SteelSeries Apex Gaming Keyboard Capsule Review
by E. Fylladitakis on October 20, 2014 2:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Keyboard
- Gaming
- SteelSeries
Final Words
In terms of feel, key travel and comfort, the SteelSeries Apex feels just like any good membrane keyboard. Of course it lacks the travel and feeling of mechanical keys; the keys of the Apex feel mushy and need to bottom out in order to register, which is the way all membrane keyboards work. For everyday use, the SteelSeries Apex will do great and in some ways it's even better than common membrane keyboards.
It is comfortable to use, the extra macro keys can be programmed to launch favorite webpages and applications, and its programmability allows the user to adjust the function of any key at will. Multiple layers that can be changed on the fly are handy, especially for those that have a gaming profile with multiple modified keys and need a sub-layer for basic functions, such as chatting. The only thing that will require a learning curve is the position of the media keys and ESC key, as seasoned users will instinctively reach to the edge of the keyboard and press the wrong keys instead.
For gaming, the SteelSeries Apex is a double-edged sword and some of its features are practically unusable. It will work great as long as the game is restricted within the 20 keys that are included in the anti-ghosting areas. True enough, up to six of these keys can be pressed simultaneously and all will register. However, if another key is pressed, chaos ensues. Outside these areas, it is hard for even two keys to register simultaneously, but the real problem is that they will also interfere with the keys inside the anti-ghosting areas.
For example, W-A and Space will all register together, but pressing X or Tab in the process will cause abnormal behavior. Some or all of the keys that are being held pressed might stop registering, or the key that has been pressed might not register at all. In addition, from a practical point of view, only the four (maybe six) top macro keys are usable while gaming. The rest may be used for non-critical gaming actions, like messages and inventory equipment swaps, but obviously it's not possible to reach any of those from the WASD area while gaming without moving your hand away from the normal WASD location.
Finally, the quality of the SteelSeries Apex Gaming keyboard is troubling. As with all keyboards reviewed here, the Apex has been used for seven to ten days, to get a feeling of the keyboard's quality and behavior. These ten days usually include the typing of at least twenty pages every day and some mild gaming. Within that short time period, the keycaps of the Apex have already begun to show obvious signs of wear (i.e. they are getting "polished").
This is expected to occur on very frequently used keys after some time, such as on the WASD keys of someone who is gaming daily for several months; however, this happened on almost all of the keycaps of the Apex within a few days of heavy typing. What would happen if it were to spend a year at the hands of a professional typist is a frightening question. Finally, do note that the glossy black frame that surrounds the keys is extremely easy to scratch, even if a soft cotton cloth is being used to clean it.
In conclusion, the SteelSeries Apex Gaming Keyboard is an overall good product for users that want advanced keyboard features and RGB lighting but are either unwilling to pay the premium price of a mechanical keyboard or simply want to stick with a membrane keyboard instead. On the other hand, the SteelSeries Apex Gaming keyboard retails for $87. If budget is the primary concern over a mechanical keyboard, this price places the Apex dangerously close to programmable mechanical keyboards such as the Rosewill RK-9100 ($90), the Razer Blackwidow UItimate ($100), and the Cooler Master Trigger Z ($120). If programmability is not a primary concern, Corsair also lies in waiting with the Vengeance K70 ($112).
And these are only the mechanical keyboards that threaten the SteelSeries Apex; there are even more membrane keyboard at lower prices (too many to effectively list). They do not have the number of extra keys or the RGB backlighting that the Apex does, but they do have backlighting and are fully programmable. We have a feeling that the SteelSeries Apex cannot really sway users away from purchasing a slightly more expensive mechanical keyboard. It will however appeal to users that want to stick with a membrane-based keyboard and like the layout, the extravagant number of extra keys, the programmable keys and the versatile lighting options.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
19 Comments
View All Comments
Antronman - Monday, October 20, 2014 - link
I'll take the K70 any day.the aluminum body makes for an easy to clean board, and I can drop it without worrying about a damaged membrane.
I also find macros to be very distracting, and the K70 is cheaper too.
I'm not sold.
Stuka87 - Monday, October 20, 2014 - link
I love the ability to change the color on certain areas of the keyboard. But the anti-ghosting setup would make this near unusable for me. Thats a disappointment in comparison to other gaming keyboards that do not have that limitation.icrf - Monday, October 20, 2014 - link
I'm surprised at the number of keyboards being reviewed here. I'm also surprised at how few of them are split/natural. I've used a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for software development for many years now and like it. In looking for a wireless version, I recently picked up the newly redesigned version of my old favorite, the Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard. Verdict is still in progress. Compact layout of the right hand keys and different function keys is still throwing me off.I'm curious if there's any interest in reviewing these kinds of keyboards here. I click on every keyboard review and then sigh, another straight classic keyboard. There were some of the more unusual entries like Kinesis/Ergodox/Teck, but nothing a little closer to normal with a price tag to match.
TheTechSmith - Monday, October 20, 2014 - link
I agree 100%! I've been using Microsoft ergonomic keyboards for over 15 years (I tried a Logitech once and it failed prematurely, and I don't like any classic keyboards). It would be nice to see reviews of other ergonomic keyboards. They may be a niche, but so are gaming keyboards.basroil - Monday, October 20, 2014 - link
Most sites only review gaming equipment (keyboard, mouse, etc) rather than everyday/professional use. It's a shame more companies don't go for ergonomic keyboards, but in this day of chiclet keyboards with near zero travel there isn't much benefit for companies to make good keyboards.That and ergonomic keyboards are bad for gaming, since they tend to take up a bit more room and have more distance between the movement keys and use/items/management keys
Impulses - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
I'd love to see a mechanical version of one of those MS Natural boards, I had like three of them between high school and college (90s thru 2010)... Left then behind in favor of mechanicals, took a bit to adjust but I'm not sure I really miss the layout. Would have to go back to it and see how much better it feels.z0phi3l - Sunday, November 2, 2014 - link
Because for other than typing they are horrible devices, they are pretty much useless when gaming and to many of us are actually painful to use, the so called "ergonomic" layout is not really do for a lot of usersaustinsguitar - Monday, October 20, 2014 - link
anandtech.... you know I really love you. i do sweatheart i do.... but why are your articles really terrible in the past months.... get your hands on more quality equipment and stuff... :/ things are going a bit south i think everyone can agree.NotLupus - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
i agreeTellarHK - Monday, October 20, 2014 - link
I recently found myself shopping for a new keyboard, and was really agonizing over what the locally available options were. I wound up buying the Apex first, but wound up returning it in just a couple of hours. The "s" and "a" keys had really nasty habit of double-typing or alternatively not registering at all, and I wasn't the only one to notice that issue.The feel of it was really quite good for a rubber dome keyboard, so I didn't have much of a complaint there. The layout of the keys honestly had a *serious* appeal to me as a left-handed gamer that desperately wants more keys over at the arrow key cluster. And to top it off, my AS/400 and vintage computing hobby really made the prospect of those additional function keys a dream come true.
I was really disappointed to have it turn out this poorly.
I returned it and picked up a shockingly good ThermalTake Poseidon Z mechanical with Kailh blue switches and static blue backlighting, and as much as I really appreciated that keyboard I spotted a chance to order the ridiculously hard to find Corsair K70 with Cherry's RGB blues and jumped at it. It hasn't been perfect, and there are definitely issues Corsair needs to work on, but I'm comfortable with the choice.
That said, if someone comes out with a keyboard like the Apex (24 F-keys, 12 F-keys on the side, extra arrows) with mechanical switches and full RGB lighting, I'm going to be twitching again.