side, we will spot a list of technical specifications, but also the layout of the keyboard:

 

 

The product main features are explained in more details on the bottom:

 

 

After lifting the top cover, we will get to see the Apex 3, covered in a separate transparent plastic layer, to keep out from damages during transit:

 

 

The underside layer does keep the documentation, but also the hardware bundle:

 

 

The hardware bundle consists of the wrist rest, which is usually not included with keyboards at this price range:

 

 

The wrist rest is made of plastic, but the top layer is rubberized in order to offer a comfortable feel:

 

 

In the middle, we will get to see a subtle SteelSeries logo:

 

 

The whole build of the rest of solid and on its back, we will get to see multiple rubber feet as well:

 

 

Surprisingly, this one comes with magnets as well, for easy installation/removal:

 

 

 

Inside the manual, we will be able to spot the installation instructions, but also the functions of some pre-programmed keys:

 

 

 

On a first look, we can note that the keyboard presents itself with a standard, familiar layout; the top cover is made from high-quality polymer and feels quite solid:

 

 

 

With the pre-programmed function keys, we will be able to switch between different profiles, enable on-the-fly Macro Recording but also adjust the LED brightness:

 

 

 

We will get to see dedicated macro keys as well:

 

 

 

In the top right corner, we will be able to spot a SteelSeries logo, but also small, white LEDs for the usual functions:

 

 

 

Right nearby, we do have a Volume wheel that can be pressed down as well for getting Mute function; underneath it, we do have another button, that is multi-functional (play/pause/forward/skip/back/previous):

 

 

 

After the removal of one key cap, we can take a look in more detail at the highly-durable POM rubber dome sheet, that was designed for low friction, low noise and durability of 10x over the usual rubber dome entry-level keyboards:

 

 

 

The caps were designed to fit in with these new switches as well, so getting a custom set from a mechanical keyboard is not possible:

 

 

 

In the area where you would fit the wrist rest, you will also find another SS logo:

 

 

 

When looking at the keyboard from a side, we will get to see that it is a bit angled, in order to aid typing in a correct position:

 

 

 

Near the Escape key, we will get another small SteelSeries pictogram:

 

 

 

The bottom area of the keyboard is also made of plastic and features routing channels as well:

 

 

 

SteelSeries did not omit to include small rubber feet here as well, while the tips of the kickstands are rubber-coated as well:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to the included magnets, the wrist rest can be attached or removed in just a few seconds, without wearing out any components (such as plastic claws we have seen with other designs):

 

 

 

The USB cable is not braided, but features a branded cable tie:

 

 

 

The USB connector is branded as well:

 

 

 

Instead of going with per-key RGB customization, this particular model features the RGB lighting split into ten different segments:

 

 

 

Upon a closer look, we will be able to see how the bottom switch layer lights up as well, the light flowing everywhere:

 

 

 

Here are some additional shots from underside the keycaps:

 

 

 

 

 

The latest version of SteelSeries Engine 3 will detect the product right away, allowing further customization:

 

 

The main view will allow the user to alter the key functionality:

 

 

 

First, we will be able to launch the Macro Editor, for recording different sequences:

 

 

 

We can choose from a lot of options from the drop-down menu:

 

 

 

Default Function

Keyboard Buttons

Macros

 

Media Buttons

Mouse Buttons

Deactivate Button

Launch Application

Launch Configuration

Launch Engine Apps

OS Shortcuts

Record Macro

 

The Illumination tab will re-configure the GUI for allowing RGB customization; as mentioned before, we have ten different segments we can configure independently:

 

 

 

We can choose from different presets:

 

 

 

Steady

Color Shift

Multi-Color Breathe

Disable Illumination

 

Finally, we do have the Settings area, where we can configure the Polling Rate and the keyboard region:

 

 

 

Actually, this is not all! Engine 3 does also come with different other application modules that we can enable/disable, for gaining extra functions:

 

 

 

The Library area does allow the user to match different configuration profiles to different applications:

 

 

 

Writing an entire article on the Apex 3 was a really easy task thanks to the higher actuation point and we did not make any mistakes like on the regular high-speed gaming-only keyboards. This is a good point to recommend when using the keyboard in corporate offices as well: the new SteelSeries domes are silent, while the full-size layout allows usage when working with lots of numbers. For mainstream, casual gamers the Apex 3 is a joy to use and we have tested it to confirm in games such as MK11, Dying Light, Bayonetta and Project Torque. Competitive gamers will always steer to the high-end segment and especially to the MX Speed switches, that allow lightning-fast response when actuated.

 

The Engine 3 unified software is very easy to work with and presents itself with lots of options; the RGB lighting can be configured on our liking in just a few minutes, thanks to the 10-zone segments as well.

 

The included wrist rest has a premium build as well and can be easily attached/detached thanks to the included magnets.

 

At the time of the review, we have found the Apex 3 online for just about 78 Euros, which is quite justified considering how many goodies we are getting with this particular product.

SteelSeries Apex 3 Water Resistant Gaming Keyboard is Recommended for:

 

 

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