Although the SteelSeries Apex Pro is a full-size keyboard with a number pad, it doesn’t take up much space on the desktop (although there is also a non-tenky version). With a matte black aluminum board and an incredibly comfortable, soft-touch wrist rest that connects magnetically, the build quality is top class. There’s a small OLED on the top right, along with a clickable roller and a large key that serves as dedicated media controls. You can make the OLED display your gamer tag or even a GIF animation, but it also offers some welcome feedback on your chosen settings and profiles, so you don’t need to tab out of your game to change things.
Here the headline feature comes courtesy of Omnipoint switches. Not only does SteelSeries claim they are much more responsive and durable than conventional mechanical switches, they also offer customizable actuation. This means you can configure your preferred level of sensitivity, indicating whether you want the lightest touch to register or a deeper press. It doesn’t change the feel of typing on the keyboard (which is great by the way) but it does change when key presses are registered.
Since you can set the sensitivity for each key, this allows you to soak up certain keys that you press by mistake, but leave WASD supersensitive, for example. Take the time to set up different profiles for work and play, even for individual games, and you’ll feel the benefits. Our tests found this keyboard to be accurate typing and relatively quiet for a mechanical keyboard.
The SteelSeries Apex Pro features bright RGB lighting that is fully configurable on a per-key basis. The SteelSeries Engine 3 software is fairly easy to get hold of. You can set main and meta key bindings, use a macro editor, tweak actuation, set up lighting effects and colors, and even load a custom image or GIF for OLED screens. There is room for five onboard profiles.
With cable routing left, center or right, and a pass-through USB with its own lit-up port on the left, the SteelSeries Apex Pro embodies thoughtful design. Gaming and general typing on this keyboard is an absolute joy and nothing offers deep customization, but the price makes it a serious investment.