Customer Ratings & Reviews

This keyboard is amazing, it’s very customizable and it sounds great. Everything is perfect

I have been using the Apex 5 keyboard for a little over a week now and I am really enjoying the experience of using it. I enjoy the clackety sound of the keys as you type on them and they do have a satisfying feel to them with some great range of motion. This is a hybrid design of a keyboard, not fully mechanical and as such has a membrane design underneath. The individual keys can be programmed (using the SteelSeries Engine 3) in the software and I found that easy to understand and use. There are a range of options and my favorites were to select the NUM LOCK, Caps lock, and scroll lock to be a different color than the rest of the keyboard when you have them set. There is no other indicator for them being activated as is the case normally on keyboards. This is a very reasonably priced keyboard for gaming, and I found it to preform just as well as my more expensive ones. One of my favorite features on the Apex 5 is the inclusion of a wrist resting area. It is not padded but it is comfortable, and you can easily remove it. It connects via magnets and just snaps into place with ease. The matte surface does show stains on it, for example, if I just put some lotion on my hands and the oil leaves residue upon it, however, it is easy to clean up. The keyboard itself is a pretty standard size and all the standard windows keys are right where you expect them to be and the 10 key is easily used as well. The OLED screen in the upper right corner is pretty interesting. You can scroll thru multiple profiles using the scroll wheel, adjust volume. This little screen is 128 x 40 and you can program little animated icons as well. I haven’t played around too much with that as it wasn’t a big feature for me. The USB cord is thick and is well built and I don’t see any issues there. The more I use this keyboard the more I enjoy it and you will enjoy it as well.

Nice kyebord click sounds so nice and soft click button

Love this keyboard! super smooth and great using it for game play!

TYPING/GAMING EXPERIENCE: It reminded me a lot of typing on a membrane keyboard but with a tactile bump and clicky sound. The keys seem closer together than other keyboards I’ve tried. I found myself making more mistakes than normal. I usually type around 100 – 130 wpm. I’m not sure if this was due to the switch itself or because I wasn’t allowing the switch to fully reset since I’m used to switches resetting at a different point. It does have 24 key rollover which is good for gaming. Meaning you can press multiple keys (up to 24 of them) and they will still register. For gaming it did a good job. I did not like it nearly as much as my mechanical keyboards as I felt that the problems that I was having with making more mistakes in my typing bled over into my gameplay as well. I didn’t feel like I had the same amount of control as I usually do. I’ve also found that for me personally that I prefer linear key switches when I am gaming because they feel more responsive than clicky/tactile. But it’s the opposite for when I am typing. Where I prefer to have tactile/clicky. Honestly, for the mass majority of people this will do the job just fine. Especially, if you are coming from a membrane switch. If you’re trying to become a Pro Gamer, or are a crazy fast typist, then buy a true mechanical keyboard. You won’t regret it. For everyone else this should be a consideration. KEYBOARD AETHETICS/FEEL: The font itself is very nice. It is not gamer like. It is big and easy to read. One of my favorites that I have seen. However, for certain keys such as the Caps Lock, Shift, Tab, and Enter it just shows an arrow instead of the word which looks cool but could be difficult for first time gamers trying to get used to keyboard controls (see picture). Interestingly the insert, home, page up, page down, and delete key are labeled as macro keys first with their normal function listed below (see picture). The keyboard’s frame is made of aircraft aluminum which obviously feels high quality. Normally you don’t see this at this price range. The keys themselves are your normal ABS plastic which attract finger oil easily. You can easily replace them as the switch itself is the usual. I would worry about the spacing between the keys if you were to replace them with PBT keycaps. On the bottom of the keyboard there is great cable management which you also usually don’t see even on more expensive keyboards. That allows you to either put it to the top left, top middle, or the top right. The cable itself is covered in a malleable plastic which leads to a single USB. There is no USB passthrough. The keyboard legs themselves are huge and solid. The absolute biggest I’ve ever seen which isn’t a complaint. They only go up one level. The small volume rocker is 10/10. It takes a moderate amount of pressure to move, doesn’t wobble at all, and is made of metal with a nice texture. You can press it which produces a nice click. As does the multimedia key. The shift and other long keys have stabilizers. Which makes the pressure feel even no matter where you hit. Last, the magnetic wrist rest feels high quality with a matte rubber feel to it. It attracts oil easily. Doesn’t provide a lot of support. But attaches seamlessly via magnets. Which you usually only get on more expensive keyboards. SOFTWARE: When I first downloaded the software, I was met with an immediate firmware update. It was simple to install. The software itself is very basic and easy to figure out and learn. It works, and it works well. You can upload your own custom stuff to the OLED which is actually awesome. Such as your gamertag or name. It’s a small thing but makes this product so much more personable than any other keyboard out there. SteelSeries is the only company that I know of that has OLED displays no their keyboards. As for the RGB lighting. For this price point it is excellent as it competes with keyboards that are a lot more expensive. But is not equal to more expensive keyboards. But you really aren’t missing out on anything unless you are over the top about your lighting. Most keyboards at this price range will either not be backlit, be a single color, or a handful of colors. With this one you can adjust all the keys individually (except for the multimedia key) between 16.7 million colors and they also have some effects you can choose from. Such as base effect, reactive layer, AFK effect, and lock key color. The colors themselves are quite accurate which a lot of keyboards struggle with. Even white. The keys are not completely balanced when lit. Especially, the num pad as they are left of center. The LED has a thick piece of plastic right through the middle of the light which is what I think is taking a lot of that brightness away. If you press the SteelSeries key it will change the F9 – F12 to red. Which are used for switching profile, on the fly macro, and brightness down and up. They keyboard itself also has no LED other than the key. Which means when Caps or Num Lock are on it will change they key LED color to notify you if it is on or not. CONCLUSION: This keyboard for its price is fantastic. You can find other keyboards around this same price, but they won’t give you all the features this one does. You have hybrid mechanical keys, full RGB lighting, can create different profiles, can create on the fly macros, and can fully adjust what each key does on the keyboard which is then saved to onboard memory. It also comes with a wrist rest and is made of aluminum which means it isn’t going to break easily. If you need a new keyboard this should be among the considerations. HYBRID BLUE MECHANICAL GAMING SWITCHES: *This is a high-level overview. This combines two common key switches: 1. Membrane Switch. Which is soft, squishy, long travel time, and quiet. Cheap to make, wears out faster, not as accurate. 2. Blue Switch. Which has a tactile bump felt when typing, with an audible “click” per press, shorter travel time, and loud. More expensive, lasts longer, more accurate. 3. This leads to a hybrid mix. Leading to a key that takes a. 50 grams of actuation force, b. with a total travel of 4 mm, c. actuation point of 2 mm, d. with a lifespan of 20 million keypresses. 4. A normal Cherry MX Blue switch is clickly/tactile, a. requires 60 grams of actuation force, b. with total travel of 4 mm, c. actuation point of 2 mm, d. and lifespan of 50 million keypresses. 5. So, enough of the fancy talk. What does that mean? That you are getting a switch that feels almost exactly like a Blue Switch but just doesn’t last as long and isn’t quite as accurate, but you are saving money doing it.

SteelSeries has made an awesome gaming keyboard for anyone who is into gaming. So far I've been using the Apex for the better part of 3 days stuck in the house. The features here are outstanding while making your setup look as striking as it can be with RGB. There is a super satisfying click between each key and gives you fantastic responses. Apex feels nice with the coating on the keyboard which each key feels great when playing Doom Eternal. The Keyboard well-constructed with a great amount of heft to it. The weight of this board feels nice for a change from using plastic keyboards for so long. The frame is Aluminum alloy gives it a very bold looking style and the best I saw among them. The soft-touch keys feel great to the fingertips; tactile feedback is superior. The magnetic wrist rest fits on easy and feels just nice on the wrist when typing or using. 3-way cable routing is made under the keyboard which is great for any side of the table you got your keyboard on. The RGB lights are perhaps the brightest I've seen on a keyboard I've own. They really do look nice with many different light profiles to light up your gaming space. Yes, this is one of the best features of the keyboard. The RGBs are just nice and bright with many colors to make your own or patterns of colors. It's overwhelming honestly but that just means you have more to customize which is always a good thing. Another feature you might be interested in is the awesome mini OLED Display. OLED screen is there for you to change settings on the fly and as well as media controls. SteelSeries Engine 3 is the software you need to make use of the keybindings, illumination, and OLED settings like put a gif or image for the OLED screen. Here you can also turn on "Apps" for the keyboard. You can have Discord show different notifications on the OLED, an Audio visualizer that turns your keyboard...into visualizer. ImageSync which is the best app on here that lets you make your own 8-16 bit image across the keyboard. (Think about something like Ryu's Fireball from Street Fighter II going across the keyboard.), Tidal which displays the songs on the OLED. There are many more "Apps" for the keyboard and so far they all been fun to use. To me, The SteelSeries Apex 5 is one of the best ones I've used in a while. I wish there were more physical media keys but the 2 on the keyboard near the OLED is just fine. I also want more integration with games. MK 11 and CS:GO has great integration with the keyboard but we need more. I'll like to see DOOM Eternal as when you take damage your keyboard turns red. Overall though I love it and this is indeed going to stay part of my setup. 5/5

Working great so far after about 3 weeks of use. Price may be a little too much though

If I had to sum up this review in one sentence, it is that at 100 dollars, this keyboard comes jam-packed with features and quality that make it a supremely good choice for anyone looking for a new keyboard! I will be happy to explain why I feel this is true though! Here is what I think you need to know before you make a purchasing decision: -The hybrid-mechanical blue (clicky) switches feel and sound amazing. I have a fair bit of experience with keyboards, and I would say the discernable difference of feel between this and a regular keyboard is that there is perhaps a bit softer of a bump at the bottom of the keystroke. I can type on this keyboard as fast as I can with any of my keyboards and I love how it feels. It is a genuine mechanical switch and cap as well, so you can replace these caps with most compatible Cherry MX keycaps. -The material used is great. The caps do not feel cheap at all, I like the bold, large font, and the frame is made of aluminum! It may not be the brushed aluminum of higher-end keyboards like my Logitech G513, but it still looks and feels like high-quality material. -Individual RGB programmable keys using the Steelseries Engine software. The thing I love about these keys, and I must emphasize, is that the secondary key functions are lit up as well! That means in the dark, unlike a lot of traditional big-name mechanical keyboards, you can actually see the secondary functions like the asterisk symbol, semicolon, etc. that you may not have memorized if you are an average typist. This is a huge deal to me and I want to make sure people know this. -The OLED screen is actually pretty fun! I downloaded some GIFs off of the internet to experiment with and sure enough, through the Steelseries engine software, you get to upload compatible GIFs and see them displayed on your keyboard's little OLED screen; that is kind of fun and the status updates and Discord connection that are forthcoming should be cool too! -This has a dedicated volume scroll wheel and button that acts as a play/pause button or whatever you would prefer to program either as. Having dedicated multimedia buttons at this price point is awesome, especially considering that many higher-end keyboards from competitors don't even included this at a much higher cost! Overall I am super happy with this keyboard. I will say that they are apparently updating the Steelseries Engine 3 software and boy, does it need it. It is functional and smooth, but there are only a fraction of the amount of customizable patterns available for the RGB that other companies like Razer and Logitech have. The only room for improvements for the keyboard itself I can think of like USB-A passthrough and a braided USB cable would launch this out of the awesome price-point this is at. If you can afford to build a $1000 dollar PC, you can afford to purchase a $100 dollar keyboard to compliment it. Remember that PCs are like cars. You can have a really souped-up engine, but if the tires suck, it ruins the ride. If your mouse and keyboard suck, then the PC is just not going to feel right. Spend some money and get something awesome like this Apex 5!

The SteelSeries - Apex 5 Wired Gaming Hybrid Mechanical Blue Switch Keyboard with RGB Back Lighting is a pleasure to use. The aluminum body gives the keyboard a nice heavy weight and sturdy premium feel. I've had no trouble with it moving around the desk while using it, unlike some of the lighter plastic keyboards I've used. The quality construction is consistent in all aspects including the body, keys, switches, underside feet, and the incredible customization software that is available for the keyboard on the Steel Series website. The magnetically detachable wrist rest is quite comfortable and has a satin finish feel to it. It also has a nice weight and quality feel to it. The magenetic bond is good and it even stays connected when I lift the keyboard off the desk. No issues with it moving around or coming detached while typing. It is prone to picking up anything oily on your hands, as I figured out after using some hand lotion, but I was able to wipe it down and remove most of the are where my palm had been resting. It might be pretty hard to keep this looking pristine over time, if that's something that concerns you. The hybrid switches in the keys provides a good amount of bounce and resistance to the keys, which is very nice. Some mechanical keyboards have very little resistance and it feels very strange after working on membrane keyboards for so many years now. I prefer this hybrid feel that gives the mechanical clicking satisfaction but has some of the membrane feel so I'm not accidentally pressing keys when my fingers are resting on them. Where this keyboard really shines in my opinion is the innovative reactive RGB effects that have to be seen to appreciate, and incredible customization software for fine tuning all aspects of the keyboard from key bindings to macro creation and editing to RGB effects. The reactive effects are something I have not seen on any of the other RGB gaming keyboards I've used, and are quite fun to experience and play with. When you press a key, the lights react to each key press, so you end up with a lightshow of colors flowing out from your fingers as you type. It's pretty darn cool! This can also be toned down so that only each key reacts to where it's just adjusting the lighting of an individual key and not creating wave patterns of colors moving across the keyboard. So, whatever you prefer for effects, this keyboard can provide! The macro editor is pretty slick too! They keyboard allows you to record on-the-fly macros by pressing the Steel Series function key and the macro record key for 3 seconds, and then turn off recording with the same combination when finished. This is great, but the real power is when you open the macro editor and see your macro vizualised in a UI editor that lets you adjust everything down to the millisecond for delays, mouse clicks, key presses and it's presented in a visual layout that's really easy to see exactly what is happening. Very impressed with this software. It's very polished, and quite nice for keyboard software I have to say! One thing to note: The keys are quite loud so this is definitely not for a place you need to keey the clicking sounds down :) But, I would say most people wanting a mechanical keyboard are well aware of the clicking sounds and are seeking that out, so just something to be aware of. It's got some click!! :) The keyboard also has a nice little display and control scroll wheel that allows you to cycle through the keyboard settings even when you don't have the software running on your desktop, which is quite nice! You can switch between profiles, adjust the illumination settings, change the lighting timeout, save new profiles. When not in setting edit mode, the scroll wheel and control button allow you to do some multimedia control like pause/play music or video and adjust the volume up or down, mute the sound, skip forward and back. This is a pretty handy feature that not all keyboards have, especially as a convenient scroll wheel setup. There is also an image editor in the Steel Series software that lets you customize the image that displays in the little lcd display window on the keyboard. I thought this was a nice touch. Oh, another very cool thing about this keyboard is the app platform that the software allows for. It's open for people to develop their own apps, so the list of available apps will most definitely be growing over time. Currently there are about 20 apps available. One app lets you turn the keyboard instantly into an RGB spectrum analyzer to the music / sound playing through your PC, another one integrates with Discord and lets you customize effects that happen when events in Discord happen. There is a Minecraft app, DOTA 2, CS GO, MK 11, Neverwinter, and several other games. Will be nice to see more games added to the list. You can also sync your lighting across multiple Steel Series devices using the PRISMSYNC app, and put animated GIF's so the play across the keyboard lighting using the IMAGESYNC app, or create your own! There is an app slot that takes you right to the Techblog site that has all the information for creating your own apps, if that's something you are interested in. The Library section of the Steel Series Engine software scans your game library and then allows you to pick or customize a profile for each game for each Steel Series device you are using. The options are limitless! So, overall I'm quite impressed with this keyboard! It's attention to detail and quality are quite nice, and the price is excellent! I've paid way more for other manufacturers keyboards that offer way less than this keyboard. Excellent job, Steel Series!

This SteelSeries Apex 5 is a mechanical keyboard with RGB customizable lights through SteelSeries Engine software with tons of preferred lighting customization. The keys are blue switches. Personally I prefer Blue switches over red for several reasons. first I love how they sound, clicky and tactile also, the feel of a little bump when pressing them. The frame of the keyboard is high quality and seems very durable. There is a dedicated media button for media control which is awesome. My favorite part of it besides quality and is the OLED customizable screen to view messages from gaming applications like discord and Minecraft. The keyboard included magnetic soft and nice touch wrist rest. Loved it so much. For the price point, it is acceptable considering all the features and construction design.

If you are a gamer and stuck using a traditional boring keyboard, then this gaming keyboard is a massive upgrade. It has fancy sparkly lighting effects, powerful keys switches, and great sensors. The box includes the keyboard and its wrist rest. Attached is the USB cable, which is made solid heavy-duty and rubber-coated. When pressing the keys, it feels smooth and performs great. The OLED smart display screen has a media control on the side. It is cool because you can control your illumination, your profiles, lighting effects, is great for feedback. If you like more changes, there is the option to use the software. It has so many different options you do, as far each key illumination, set up different profiles, and you can even switch your profiles. Also, in the software, you can place a basic screen saver image to be displayed on the OLED Smart Display. The media control next to the display allows for the play, skip or pause of a track. I find amazing this hybrid and mechanical switch that feels exactly mechanical, which is the feeling of tactile and clicky. The key caps are boxed design and aver very stable and not scratchy within the switch. The removable wrist rest has a lovely soft touch, definitely not mushy, gushy, nor anything like that, just a nice soft-touch coating. When it is next to the bottom of the keyboard, it attaches itself with a super-strong magnetizer, and it does a good job keeping it in place and secure. There is an aluminum plate right underneath the key caps. The bottom of the keyboard is plastic, and it includes two pop-out feet to elevate the rear. There is plenty of rubber grips, so surely, the keyboard is not going to budge at all while using it. The attached cable can be routed to three different rear location/exits on the keyboard (left, middle and right side). The build is incredibly solid; no flexing whatsoever when you press on it. You can even try to twist it, and it still will not flex. The keyboard does not have an extra bezel on the top, a sleek design, beautiful curves on the side, and no excess lips on it. Overall, this keyboard lives up to its hype. It is excellent, feels nice, not overly loud, soft touch, and would satisfy most gamers.

This is my first mechanical keyboard. I am not a heavy PC gamer. But I do have a few choice games I will play on the pc versus my console. I’ve decided to download call of duty warzone on pc so I can hit higher refresh rates. I’ve gotten used to the keyboard layout quickly. Being that this keyboard is very clicky and responsive. High raised buttons plus the included wrist rest make this SteelSeries keyboard a benefit at a reasonable price point. Very well built. Cable management is a nice added feature as well. (It’s the little things) Now as far as lighting goes. This was probably the biggest selling point for a lot of people I’m assuming. Aside from the gaming aspect right, but let’s be honest. These RGB keyboards are beautiful. Adds style to your set ups. I love the presets alone. People comment on the lighting effects more than how it games. But games great I tell them too. And looks beautiful. Changing the settings is easy as many have mentioned. With the included oled screen. If you have been eyeing this or any of the SteelSeries keyboards. Just get an apex. You will not be disappointed. I love playing with this and honestly just looking at it. A very solid product from a very reputable manufacturer. Good luck!

SETUP Windows set-up and driver installation went without issue. Windows 10 immediately recognized the device and downloaded the appropriate drivers. In order to take full advantage and unlock the options offered with the keyboard, the Steel Series Engine 3 must be installed. I am happy to report that the software installed without issue. USE The keyboard has a very nice heft to it. The body itself is machined out of solid aluminum and is quite substantial. Steel put a great deal of effort into the build quality and materials used. Even the two elevator tabs underneath feel well designed with a thoughtful rubber coating that helps keep the keyboard from sliding while being used. It’s the small, thoughtful touches like that, that makes the keyboard feel like a nice, cohesively designed item. Like others have said, this is a LOUD keyboard. Louder than my other mechanical gaming keyboards. Honestly, I’m quite surprised at how loud the keys are, considering they don’t have true mechanical switches like the others. This keyboard uses a “hybrid” style switch that combines a mechanical and membrane key. I will admit that I was skeptical of the “hybrid” switch. But they do feel smoother than a true mechanical switch, especially while typing. The keyboard is fully customizable with the Steel Series Engine 3 software. The back-lighting supports the usual 16.7 million colors and as with most all premium keyboards, the lighting is mappable on a per key basis. To me, this is a must have feature for keyboards. I like to program buttons like Num Lock a different color than the others, even when the software is playing motion effects or cycling through colors, etc. In the upper right-hand corner is a little, OLED display that has a limited ability to display various details. The display can be customized to be an In-Game HUD, display custom gifs, display DisCord messages, Tidal track information, and be used to adjust and customize the keyboard illumination and settings. While I admit, I do kinda geek-out with it, it is of limited value to me. The resolution is a low 128 x 40 pixels, so finding something compatible with that low of a resolution is difficult. I wish the manufacturer would incorporate more compatibility into the display. It would be nice if you could display information from Spotify, Amazon Music, and even iTunes. The keyboard does away with traditional multimedia specific buttons, replacing it with a scroll wheel and a menu button. The thought of losing dedicated multimedia keys was an initial turn off, but after using the menu button and scroll wheel together, it is starting to grow on me. Eliminating the multiple multimedia buttons saves space and allows for neat features like the cool little OLED display. FINAL THOUGHTS This feels to be a very well-made product. The “hybrid” keys are innovative and do offer a noticeable change from true mechanical keys. Whether or not the feel will appeal to you is always a matter of preference, but I like the fact there is yet another option on the market to choose from. As with all products, nothing is ever truly perfect. Some are closer than others. My biggest complaint of this keyboard is the washed-out and somewhat dim looking colors on the keys. I attempted to capture with the attached photo, but it doesn't really illustrate my point. I have mechanical keyboards from other manufacturers and the colors from these keyboards seem to be much more vibrant and dynamic. Again, this does not diminish the functionality of the keyboard in any way, it is 100% just a matter of personal preference. Aside from the lighting, I can’t find much to knock about this keyboard. It does its job well and has some very innovative features, not found on others’ products. The “hybrid” keys feel very smooth, yet still provide that satisfying mechanical click that we all know and love. A good product.

I’m an avid mechanical keyboard user – both at work and in gaming – the SteelSeries Apex 5 if something magical. The price point is a bit mind boggling after getting to spend some time with the Apex 5. The design is top notch – right off the bat I fell in love with the magnetic wrist rest. It’s comfortable and sturdy and makes for an excellent feature. The construction overall is solid. It feels well-made and solid. The keys have a nice shape, feel great and the LEDs shine through with excellence. The programable OLED display is a nice little touch, along with the volume roller/mute button and play/pause/media control button. Let’s get to the best part – the switches. Let’s just get this out of the way. Do I like a keyboard with high end mechanical lubed switches and custom key caps better? Yes, would that also cost me over $350… yes. The insane value in this build is truly incredible. The switches do a decent job emulating a cherry blue switch – albeit, with a slightly lower operating force. Let’s cut to the chase, if you are in the market for an affordable gaming keyboard, with style and is a true pleasure to type and game on. Let’s talk about complaints, I do wish the USB cable was removable. The cable is easily routed in a multitude of ways, and that generally worked for me. The gripe is that the key switches are bonkers loud. It doesn’t really bother me, but I can’t say the same for wife. Conclusion – buy this keyboard.

All in all I am very impressed with this keyboard to date. Its clean design is unmatched with other keyboards that i have seen. This keyboard has some other features that make it worthwhile too. In the upper right corner of the board there is a media wheel and a small GIF box that both come in handy. The media wheel is a mechanical/rather than digital way to monitor and adjust volume. The small box is able to be customized via the companion download. This software also allows me to change and personalize the light patterns of the back lit OLED display. The number of ways to make this "my own" is unlimited. This keyboard is going well so far and due to its capability to be customized and its impressive display features and build i highly recommend this keyboard.

I’m a certifiable computer geek, and get paid to do it for a living, which requires a lot of typing that requires correctness (coding mostly) and I can sustain 90 wpm if I know what I’m typing, though I’ve never had proper classroom instruction. Decades of typing (C++ only has 1 symbol you’re not likely to have in code or configuration files in a practical situation, the backtick,” ` ” seen between the double quotes. This is a hybrid keyboard switch, part membrane (cheaper system, most computers have these, they’re cheaper and make it impossible to replace an individual key switch, and when the keyboard fails, it can’t be repaired, and they have a much shorter lifespan than mechanical keyboards) and part mechanical switches (much longer lifespan, easily serviced for individual key switches and key caps). This keyboard also has a high enough rollover combined with the firmware that you aren’t going to get doubled keys or ghost keys (keystrokes you never typed) as artifacts of the switch types (membrane versus mechanical, and how the grids are wired for keys combined). In the time I’ve had it thus far, I can state with certainty all typos are my fault. This keyboard has switches comparable to the Cherry MX Blues, which makes them have a nice tactile feedback and lots of glorious noise. If you hear the key click, you don’t need to press farther, by then a keypress has already been registered, well before the bottom of key travel, and if you bottom out, it won’t change what you typed. Be warned: if you love keyboard feedback with noise, this keyboard is for you, but if you want a “silent” keyboard, this is NOT your keyboard, and was never meant to be. If those around you insist on a quiet keyboard, this will make them unhappy. I bought it, unplanned for what I got, because my unused Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 keyboard doesn’t have working function keys, no matter what I could do (bought a new M1 Mac Mini, don’t like Bluetooth keyboards for a number of reasons) and I need all keys working. This keyboard is multi-platform compatible out of the box, and the added software for configuration makes it more powerful. It’s not completely the most user-friendly and blatantly obvious how it works, and the Mac software has some issues, but this very reconfigurable keyboard is more limited by the user than by the tech. You can define macros for it via their configuration software, you can make the RGB backlights do whatever you want with default patterns or custom layouts from the configuration software, and you can readily use compatible software define various events to cause keyboard backlight color changes as desired. For a $99 keyboard that very much acts and feels like a pure mechanical keyboard, it’s great value for the money, and it can readily double as a psychedelic changing nightlight if you leave your computer on. Cats could be very entertained! Sadly, due to long-standing issues with shoulders (needed PT, had that several years ago) the worst situation for me is I need an ergonomic keyboard, and SteelSeries doesn’t make one, or I’d gladly buy it. This sets practical limits on how much time I can safely spend using any traditional non-ergonomic keyboard. The magnetic wrist rest works quite well on this (it’s a fairly hard material, I suggest you test it in the store first, if you can) but that still doesn’t change the fact that this is a very good bang for the buck traditional PC QWERTY keyboard with lots of power and pretty lights, that’s a joy to type on otherwise.

I had a Blackwidow Elite and I broke the left leg literally through the bottom of the board, and not from gaming. I am not a gamer. The keys on that board were great but over time I got tired of it and switched the keys to the pudding keys made by Hyper X to have more light come through. The board was great for typing. The wrist rest pads that come with Razer boards are horrible. Not strong enough to stay on the board. I than ordered another Razer to try to stay in the Razer ecosystem. I got the Huntsman. Came with an indentation in the front of the housing. Lighting, in my opinion, still as bad as the Elite, and keys on both the boards were too slippery and pick up all oils from finger tips. The wrist rest for the Huntsman was way too big, and the light around the perimeter of it is a total waste because unless you are on the side of the board, you can't even see it. The worst part is the light around the wrist rest flickered. It was apparently defective. No way would I stay with a less than 1 day old board at 159 bucks with an indentation on the housing, a ridiculous wrist rest, bad, defective lighting, and oh by the way, some of the weakest legs on a board. I got the Apex 5 and it is the first so-called hybrid that I have ever had and you would be nuts to ever get another membrane, actual membrane, ever again. this board DOES NOT feel nor type like it has any sort of membrane technology in it. It feels totally mechanical. DO NOT listen to any online reviewer that downplays this board. Again, I am just a typist, but wow it does a great job. Every key feels even and with the same sound. By the way, the Huntsman space key was horrific. Super loud unlike every other key on the board. The Apex lighting, supposedly not the brightest, but it is more than acceptable. The wrist rest is magnetized but strong and comfortable. The legs on the board are strong and it elevates the board way more and better than the Elite or the Huntsman. And I don't know why Razer has braided cables when they DON'T stay in place in the underneath routing system built in. The cable on the Apex stays perfectly in place and the routing system is perfect. I paired this board with the Rival 3 and that mouse is perfect so far for only 30 bucks. I typed this review on the Apex 5 and I RARELY made an error. Feels magnificent to type on.

Great RGB keyboard for the price with the added bonus of the OLED screen so you can have a customizable gif. The feel of the keyboard is nice and very responsive and surprisingly easy to clean out when it gets dusty and the wrist rest is another bonus.

I have been working and gaming on mechanical keyboards for a very long time. So, I was curious as to what would be the experience in this new APEX 5 “hybrid” mechanical keyboard from Steelseries. Immediately upon taking the keyboard out of the box, I was impressed with the quality and build. It feels like a premium product. This is a full-size keyboard, meaning that all keys are available including a Numpad and full row of function keys. The faceplate body is made of aluminum alloy, and the bottom is made of hard plastic. It weighs a bit above 2 lbs. The edges are kept at a minimum which makes it look smaller than it actually is. There are foot grips underneath to keep it in place which raises the keyboard quite a bit. The USB cable is attached to the keyboard and is rather long and thick. I am not too crazy about thick cables, but the good thing is that the underside of the keyboard has three paths to route the excess cable for a cleaner setup. It also comes with a rubber-like wrist rest that attaches to the keyboard magnetically. It is secure and fits flush at the bottom. At first, it feels a bit cumbersome as it is kind of stiff. However, one can get used to it quickly and not mind -or one can opt to use a wrist rest of your linking. The Apex 5 features a customizable metal textured wheel rocker at the upper right side which controls sound volume and mute functions. I really love this as I do not like controlling sound via software or with a headset. There is also an illuminated button that controls media functions such as play, pause, skip back and forth, etc. (sort of like a headset in-line mic controller). A really cool feature is the customizable smart display on the upper right side. It can be customized with the Steelseries downloadable software to add cool info like PC temps, GIF, and logos. All settings, profiles, and macros can be set or changed with these feature keys in conjunction or with dedicated keys on the keyboard. Speaking of features, this keyboard has a full array of RGB lighting options. The colors, which can be adjusted per-key via software or the rocker/settings button, are vibrant and bright. Because the keys are elevated, the lights “splash” a bit and can make it look a bit messy at its highest setting -but that’s just a small observation. Obviously the most important factor in a keyboard is the typing experience. In this, I have nothing but praise for the APEX 5. This keyboard features “hybrid” blue switch keys. That means that they are very clicky, and they have a tactile response with a loud clack sound for every stroke. That makes them very loud, which should be considered if you work or play in a quiet environment and/or at night. Also, they can absolutely be heard in online conversations even when using a noise reduction mic. Also, the keys are elevated, which allows dust and grime to accumulate more quickly and must be cleaned often. Having said that, I must strongly convey that typing on this keyboard is an absolute joy. The keys feel great and are extremely responsive and allow for precision while typing or gaming. The keys are very secure, do not wobble, and are not slippery. They are also very well-spaced which prevents next-key misses. I found myself typing even faster than usual and it seemed (to me) that I had better reflexes and responses, especially while playing FPS games. Despite all of the small issues, such as the loose RGB lighting, incredibly noisy keys, and the need to constantly clean underneath them, the Steeleseries APEX 5 comes highly recommended because of unique features such as the LCD mini-display, the multi-media controls, and the awesome typing experience -all at a great price.

Great keyboard Its a bit loud but it is the blue switches so its suppose to be clicky. But the board is really nice and has a solid build. Oleds are very bright and the steelseries engine is neat. The wrist pad is felt and magnetic. Will definitely recommend but make sure you are ok with the tactile style switches.