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.
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