Apex Pro TKL Wireless HyperMagnetic Gaming Keyboard — Esports Tenkeyless — OLED Screen — Adjustable Actuation — PBT Keycaps — Bluetooth — 2.4GHz — USB-C

When a rogue Win 10 update took out my Gskill KM780 RGB unexpectedly, I had to pull the trigger fast on a new KB instead of having to endure using my spare membrane board. After a solid day of research, I took a chance on the Apex Pro. Coming from Cherry MX Browns, I had some reservations about OmniPoint. The Browns have a tactile point which I liked. I had tried MX Reds, and wasn't a fan of the linear feel. With these Omni switches being linear, I was unsure but somehow compelled to pass on the Apex 7 with MX Browns and go Pro. TBH, I was half expecting to return it. Needless to say.... I was surprised when I hooked this up! First off... dat switch. Wow. SUPER smooth. The inherent scratchiness of linear MX switches is GONE. It feels like the keycaps are just sort of floating over the brushed aluminum base. The adjustment ability is unique compared to most mechanical boards, bringing a true Hall Effect switch to people. (Look up Hall Effect... gets a little complex for explanation here, but very cool) Actuation can be adjusted from a light brush on the keys (probably overkill) to making the switch bottom out completely. This can also be done on a per key basis. Lot of range to play with! Another key strength... the RGB lighting. Its nothing short of fantastic. The raised caps let the bright and vibrant lighting spill over the board itself, creating a very cool and clean lighting effect. Even for those who don't much care about RGB lighting, it's very tastefully done here. Typing is unreal. I spent 15 mins just typing random weirdness on a word doc just for them feels when I first hooked it up. And for some reason, I find myself with a lot less errors compared to old board with the Browns. I'd commonly get keypress duplication (as if I held the key down) with that switch, and with these Omni switches, it doesn't happen anymore. Of course, these Omni switches are much quieter than the tactile Browns given their linear nature. Not much bad to say here. Some minor gripes would be somewhat "meh" software from Steelseries and the keycaps being ABS instead of something like double-shot PBT caps. The latter feel much sturdier and more premium, and I suppose one could buy some PBT caps if it was a huge issue. Not sure how that would affect the lighting though. The small B&W OLED screen in the upper right doesn't add much in reality, but its kind of a geeky fun thing that you can customize with whatever you want. It does have some functionality with brightness and other features, which is nice to have versus having to use the software. Also, only the primary keys have Omni switches. All the F keys, num pad, and extra function keys are on a generic linear switch that feels good enough. Would be nice to have all keys on omni switches, but it makes sense from a cost perspective and isn't a big deal to me. All in all, fantastic keyboard that towers over my old Gskill in every respect. I really wish MS terrible updates hadn't bricked old board, but I guess things happen for a reason. If you have the cash and want a great analog-based mechanical keyboard with adjustable hall effect switches.... this is the one for you. Very hard to fault this board. Steelseries done good here.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL HyperMagnetic is hands down one of the best gaming keyboards I've ever used! The build quality is outstanding, with a solid aluminum frame that feels premium and durable. Every keypress is smooth, responsive, and satisfying, whether I'm gaming or typing. The adjustable actuation is a game-changer, allowing me to customize key sensitivity to fit my playstyle perfectly. ✅ Pros: Premium Build Quality – The aluminum frame makes it feel solid and high-end. No flex or cheap plastic feel. Smooth & Satisfying Typing – The magnetic switches feel buttery smooth and make both gaming and typing a joy. Adjustable Actuation – Being able to tweak the sensitivity per key is an awesome feature, especially for fast-paced games. Compact & Sleek – The TKL design saves space while still feeling comfortable to use. ⚠️ A Small Warning: SteelSeries Software Isn’t the Best – Compared to Razer Chroma, the SteelSeries GG software isn’t as intuitive. I found it more frustrating than helpful, so I just opted not to use it. Thankfully, the keyboard works amazingly right out of the box, even without software tweaks. 🔥 Final Thoughts: If you're looking for a high-quality, ultra-responsive gaming keyboard with an amazing feel and top-tier build, this is 100% worth it. The software isn’t as user-friendly as Razer’s, but honestly, the keyboard is so good you don’t even need it. Highly recommend! 💯🔥

It's a great kb... smooth keys, very silent and looks amazing. Replacing a 7yo corsair k68 that began to fail and it's worth every cent. Recommended

I would struggle to play games if I had to go back to another keyboard after using this one. Even mechanical keyboards just are not as good. Being able to change my push detected distance AND my release detect distance on every single key independently of each other is amazing. Abilities I need to activate on the slightest twitch can be set that way. Other keys can have much greater push distances to prevent accidentally activating an ability on a partial push. I see why the professional use this keyboard. Do note, unless you create a typing push distance profile, this keyboard is kind of annoying for long typing sessions with my gaming settings. It also lacks the numpad and things like print screen buttons. They can be added to other keys like the f keys, but they are not on here by default. The keys can be removed easily if you have other key caps you like. It is easy to clean. It feels well made and sturdy. Like all previous mechanical keyboards I have had, it is a little loud. The keys are snappy and responsive, and you can set at what push distance they trigger. I cannot say enough good things about the keyboard for improved gaming performance.

UPDATE: I still really like this keyboard, but I was starting to notice that I actually type really inaccurately on it - it does get annoying. I just make a lot of mistakes, and I've been typing for 40 years and normally type about 100wpm. I was trying to figure out why this is, and lately I've had my old IBM Model M in the room hooked up to another computer and have felt the obvious difference in accuracy. (The Model M is where the modern keyboard layout comes from.) I still just type much better on the Model M. So I directly compared the two keyboards to figure out what the difference is. Obviously the Model M is bigger overall, but my big realization is that the actual key layout on the Model M is slightly wider. It's not just a difference in the "dead space" in between keyboard sections, either - there is actually slightly less space between each key on the Steelseries keyboard. I've compared all the keyboards I've owned against the Model M and while some have had minor layout variations and most these days have the function keys much closer to the main keys, this is the first time I've seen keys that were actually closer together. I'm sure it's not the only keyboard like that, but it's the only one I've owned that is and it explains my typing inaccuracy on it. I've taken a star off my original review for that reason. It is just not a full size keyboard, even though it looks like it is. It feels cramped, and I've never gotten fully adjusted to it. My original review is below: ---------------------------------------- For the price, it had better be good. And it is. My score is 5 stars but consider it more like 4 1/2 rounded up. A bit closer to 5 than 4; not perfect but nearly so. I'll explain. I'm both a typist and a gamer, but these days probably more of the former than the latter. Still, I try to find keyboards good for both purposes, and many are - heck, the old IBM Model M is still a great gaming keyboard if you don't need n-key rollover (and to be honest, most people really don't). But my old Motospeed keyboard, which I loved for its feel and its small footprint (as small as it gets for a full size keyboard) seemed to just wear out - it started repeating keypresses constantly, so I decided I'd just go for something new rather than try to fix it. (But I probably will fix it at some point; it's a great keyboard too.) This is the first linear keyboard I've owned in many years. I usually prefer clicky keyboards and have since the days of the original IBM PC and the Model F. But I just wanted something different after owning clicky keyboards for so long, and my Motospeed was *really* clicky to the point that it did become a little grating after a few years. I'd read about the wonders of the OmniPoint keyswitches in the Apex Pro and I watched the excellent Chyrosran22 review of it on YouTube (search for that; he knows keyboards and he loves this one). I did also manage to try one out for a brief few minutes, though not long enough to really form my own opinion. But in the absence of any more obvious choice, I took the plunge and bought one. Bottom line: It is a really well built keyboard (almost zero flex) that feels *almost* as good to type on as any linear keyboard I've ever used in about 40 years of computing. It has double-shot keycaps so the legends won't wear out, it's got a really useful volume roller, and it's got a little screen that can be used for various things, most of which are kinda dumb but I do use it for displaying current system stats - there is an app to display CPU, GPU and RAM usage. Its backlighting is pretty bright, fully RGB and has some effects that are actually kinda useful - I'm not sure what the effect I use is called, but it just lights the key you press up in white for a half-second or so before smoothly fading it back to whatever color the rest of the keyboard is backlit in. It's actually helpful to have a little split-second feedback showing which key you just typed, just in case you make a mistake. The OnmiPoint keyswitches do feel great - very smooth - and they're user-adjustable in terms of the actuation point. This is unique to this type of keyswitch, which is an uncommon magnetic sensor type of mechanical switch. I will say that I *feel* more accurate on this keyboard than my old Motospeed - I think the design and spacing of the keycaps on this keyboard is maybe a little more standard. So, that's that - now I'm going to tell you about the *little* things that keep it from being perfect. Keep in mind that absolutely none of these are dealbreakers, or things other people might even necessarily think of as drawbacks. But... The cord is non-detachable and it's quite stiff. It's also just rubber insulated, which is fine, but kinda ugly on such an expensive keyboard. The keyboard has two USB plugs, one for the USB port on the keyboard itself (it won't act as a hub, just a pass-through), and that USB plug is on the left side of the keyboard. That means if you want the keyboard cable on the right, which the cable management on the back of the keyboard lets you do, your mouse cable will still be on the left. I feel like this is an odd design given that most people are right-handed. A choice would be best, but if you're going to pick a place for one USB port, put it on the right. Only the "main" keys are OmniPoint - that's everything in the little "typewriter" cluster, that main rectangle of letters and numbers that you type the most on. The others are either Cherry MX Red or some kind of copy of them. To be honest, I'm not sure which switch I prefer! I know which I'm "supposed" to prefer but the regular Reds on the rest of the keyboard seem to have a very slightly lighter weighting. Probably my only semi-serious complaint about the keyboard in general - and this is 100% subjective, so it's not a top-line item for this review - is that the OmniPoint switches are just a *tiny* bit heavier than I like, and probably as a consequence of that feel very, very slightly "mushy" as you reach full travel. The switches on the rest of the board, while very slightly "grittier", are also a tiny bit lighter and do not feel mushy. All that said, I will allow that someone else could feel entirely the opposite. This is personal preference, and anyway it's not a big difference. But there *is* a difference in the switches on different parts of the board, and it does sometimes feel a little odd as a result. After only several *days* of use, the soft-touch finish is already wearing off several of the keys. Now, you can see by this review that I type a *lot*. So it may take longer for you, and anyway the legends themselves will never wear off since they're doubleshot. But my space bar is already looking a little ugly with one part of it already noticeably shiny. I never understand this - my Model F and Model M that are 30+ years old still look brand new, while a keyboard that's only days old (and cost a couple hundred bucks) already has a finish that's wearing off. Overall, though, I think I'll be happy with this keyboard until I get tired of linear keys and want to go back to clicky. But who knows when or if that'll happen. At the moment, I'm pleased with my purchase, even for the money. This thing does feel like an expensive keyboard.

I’ve been using this for a few years now and it’s held up really well and I enjoy using this keyboard . I love all of the settings and customization options that you have, including customizable actuation. This keyboard is really fast, I have no input issues and overall has a nice feel. It also has a USB port on the back side of the keyboard which I thought was a nice touch. If you have the chance to get it I recommend it!

This keyboard isn't worth a third the price you pay for it. I'd have given this an extra star if I hadn't paid a premium for it; the cost in conjunction with how it just barely checks the boxes on its basic feature descriptions drops my rating to rock bottom. 1. The keys are SO sensitive you'll be swearing that if you break wind in their general direction you're going to get five random keystrokes. It's ridiculous. You'd love to think that setting the key actuation point to the very bottom would let you work around this, but no; the actuation point goes nowhere near where the key bottoms out (other gripes on actuation settings below). Every single time you start typing at a comfortable pace you'll be bumping the sides of keys accidentally, and every time you get in a scramble in whatever game you're playing you're going to get extra inputs. From what I can tell, you can't replace the switches to something with a tactile feel or a heavier weight, even from the SteelSeries website (for other keyboards they sell: YES, the parts are there; for THIS model (Apex Pro): NO, there's nothing, at least as of the time of this review). 2. In general, actuation settings have issues: a. You cannot apply actuation settings on anything to the right of the ENTER key or the Steel Series meta key itself or the Function keys. I don't know why I paid extra for a full keyboard over a third of the keys aren't fully functional. b. Dual actuation doesn't seem consistent or especially useful. I tried to find purposes for it but in my experience it's absolutely worthless. It also isn't available for the whole keyboard. c. It's also really easy to accidentally screw up all your custom actuation settings because by default it has all keys selected when you go into that part of the engine configuration, which is counter-intuitive because you might have come there while working on a specific key from the bindings or illumination tabs. For the same reasons, just don't EVER mess with actuation settings from the keyboard's built-in adjustments, especially if you have custom actuation settings on different keys, because you'll lose everything. d. The "rapid trigger" configuration fails to impress. Sometimes I think I can feel it working but I still miss fast double-taps frequently enough. This also doesn't work at all until after you apply a firmware update to the keyboard (at least as of when I bought this late in 2023) e. Setting a key's actuation value to 4.0 (represented as the bottom of the stroke visually in the settings) is still significantly high in the keypress. 3. You can't cycle backward through on-board profiles, and cycling is slow and clunky. You also can't assign hotkeys for accessing specific profiles on the fly. This is especially annoying when you have custom keybindings, so moving from a game to respond to someone in chat is really slow and clunky. 4. Macro keybindings don't work as you expect, unless they're brainlessly simple like Shift plus some other key. Not what I expected and not what I paid for. 6. All the default illumination settings are childishly distracting novelties and completely unusable by anyone trying to focus on anything whatsoever. Be prepared for a trippy flashbang every time you cycle from profile #2 back to your profile #1 until you manually override all 5 illumination profiles on the keyboard. 7. You must have 5 and exactly 5 profiles loaded at all times. You can't have less or more than that. You can store additional profiles in the engine config, but there's no officially supported way to back up or externally edit any of your profiles. 8. You can't get to your Apex Pro engine configuration directly. You need to open this other app called "SteelSeries GG" first. The "SteelSeries GG" is also problematic because occasionally it will notify you that it needs an update but the notification vanishes extremely fast and you then need to find the update under Settings->About. 9. The whole physical design of the keyboard: a. Why of all places would you put the keyboard's meta button for special functions and changing modes in the place of a commonly-used key? Why not put it in its own spot? Heck, why not put it in place of SCROLL LOCK which hasn't served any purpose whatsoever since 1985? Yes, you can re-assign it, but the key looks wrong and you have to do it for each profile. Just bad design. b. The keycaps themselves. Some edgelord at SteelSeries decided to be cool and invert the shift-modified character of each key with its unmodified counterpart, so for instance ":" appears BELOW ";" and "?" appears BELOW "/". This is just a visual thing and it won't bother too many people who already know how to type but it's just another wacky design choice that makes no sense. c. The cord for this keyboard is just COMICALLY stiff and thick. There's absolutely no justification for this, except maybe to keep it from getting stuck under your corner keys such as CTRL. If you occasionally have to rearrange your desk, such as for things like cleaning, or maybe swapping from your work setup to your free-time setup (this is my case) expect to have this cord fighting you every step of the way. d. Be prepared to have normal-width cords such as your mouse and headphones get stuck under the keys on the edge (looking at you, CTRL). There's nothing mechanically preventing this from happening. You'll regret this every time you find your CTRL key not actuating when you press it because you have a charging cable under it, or you drag your Apex Pro off your desk because your headphone cord was wrapped up in the top row of keys. Just make sure everything else on your desk is wireless and you'll be fine, I guess? e. The scroll wheel and special illuminated button on the top right of the keyboard. Seriously, I did NOT need another place to control my volume and play/pause videos. You CAN use this to adjust illumination and other settings but it's slow to start up and not especially friendly and it has potential to screw up your per-key custom settings. This behavior should have been customizable; in fact I dare say the scroll wheel should have been where you cycle up and down through profiles, and that button should have been the meta key. 10. On a few occasions my profiles have become corrupt and/or de-synchronized from the engine config view while saving and editing. This is hard to reproduce but it sucks when you put a lot of work into sensitivity and custom bindings and illumination for a specific setup. Pros: It's a keyboard. Custom bindings work. It hasn't broken yet. Feels solid. For a full-sized keyboard it's space-efficient even though the cord is obnoxious. In conclusion, I think many of these problems could be alleviated by better firmware and engine config features, but not everything. The only special feature I really needed, the custom keybindings, is working, and I'm happy that the keyboard feels like it's unlikely to break anytime soon, but everything else is a disappointment. I should have returned this thing but it didn't feel right with the effort I put into setting it up and with my fingerprints all over it. Any remaining uncorrected typographical errors present in this review, I'm blaming the random stray keystrokes. UPDATE 2024-06-23: I WISH it was possible to give this product ZERO stars. It reset my actuation settings in today, at some random time after my tournament started. This isn't even the first time this happened but the timing couldn't have been worse. I tried to file a support ticket on the steelseries support site and while it said at some point I submitted a ticket successfully I've yet to get a confirmation email and I'm just endlessly going back and forth with their chatbot, which by the way is completely useless. If you intend to buy this keyboard for advanced use and competitive play I strongly advise against it, and if you do anyway, I actually feel sorry for you.

The Steelseries Apex Pro is a superb keyboard. (Apology for the superlative!). It has been my favorite for the 10 days during which I tried seven other brands of keyboards. The typing was my easiest and best with this. I found out how much the keyboard wrist pad is useful. This, and other brands, I tried are for committed gamers. I have never played a single game, so you might wonder why I want it. This keyboard is more rugged, more resistant to passionate keyboard pounding during games. This can, and I believe, it does give it extra durability. Of course, durability and feature come with a price, but I have never regretted the keyboard design and manufacturing on that account. I do not want to paraphrase the features which are more than plenty in the ads. I like them all. The keyboard lighting is exceptional compared to others I have tested. My case has to do with guide and instruction the manufacturer publishes with the product. I must say the worst I had been exposed to was Logitech, even though I owned their products for several decades. In their case, it is a flimsy 2-page paper, where essential Logitech write-up shares its space with 9-10 other languages. My primary use of any keyboard is office type. My primary interest in the high-end gaming keyboards is the ability to create and use macros. Those macros can be used in non-gaming software, such as MS Office, Adobe, Movavi, and just about anything else. That was the place where my problem started. Inadequate documentation is common. Manufacturers count on the internet users to provide instructions for any aspect of the advertised features. If you cannot find what you are looking for you are ready for time consuming guesses. Actually, Steelseries Apex Pro is amongst the better ones. Unfortunately, there are those of us users, who had to be spoon fed the instructions despite decades of computer experience. I give Steelseries five stars, even though my initial bad guesses with the keyboard necessitated a return. But guess, the replacement is none other than Steelseries.