SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gaming Keyboard 2023 Edition

When a rogue Win 10 update took out my Gskill KM780 RGB unexpectedly, I had to pull the trigger fast on a new KB instead of having to endure using my spare membrane board. After a solid day of research, I took a chance on the Apex Pro.

Coming from Cherry MX Browns, I had some reservations about OmniPoint. The Browns have a tactile point which I liked. I had tried MX Reds, and wasn’t a fan of the linear feel. With these Omni switches being linear, I was unsure but somehow compelled to pass on the Apex 7 with MX Browns and go Pro. TBH, I was half expecting to return it. Needless to say…. I was surprised when I hooked this up!

First off… dat switch. Wow. SUPER smooth. The inherent scratchiness of linear MX switches is GONE. It feels like the keycaps are just sort of floating over the brushed aluminum base. The adjustment ability is unique compared to most mechanical boards, bringing a true Hall Effect switch to people. (Look up Hall Effect… gets a little complex for explanation here, but very cool) Actuation can be adjusted from a light brush on the keys (probably overkill) to making the switch bottom out completely. This can also be done on a per key basis. Lot of range to play with!

Another key strength… the RGB lighting. Its nothing short of fantastic. The raised caps let the bright and vibrant lighting spill over the board itself, creating a very cool and clean lighting effect. Even for those who don’t much care about RGB lighting, it’s very tastefully done here.

Typing is unreal. I spent 15 mins just typing random weirdness on a word doc just for them feels when I first hooked it up. And for some reason, I find myself with a lot less errors compared to old board with the Browns. I’d commonly get keypress duplication (as if I held the key down) with that switch, and with these Omni switches, it doesn’t happen anymore. Of course, these Omni switches are much quieter than the tactile Browns given their linear nature.

Not much bad to say here. Some minor gripes would be somewhat “meh” software from Steelseries and the keycaps being ABS instead of something like double-shot PBT caps. The latter feel much sturdier and more premium, and I suppose one could buy some PBT caps if it was a huge issue. Not sure how that would affect the lighting though. The small B&W OLED screen in the upper right doesn’t add much in reality, but its kind of a geeky fun thing that you can customize with whatever you want. It does have some functionality with brightness and other features, which is nice to have versus having to use the software. Also, only the primary keys have Omni switches. All the F keys, num pad, and extra function keys are on a generic linear switch that feels good enough. Would be nice to have all keys on omni switches, but it makes sense from a cost perspective and isn’t a big deal to me.

All in all, fantastic keyboard that towers over my old Gskill in every respect. I really wish MS terrible updates hadn’t bricked old board, but I guess things happen for a reason. If you have the cash and want a great analog-based mechanical keyboard with adjustable hall effect switches…. this is the one for you. Very hard to fault this board. Steelseries done good here.

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Bought one to replace an aging Corsair K-70 Mk.2 RGB. Comparing the two, the Steelseries has easier to use software (less buggy or resource heavy) and the color range and intensity of the LEDs is greater than on the Corsair. The Corsair software seems to allow you to do a bit more with regards to effects, but I am still learning the ins and outs of the SS app. The cons to this keyboard is the LCD menu has various options (like brightness) buried several levels deep and I miss having a dedicated brightness key that I could just tap. Also, for some odd reason the Enter, Tab and Caps Lock keys are not labeled but rather just use symbols. A very small nit to pic but I would have preferred these were still labeled as on other keyboards. I really like the wrist guard with its slightly pliable rubber coating. the keys are sufficiently clicky without being too loud. As for the adjustable sensitivity setting, seems a bit overhyped. I just left everything at the default and seems to work ok but then I am not trying any competition gaming so YMMV. One last comment is with the scroll wheel. It can be clicked or scrolled but I have found that if you try and rotate it away from the edge, it can seem to *stick* a bit. You have to scroll it from just the top edge and then it scrolls more or less freely, but never as smoothly as the one on the Corsair keyboards.

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