Create custom command setups with this SteelSeries Apex 7 mechanical gaming keyboard. The linear red switches offer fast smooth inputs and last for up to 50 million presses, ideal for heavy use. This SteelSeries Apex 7 mechanical gaming keyboard has a built-in OLED smart display, letting you change input and lighting settings without software. USB pass-through port Compatible with most mice, wireless headset adapters and cell phones. Red mechanical switches Offer rapid response times for quick in-game action. Palm rest For comfortable use. RGB backlit keys Allow you to see your keyboard even in dim light. Integrated numeric keypad Allows simple data entry when you’re not gaming for multifunction use. USB interface Enables a simple wired connection to your computer. PC and Mac compatible For use with your existing computer.
Create custom command setups with this SteelSeries Apex 7 mechanical gaming keyboard. The linear red switches offer fast smooth inputs and last for up to 50 million presses, ideal for heavy use. This SteelSeries Apex 7 mechanical gaming keyboard has a built-in OLED smart display, letting you change input and lighting settings without software. USB pass-through port Compatible with most mice, wireless headset adapters and cell phones. Red mechanical switches Offer rapid response times for quick in-game action. Palm rest For comfortable use. RGB backlit keys Allow you to see your keyboard even in dim light. Integrated numeric keypad Allows simple data entry when you’re not gaming for multifunction use. USB interface Enables a simple wired connection to your computer. PC and Mac compatible For use with your existing computer.
in 2 offers
The lowest price for SteelSeries Apex 7 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (Red Switch) right now is $202.69 at Big Apple Buddy, compared across 2 retailers.
The all-time low was $185.04 on 11 Mar 2026 — today's price is 10% above the lowest ever. That's a little above the best price we've seen.
Prices last updated 10 May 2026.
SteelSeries Apex 7 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (Red Switch)
Create custom command setups with this SteelSeries Apex 7 mechanical gaming keyboard. The linear red switches offer fast smooth inputs and last for up to 50 million presses, ideal for heavy use. This SteelSeries Apex 7 mechanical gaming keyboard has a built-in OLED smart display, letting you change input and lighting settings without software. USB pass-through port Compatible with most mice, wireless headset adapters and cell phones. Red mechanical switches Offer rapid response times for quick in-game action. Palm rest For comfortable use. RGB backlit keys Allow you to see your keyboard even in dim light. Integrated numeric keypad Allows simple data entry when you’re not gaming for multifunction use. USB interface Enables a simple wired connection to your computer. PC and Mac compatible For use with your existing computer.
Create custom command setups with this SteelSeries Apex 7 mechanical gaming keyboard. The linear red switches offer fast smooth inputs and last for up to 50 million presses, ideal for heavy use. This SteelSeries Apex 7 mechanical gaming keyboard has a built-in OLED smart display, letting you change input and lighting settings without software. USB pass-through port Compatible with most mice, wireless headset adapters and cell phones. Red mechanical switches Offer rapid response times for quick in-game action. Palm rest For comfortable use. RGB backlit keys Allow you to see your keyboard even in dim light. Integrated numeric keypad Allows simple data entry when you’re not gaming for multifunction use. USB interface Enables a simple wired connection to your computer. PC and Mac compatible For use with your existing computer.
Last updated at 10/05/2026 03:32:45
SteelSeries Apex 7 64636 Full-Size Wired Mechanical Keyboard with Red Linear Switches, Rapid Tap, Black
Delivery $158.02
SteelSeries Apex 7 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - OLED Smart Display - USB Passthrough and Media Controls - Linear and Quiet - RGB Backlit
Delivery $94
originally posted on homeessentialsdirect.com
2 month review. I got this for my home office and it works great. I've used several mechanical keyboards over the years and this one is excellent. Some gaming keyboards are indeed great, but not for typing. I use this one as my keyboard for my job. I type on it for 8+ hours a day. The feel is a little heavy compared to membrane kbs, but I like that since I don't find myself accidentally activating keys by laying my fingers on the keys. It isn't a loud keyboard like the old school clickers, but in an office setting your cube mates could probably hear you fairly well. At home, my dog doesn't seem to be bothered by my typing. At the office, I have a mechanical Logi "G"-something that is also pretty darn good and more quiet. I would still take this SS Apex 7 as my #1 ... More2 month review. I got this for my home office and it works great. I've used several mechanical keyboards over the years and this one is excellent. Some gaming keyboards are indeed great, but not for typing. I use this one as my keyboard for my job. I type on it for 8+ hours a day. The feel is a little heavy compared to membrane kbs, but I like that since I don't find myself accidentally activating keys by laying my fingers on the keys. It isn't a loud keyboard like the old school clickers, but in an office setting your cube mates could probably hear you fairly well. At home, my dog doesn't seem to be bothered by my typing. At the office, I have a mechanical Logi "G"-something that is also pretty darn good and more quiet. I would still take this SS Apex 7 as my #1 KB. The backlighting is nice by default. No need to install any software just to adjust/change the lighting from an annoying animation. By default, the colors are a spectrum that SLOWY scroll (top to bottom). When you type the keys turn white and white expands L&R from the key you pressed and across the row. Not annoying compared to some other brand's default lighting behavior.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
WOW. At last, I found the perfect LED gaming keyboard, for Macs or Windows pc. I have purchased 13 different gaming keyboards in 18 months, for 7 teens in my fam who are serious gamers. 12 duds until I found THIS keyboard. Spent as much as $750 on 1 keyboard and this is THE BEST, IMO and according to all 7 teens. BTW, They're 17-19 y/o- not 13 year olds who are new to gaming. All 7 teens tried all 13 keyboards. They all say this Steel series LED gaming keyboard is hands down the best, period. Its also excellent for people who type so fast, that the keyboard can't keep up.... absolutely no issues there as long as you can deal with the clicking every time you hit a key.Although totally awesome, This is NOT quiet like some reviews say. Not sure what people define ... MoreWOW. At last, I found the perfect LED gaming keyboard, for Macs or Windows pc. I have purchased 13 different gaming keyboards in 18 months, for 7 teens in my fam who are serious gamers. 12 duds until I found THIS keyboard. Spent as much as $750 on 1 keyboard and this is THE BEST, IMO and according to all 7 teens. BTW, They're 17-19 y/o- not 13 year olds who are new to gaming. All 7 teens tried all 13 keyboards. They all say this Steel series LED gaming keyboard is hands down the best, period. Its also excellent for people who type so fast, that the keyboard can't keep up.... absolutely no issues there as long as you can deal with the clicking every time you hit a key.Although totally awesome, This is NOT quiet like some reviews say. Not sure what people define "quiet" as, but this sure isnt it. Not a deal breaker for my fam tho.It doesnt help with carpel tunnel either like some say. I have carpel tunnel. A split keyboard is what is needed (much cheaper also), Not a flat gaming keyboard.For people claiming this doesnt work "fully" on a macbook.. also NOT TRUE. That happens if you do not have the correct OS (10.11 or newer) for macs. This keyboard is working perfectly on 4 macbooks (all different years & diff OS) and 3 windows pcs- diff brands.As far as LED lights stopping or turning off and not coming back on.. yes you can easily shut the lights off accidentally. I did initially. You can just as easily change any of the colors or turn them off completely. Just read the manual to avoid these things instead of bashing a 5 star keyboard because you never read the manual... its not long and most companies dont even provide one in the box.I see NO issues at all- for 7 of these keyboards over 18 months time. The only thing I personally would change is the 6 ft usb wire which sounds long; however, it isnt if you plan to add another monitor, depending on monitor/desk size. Thats on me though, so im not going to dock stars for that or for parking at BB (since when is parking included in a product review?).Do yourself a favor and just avoid the Steel series app. MUCH easier to set up without considering the app absolutely blows. Constantly glitches and then dissapears on both mac and windows pc. 7 diff computers, same result. Reviews concur.I highly recommend steel develop an app that actually works, or just get rid of it all together. Thats my only complaint. Im not reviewing the app tho, Thus the 5 stars. Buy this if you have a gamer who needs an awesome keyboard with excellent led lighting.Best buy has great curbside service also. Very prompt & professional regardless of how busy they are. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
I bought an Apex 7 Red. I was considering an Apex 5 and impulse-bought the Apex 7 for $60 more because it has a USB passthrough port and I value being able to plug my mouse into my keyboard. But I misunderstood that, on gaming keyboards, a "passthrough" USB is just that. There's no USB hub inside the keyboard, so you have to plug in TWO USBs at your computer, and one is passed through to the USB port on the keyboard. To me, that's pointless. But I have another keyboard that has the hub, and I assumed it would work the same. That's on me for not doing my research.But then the real problems began. When this monstrosity powers up, its Arm processor shows off by sweeping vistas of light across the keyboard. So impressive! So... ANNOYING. Every keystroke creates a wave ... MoreI bought an Apex 7 Red. I was considering an Apex 5 and impulse-bought the Apex 7 for $60 more because it has a USB passthrough port and I value being able to plug my mouse into my keyboard. But I misunderstood that, on gaming keyboards, a "passthrough" USB is just that. There's no USB hub inside the keyboard, so you have to plug in TWO USBs at your computer, and one is passed through to the USB port on the keyboard. To me, that's pointless. But I have another keyboard that has the hub, and I assumed it would work the same. That's on me for not doing my research.But then the real problems began. When this monstrosity powers up, its Arm processor shows off by sweeping vistas of light across the keyboard. So impressive! So... ANNOYING. Every keystroke creates a wave of color across the keys. I want a backlight, but I don't want a circus act. But, hey, it's fully configurable, so I downloaded their software and learned how to subdue the backlights and make them one color. But the color intensity was too strong, I wanted to tone it down. There was a button to "reduce intensity by 50%" or something like that, but when I pressed it, the backlights turned off. I couldn't un-press the button. I tabbed into some other place and the default values for the profile I had selected (config 5) switched back in. Yuk. So I toned it down again and decided to live with higher-than-desired intensity until I had more time to spend learning how to configure the keyboard. Made sure to save config 5, and I was up and running.I investigated the built in menu items using the little screen and buttons in the upper right, being careful not to save anything. Then I unplugged the keyboard from the USB and plugged it back in, and it went back to defaults. Bad programming. That wasn't my doing. I had been careful to not change a config after saving.I was getting pretty annoyed with myself for having bought this grandiose garbage for far too much money, so I quickly reconfigured it with a single backlight color, and started working.But as I began doing work, I noticed that some of the keys weren't working correctly. I focused specifically on PgDn. It just didn't work. But there were others I didn't bother to write down. At this point, I thought "maybe I screwed it up", because on this keyboard every single key can be configured. So I had to pull up their Windows software again. Checked around, and the PgDn key looked OK. So I went online and searched for a way to manually reset the keyboard to factory defaults, and found a page on the Steel Series website that had a procedure: unplug the keyboard, press the volume wheel and button below it simultaneously while plugging it back in to the USB. When I did this, the whole keyboard started flashing red backlighting, and just stayed in that mode. When will it finish? I let it go for about a minute, then removed/reinserted the USB, and it still had my single-toned backlight color, so I guess that didn't work. The web page is here: https://support.steelseries.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043313811-My-keyboard-is-experiencing-software-issuesThere is a video on that same web page that shows how to reset to factory defaults using the built-in menus, and that seemed to work, but it didn't change the fact that the PgDn key didn't work. So I pulled the PgDn keycap off of the underlying switch, and used my thumbnail to press down hard on the switch, and was able to send a PgDn event to the PC. Well, folks this is a brand new keyboard. A switch like that should never have made it out of the factory. And I'm 90% sure PgDn wasn't the only bad key. That's just bad quality control.So I took the Steelseries Apex 7 back, and I'm typing this on my new Razer BlackWidow V3, which is a lot cheaper than the circus freak that I wasted two hours on.
| General | |
| Device Type | Keyboard |
| Backlit | RGB |
| Interface | USB |
| Input Device |
SteelSeries Apex 7 64636 Full-Size Wired Mechanical Keyboard with Red Linear Switches, Rapid Tap, Black
Delivery $158.02
SteelSeries Apex 7 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - OLED Smart Display - USB Passthrough and Media Controls - Linear and Quiet - RGB Backlit
Delivery $94
2 month review. I got this for my home office and it works great. I've used several mechanical keyboards over the years and this one is excellent. Some gaming keyboards are indeed great, but not for typing. I use this one as my keyboard for my job. I type on it for 8+ hours a day. The feel is a little heavy compared to membrane kbs, but I like that since I don't find myself accidentally activating keys by laying my fingers on the keys. It isn't a loud keyboard like the old school clickers, but in an office setting your cube mates could probably hear you fairly well. At home, my dog doesn't seem to be bothered by my typing. At the office, I have a mechanical Logi "G"-something that is also pretty darn good and more quiet. I would still take this SS Apex 7 as my #1 ... More2 month review. I got this for my home office and it works great. I've used several mechanical keyboards over the years and this one is excellent. Some gaming keyboards are indeed great, but not for typing. I use this one as my keyboard for my job. I type on it for 8+ hours a day. The feel is a little heavy compared to membrane kbs, but I like that since I don't find myself accidentally activating keys by laying my fingers on the keys. It isn't a loud keyboard like the old school clickers, but in an office setting your cube mates could probably hear you fairly well. At home, my dog doesn't seem to be bothered by my typing. At the office, I have a mechanical Logi "G"-something that is also pretty darn good and more quiet. I would still take this SS Apex 7 as my #1 KB. The backlighting is nice by default. No need to install any software just to adjust/change the lighting from an annoying animation. By default, the colors are a spectrum that SLOWY scroll (top to bottom). When you type the keys turn white and white expands L&R from the key you pressed and across the row. Not annoying compared to some other brand's default lighting behavior.
WOW. At last, I found the perfect LED gaming keyboard, for Macs or Windows pc. I have purchased 13 different gaming keyboards in 18 months, for 7 teens in my fam who are serious gamers. 12 duds until I found THIS keyboard. Spent as much as $750 on 1 keyboard and this is THE BEST, IMO and according to all 7 teens. BTW, They're 17-19 y/o- not 13 year olds who are new to gaming. All 7 teens tried all 13 keyboards. They all say this Steel series LED gaming keyboard is hands down the best, period. Its also excellent for people who type so fast, that the keyboard can't keep up.... absolutely no issues there as long as you can deal with the clicking every time you hit a key.Although totally awesome, This is NOT quiet like some reviews say. Not sure what people define ... MoreWOW. At last, I found the perfect LED gaming keyboard, for Macs or Windows pc. I have purchased 13 different gaming keyboards in 18 months, for 7 teens in my fam who are serious gamers. 12 duds until I found THIS keyboard. Spent as much as $750 on 1 keyboard and this is THE BEST, IMO and according to all 7 teens. BTW, They're 17-19 y/o- not 13 year olds who are new to gaming. All 7 teens tried all 13 keyboards. They all say this Steel series LED gaming keyboard is hands down the best, period. Its also excellent for people who type so fast, that the keyboard can't keep up.... absolutely no issues there as long as you can deal with the clicking every time you hit a key.Although totally awesome, This is NOT quiet like some reviews say. Not sure what people define "quiet" as, but this sure isnt it. Not a deal breaker for my fam tho.It doesnt help with carpel tunnel either like some say. I have carpel tunnel. A split keyboard is what is needed (much cheaper also), Not a flat gaming keyboard.For people claiming this doesnt work "fully" on a macbook.. also NOT TRUE. That happens if you do not have the correct OS (10.11 or newer) for macs. This keyboard is working perfectly on 4 macbooks (all different years & diff OS) and 3 windows pcs- diff brands.As far as LED lights stopping or turning off and not coming back on.. yes you can easily shut the lights off accidentally. I did initially. You can just as easily change any of the colors or turn them off completely. Just read the manual to avoid these things instead of bashing a 5 star keyboard because you never read the manual... its not long and most companies dont even provide one in the box.I see NO issues at all- for 7 of these keyboards over 18 months time. The only thing I personally would change is the 6 ft usb wire which sounds long; however, it isnt if you plan to add another monitor, depending on monitor/desk size. Thats on me though, so im not going to dock stars for that or for parking at BB (since when is parking included in a product review?).Do yourself a favor and just avoid the Steel series app. MUCH easier to set up without considering the app absolutely blows. Constantly glitches and then dissapears on both mac and windows pc. 7 diff computers, same result. Reviews concur.I highly recommend steel develop an app that actually works, or just get rid of it all together. Thats my only complaint. Im not reviewing the app tho, Thus the 5 stars. Buy this if you have a gamer who needs an awesome keyboard with excellent led lighting.Best buy has great curbside service also. Very prompt & professional regardless of how busy they are. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
I bought an Apex 7 Red. I was considering an Apex 5 and impulse-bought the Apex 7 for $60 more because it has a USB passthrough port and I value being able to plug my mouse into my keyboard. But I misunderstood that, on gaming keyboards, a "passthrough" USB is just that. There's no USB hub inside the keyboard, so you have to plug in TWO USBs at your computer, and one is passed through to the USB port on the keyboard. To me, that's pointless. But I have another keyboard that has the hub, and I assumed it would work the same. That's on me for not doing my research.But then the real problems began. When this monstrosity powers up, its Arm processor shows off by sweeping vistas of light across the keyboard. So impressive! So... ANNOYING. Every keystroke creates a wave ... MoreI bought an Apex 7 Red. I was considering an Apex 5 and impulse-bought the Apex 7 for $60 more because it has a USB passthrough port and I value being able to plug my mouse into my keyboard. But I misunderstood that, on gaming keyboards, a "passthrough" USB is just that. There's no USB hub inside the keyboard, so you have to plug in TWO USBs at your computer, and one is passed through to the USB port on the keyboard. To me, that's pointless. But I have another keyboard that has the hub, and I assumed it would work the same. That's on me for not doing my research.But then the real problems began. When this monstrosity powers up, its Arm processor shows off by sweeping vistas of light across the keyboard. So impressive! So... ANNOYING. Every keystroke creates a wave of color across the keys. I want a backlight, but I don't want a circus act. But, hey, it's fully configurable, so I downloaded their software and learned how to subdue the backlights and make them one color. But the color intensity was too strong, I wanted to tone it down. There was a button to "reduce intensity by 50%" or something like that, but when I pressed it, the backlights turned off. I couldn't un-press the button. I tabbed into some other place and the default values for the profile I had selected (config 5) switched back in. Yuk. So I toned it down again and decided to live with higher-than-desired intensity until I had more time to spend learning how to configure the keyboard. Made sure to save config 5, and I was up and running.I investigated the built in menu items using the little screen and buttons in the upper right, being careful not to save anything. Then I unplugged the keyboard from the USB and plugged it back in, and it went back to defaults. Bad programming. That wasn't my doing. I had been careful to not change a config after saving.I was getting pretty annoyed with myself for having bought this grandiose garbage for far too much money, so I quickly reconfigured it with a single backlight color, and started working.But as I began doing work, I noticed that some of the keys weren't working correctly. I focused specifically on PgDn. It just didn't work. But there were others I didn't bother to write down. At this point, I thought "maybe I screwed it up", because on this keyboard every single key can be configured. So I had to pull up their Windows software again. Checked around, and the PgDn key looked OK. So I went online and searched for a way to manually reset the keyboard to factory defaults, and found a page on the Steel Series website that had a procedure: unplug the keyboard, press the volume wheel and button below it simultaneously while plugging it back in to the USB. When I did this, the whole keyboard started flashing red backlighting, and just stayed in that mode. When will it finish? I let it go for about a minute, then removed/reinserted the USB, and it still had my single-toned backlight color, so I guess that didn't work. The web page is here: https://support.steelseries.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043313811-My-keyboard-is-experiencing-software-issuesThere is a video on that same web page that shows how to reset to factory defaults using the built-in menus, and that seemed to work, but it didn't change the fact that the PgDn key didn't work. So I pulled the PgDn keycap off of the underlying switch, and used my thumbnail to press down hard on the switch, and was able to send a PgDn event to the PC. Well, folks this is a brand new keyboard. A switch like that should never have made it out of the factory. And I'm 90% sure PgDn wasn't the only bad key. That's just bad quality control.So I took the Steelseries Apex 7 back, and I'm typing this on my new Razer BlackWidow V3, which is a lot cheaper than the circus freak that I wasted two hours on.
This keyboard is the best I've ever used. Best responding (red) switches, macros capabilities, and plenty of preset lighting configurations. After years of using other brands (Microsoft, Razer, Logitech), this is by far the best one. Even my wife noticed right away that it was far superior to the Razer Black Widow that it replaced. Definitely worth the money for the switches alone, and would recommend this over other brands all day long! If you're thinking about dropping the money for this KB, do it and you'll be glad you did!
This is my first SteelSeries keyboard ever and I'm so far very happy with it. I was looking about the store to get a new keyboard after my previous Razer Ornate Chroma that last for 3 years until the leather wrist-rest wore out. So I came through the SteelSeries Apex line, and I wanted to change from the membrane switch which is more clicky, needing a tiny bit more force to press to brown switch and I'm loving it, the tactile while being so much smoother change the way I feel about it whenever I gaming and do designing work.To the board itself, this is a very well-built aesthetic looking keyboard, the aluminum frame looks amazing and defuses much more color than black plastic thanks to the holy bright RGB individual lighting. This is a no no wireless and have ... MoreThis is my first SteelSeries keyboard ever and I'm so far very happy with it. I was looking about the store to get a new keyboard after my previous Razer Ornate Chroma that last for 3 years until the leather wrist-rest wore out. So I came through the SteelSeries Apex line, and I wanted to change from the membrane switch which is more clicky, needing a tiny bit more force to press to brown switch and I'm loving it, the tactile while being so much smoother change the way I feel about it whenever I gaming and do designing work.To the board itself, this is a very well-built aesthetic looking keyboard, the aluminum frame looks amazing and defuses much more color than black plastic thanks to the holy bright RGB individual lighting. This is a no no wireless and have split cable USB, 1 head for powering the keyboard and one for powering the USB port in front, 1 thing I notice is how thick the cord itself but that doesn't bother me much. The wow factor I would say for me is the super smooth rubberize magnetic wrist-rest, it feels so nice even sometimes I don't notice my hand weighing on it like leather or plastic one. The magnets are locate it on either side of the wrist-rest, it isn't as strong like you can lift the keyboard along with the wrist-rest up but great to hold them together. Some cool things are the bone structural like of the bottom of the keyboard, pass-through cable for whichever direction of your wiring go, and especially the smart OLED screen with multimedia scroller that is clickable with the menu button below it, they can be used to dial volumn, play, pause, skip songs, changing lighting preset, macros, profile (5 profiles onboard), monitoring your system. The OLED screen can be modified and drawn from the Engine software within, you can even make it GIF and upload to your OLED screen and let it play!For the keys themselves, I wish though the keycaps would be Doubleshot PBT but since this is ABS so I went for the HyperX pudding keycaps, the lighting really helps the upper half of the keycaps floating on the board. I guess they are a perfect couples from now on, and I still keep that one Steelseries logo keycap on for its brand showcase and reminds me to use for meta-layer binding everytime I press it.Overall, Apex 7 TKL Brown switch is a very solid board, pure aesthetic looking beauty with cool features they can offer, leading me into not using the numpad and minimize my desk space, I will have to play around with it more for the next few weeks to see what I can do with this amazing keyboard and keep updating if there's something new!Thanks for reading.
I ended up going with the Apex 7 Brown version of the keyboard. I was coming from a Logitech G510 rubber dome keyboard. After using it for a while, I've noticed a few things: The keys are a little bit higher, so my hand sits at a slightly different angle than I've been used to for almost a decade; so that has been an adjustment. I never used the G510 wrist rest, and I currently don't have it on the Apex 7. I may need to start though because it does compensate a little bit for the shift in key height. Despite the description of the keyboard, the "tactile/quiet" doesn't quite accurately describe the sound. Playing games can be quiet if you're only using a smaller subset of the keys (WASD type deal) and press them less frequently, but if you are typing fast (or even ... MoreI ended up going with the Apex 7 Brown version of the keyboard. I was coming from a Logitech G510 rubber dome keyboard. After using it for a while, I've noticed a few things: The keys are a little bit higher, so my hand sits at a slightly different angle than I've been used to for almost a decade; so that has been an adjustment. I never used the G510 wrist rest, and I currently don't have it on the Apex 7. I may need to start though because it does compensate a little bit for the shift in key height. Despite the description of the keyboard, the "tactile/quiet" doesn't quite accurately describe the sound. Playing games can be quiet if you're only using a smaller subset of the keys (WASD type deal) and press them less frequently, but if you are typing fast (or even average speed), the keys are noticeably louder than the rubber dome keys. I'd say so much louder that I cant imagine the clicky keys on the blue is much louder when typing. My wife has complained about the loudness of my typing now that we share an office. In terms of key feel, I really like it compared to the rubber dome. I wouldn't say it is similar in feel by any means though. It takes less force to push a key down, but because it feels less "mushy" I feel like my typing is more precise. If you were to go with the clicky blue version, I'd say you'd get more of that "key pressed" feel you get on the rubber dome when you push past the force required to activate a key. On the brown switches, you can push a key slowly down and only feel a minor bump when activating the key. Having per-key color customization and profiles is a neat feature especially if you're going for A E S T H E T I C S on your build. Definitely an improvement over the G510 in terms of brightness and color definition. The inclusion of 6 macro keys is a nice carryover option from the G510, and I definitely didn't need 18 of those. Haven't really had an opportunity to use this feature yet, but it is nice that it is there. One feature I miss is having a clock on the LCD screen. I'd say that as of now, the LCD screen is useless for my purposes with the current app options available. I currently just have a gif on it and the screen serves no functional purpose. The only apps available for the LCD screen from steel series are games I don't really play, or visualizers I won't ever use. If you want a clock, or to display song info (from things like spotify), you're going to have to find someone that has made it and install it manually, or code it yourself. The volume slider is exactly as it was on the G510 and I'd say its even better since you get a little tactile bump each time you spin it. This is a feature I'm glad is exactly the same. The single play/pause/skip key under the volume wheel took a little bit of getting used to, but works as intended. The only negative I'd say is that unlike the G510, when you use the button to play/pause/skip and your monitor is asleep (but PC is still playing music in the background) it wakes your monitors up. The G510 buttons did not do this, and it is something I miss from that keyboard. Final thoughts is that this keyboard has enough features (that I wanted from my G510) to warrant the upgrade. It is a nice keyboard that should hopefully last me the next 10 years. The difference between brown and blue switches is probably just feel and not necessarily noise level (and the reds didn't interest me at all).
I spend quite a bit of money, time and thought on my peripherals and accessories. Usually the amount of research I do into a product is measured in hours or days. I ultimately settled on this because comparatively speaking with the other big brands and reputations, it was cheaper and with better materials. For the price you get metal construction and a metal, notched volume barrel. It's nice and sturdy all the way around. The keycaps feel good and look good, the lights are bright and accurate and my brown switches are fantastic. Long story short, for big name products, this is a very solid choice. At the time of writing this I only have about a month worth of heavy use. My Logitech keyboard had LED failures after about a year and a half(in the same price range). For ... MoreI spend quite a bit of money, time and thought on my peripherals and accessories. Usually the amount of research I do into a product is measured in hours or days. I ultimately settled on this because comparatively speaking with the other big brands and reputations, it was cheaper and with better materials. For the price you get metal construction and a metal, notched volume barrel. It's nice and sturdy all the way around. The keycaps feel good and look good, the lights are bright and accurate and my brown switches are fantastic. Long story short, for big name products, this is a very solid choice. At the time of writing this I only have about a month worth of heavy use. My Logitech keyboard had LED failures after about a year and a half(in the same price range). For as long as this review doesn't have an (edit) on it, assume my opinion hasn't changed.
Bought this to replace my Anne Pro that died unexpectedly. I have an Arctis 7 headset so I wanted something that would use some existing software I have and that turned out to be a great decision. The Steel Series software has TONS of options for this board. It can control lighting, it can remap keys, it can handle macros and layers. Its really cool software.Some fun things I discovered with the board:you can set a lighting effect "screen saver" if you don't touch your keyboard for X amount of time.The screen is not 100% gimmicky, you can actually change a large variety of settings and states all from the screen and wheel/button next to the screen. Including saving and deleting macros. Really nice if you are in a game and dont want to alt-tab out.
I bought this keyboard just over 1 year before writing this review and while it worked fine for that time, it definitely isn't worth the price. The switches are no better than other boards I've used and are nowhere near as reliable as even my old membrane keyboard that I used for 10 or so years prior. Particularly during gameplay certain keys would just not register, it seemed to happen when there was a lot of WASD movement and was not isolated to one game. The key caps got permanently glossy quickly, which I was very disappointed with as it made it look cheap after only 1 to 2 months. Washing them would kind of fix the problem but not entirely and it would just happen again after a while. My old membrane keyboard still looks better which was also half the price of ... MoreI bought this keyboard just over 1 year before writing this review and while it worked fine for that time, it definitely isn't worth the price. The switches are no better than other boards I've used and are nowhere near as reliable as even my old membrane keyboard that I used for 10 or so years prior. Particularly during gameplay certain keys would just not register, it seemed to happen when there was a lot of WASD movement and was not isolated to one game. The key caps got permanently glossy quickly, which I was very disappointed with as it made it look cheap after only 1 to 2 months. Washing them would kind of fix the problem but not entirely and it would just happen again after a while. My old membrane keyboard still looks better which was also half the price of this one ten years ago. The LCD is quite gimmicky. It's too small and low resolution to be able to glance at it mid game for details, which is what they market it as. The apps on it are very limited and any bugs take literal months to get updated. Magnetic wrist rest is very nice though.All in all this board is very overpriced, it has unreliable switches, cheap looking keycaps and a mostly useless LCD screen.
I've owned this keyboard for about 2 months now and it has been working flawlessly. I went with Steelseries because they made my last keyboard (6gv2) and it lasted 10 years!The red key switches are nice and light. Significantly more so than the black switches on my last board. I am glad I went with linear switches though, I tend to prefer this over a clicky switch because it is significantly quieter.Finally, the steelseries GG software is some of the easiest I have used and I have experience no bugs with it whatsoever. Much better than my experience with some competitors that will not be named.I definitely give this keyboard a strong recommendation if you have the money. It is a big enough step above the Apex 5 that it is worth the extra money.
| General | |
| Device Type | Keyboard |
| Backlit | RGB |
| Interface | USB |
| Input Device |
