At first we would like to thank SteelSeries for offering the Apex 9 TKL 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!"

Product Features:

2-point Actuation

Adapt to any game by changing the registration depth from a fast 1mm light press to an accuracy-focused 1.5mm keystroke.

Swappable Switches

Upgrade your keystrokes. Easily customize and upgrade to your favorite OptiPoint switch to make it your own.

33% Faster actuation - 0.2ms Response Time – Zero Debounce

Streamlined TKL Design

The compact tenkeyless shape saves precious desk space for big mouse-swipes, drawing you closer to victory.

SteelSeries Engine

Unlock Apex 9 TKL's unique capabilities with Engine, such as per-key RGB illumination and custom actuation points. Engine is a part of the SteelSeries GG platform that comes with free apps to tune your gear and capture your best gaming Moments.

Aircraft Grade Aluminum Alloy

The Series 5000 aluminum top plate is identical to the metal used in combat jets for a lifetime of enhanced rigidity and structural stability.

Double Shot PBT Keycaps

Experience a giant leap in quality and durability. Our PBT keycaps are engineered with a unique texture for enhanced keystroke feel, better typing accuracy, and improved durability.

Detachable USB Type-C Braided Cable

Durable and detachable, the USB-C braided cable can withstand the wear and tear of daily life.

Height-Adjustable Tilt Legs

Optimally position the keyboard for comfortable play over long sessions. The adjustable tilt legs give you flexibility for three options: flat, half, and full extension.

 

Product Specifications:

Technical

Key Switches: SteelSeries Linear OptiPoint Optical

Switch Rating: 100 Million Keypresses

On-Board Memory: 5 Custom Profiles

Processor: 32 bit ARM

Actuation Points / Force: 1.0-1.5 mm / 35g

Connection: Detachable USB Type-C

Design

Width: 355 mm / 14 in

Depth: 128 mm / 5.04 in

Height: 42 mm / 1.65 in

Weight: 635 g

Height Adjustment: Rubber Tri Level Feet

Lighting: Per Key RGB Illumination

 

 

Quite recently, SteelSeries has launched the Apex 9 series of keyboards, which feature optical switches for crazy-fast response times and a compact factor: the Alex 9 TKL which is a tenkeyless model and the Apex 9 Mini, sporting a 60% form factor. These models also come with removable switches and the users can choose between Linear, Tactile and Clicky variants to bring customization to the next level.

 

The SteelSeries Apex 9 TKL has arrived inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure sporting the usual box art; on the top cover we will be reminded of the used model of switches, but we will also get a photo of the keyboard in operation:

 

 

 

On the side, the manufacturer has listed some of the awards which were received previously for similar products:

 

 

 

A closer look will reveal the layout on this SKU but also the technical specifications:

 

 

 

The main features are explained in more detail on the bottom, in multiple languages:

 

 

 

Let’s open the box and see what we will find inside!

 

 

 

While on the top layer we have found the main product wrapped in a semitransparent plastic bag, the bottom area includes the documentation:

 

 

 

Also here, we will note the USB data transfer cable, which is USB-C on the keyboard side and USB-A on the computer side; the braiding assures additional durability:

 

 

 

Inside the manual we will learn about the keyboard interfaces but also about the functions we can enable without the use of software:

 

 

 

The keyboard is very compact, having a width of 355mm, a depth of 128mm and a height of 42mm. The top plate comes with 5000 series aluminum, which increases the rigidity and is also quite light. The keycaps are double-shot PBT for improved durability:

 

 

 

With the SteelSeries key and the F9 key, we can switch between profiles, with the F10 key we can enable on-the-fly macro recording, while with the F11 and F12 keys we can adjust the LED brightness:

 

 

 

In the top right corner, we will note the wheel with multiple functions, but also the Multimedia key; the wheel can have the following functions:

 

-Volume Up/Down

-Mute/Unmute by pressing the wheel down

 

The Multimedia key can do the following:

 

-Play/Pause if pressed a single time

-Forward/Skip track if pressed two times

-Back/Previous track if pressed three times

 

 

 

The SteelSeries for accessing the extra functions is placed between the Windows key and the CTRL key:

 

 

 

Here is a shot from the side of the keyboard, which also shows the bottom black plastic frame:

 

 

 

In the frontal area, we will note a central SteelSeries logo:

 

 

 

The USB port for connecting the cable is available between the ESC and F1 keys, but not other USB hubs are installed:

 

 

 

A subtle SteelSeries pictogram is also present near the CTRL key:

 

 

 

On the bottom area of the Apex 9 TKL we do have a small central compartment covered by a rubber layer, but also rubberized feet in the corners:

 

 

 

The kickstands can be adjusted in two different positions to achieve the desired angle:

 

 

 

 

The middle compartment does hide the key puller:

 

 

 

Here we will also note the power rating of the keyboard, the supported standards but also the serial number:

 

 

 

The key puller maintains the SteelSeries signature color:

 

 

 

At the moment, the Apex 9 TKL and Mini keyboards do come equipped only with the OptiPoint Optical linear switches but in the future we will have more choices. Due to the optical nature of the switches, we can switch between 1.0 and 1.5mm actuation points, while the force remains the same at 35g:

 

 

 

The RGB per-key backlighting looks great, and the keys are easily identifiable:

 

 

 

 

Right after connecting the Apex 9 TKL keyboard on our test machine, the launcher for installing SteelSeries GG did appear on-screen:

 

 

We have the choice of working with an online account or as a guest; if running in guest mode, the settings will not be saved to the cloud:

 

 

SteelSeries GG has a lot of options available, but the ones we are really interested in are placed in the Engine area:

 

 

Right after accessing the desired tab, we were asked to perform a firmware update:

 

 

The dedicated GUI for the Apex 9 TKL is familiar to us, with the onboard profiles (stored in the 32-bit ARM CPU) list in the left column, the configuration of the keys more to the right, the Macro Editor and more! We can easily switch between the Typing Mode (1.5mm actuation) and Gaming Mode (1mm actuation) key mappings from here:

 

 

Here are the categories of key mappings we can choose from:

 

Keyboard Buttons

 

 

Default

 

 

Macros

 

 

Media Buttons

 

 

Device Functions

 

 

Mouse Buttons

 

 

Deactivate

 

 

Launch Application

 

 

Launch Configuration

 

 

Launch Engine Apps

 

 

OS Shortcuts

 

 

Record Macro

 

 

The Macro editor opens in a different window:

 

 

 

Meta Bindings have a different tab:

 

 

 

From the Settings area we can only choose the keyboard region:

 

 

 

The Illumination menu is separate from the main GUI:

 

 

 

We can choose between multiple configuration profiles:

 

 

 

Multiple layers of RGB lighting are available:

 

 

 

Of course, we have presets we can work with:

 

 

 

Each illumination option presents itself with different configuration options:

 

 

 

We can either choose an animation or a static color:

 

 

 

 

 

Before trying the keyboard out, we have started typing some articles and we were quite happy with the optical switches’ response, while keeping noise at a minimum; due to the very fast response time you may need an adjustment time though. The matte keycaps do offer a nice grippy feel while the customizable kickstands do increase the comfort level. When switching to gaming, after some rounds in Shatterline, Warhammer Vermintide 2 but also when playing Dying Light 2, the 1mm actuation response is instant and does really help especially when things get complicated with a lot of enemies are there to get you.

 

SteelSeries has now implemented the replaceable switches feature, which was found with other high-end keyboards as well; while the linear version is the only one to get right now (which is our preferred choice anyway), the manufacturer has made the promise of making available other types of optical switches as well such as tactile or clicky, so stay tuned!

 

SteelSeries Engine does not only allow key mapping features but also RGB per-key customization, with quite a bit of presets available; we have the option to choose an IDLE mode, an Active mode but also a Reactive mode (or layer) in order to make things even more interesting.

 

The Apex 9 TKL is more cost-efficient than the Pro version and also includes newer types of switches, at about 149 Euros; given the high-end technology used with this type of product, we do think that the requested price is justified.

 

 SteelSeries Apex 9 TKL Gaming Keyboard is Recommended for:

 

 

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