SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3 evaluation: A gaming keyboard constructed for pace

Greatest Costs At the moment: Steelseries Apex Professional Gen 3

SteelSeries has despatched its flagship keyboard into its third technology. The corporate claims the Apex Professional Gen 3 is the quickest gaming keyboard on the planet, that includes new magnetic switches, improved consolation, and quieter typing. We took a better look to see what’s behind the hype and whether or not the premium worth is justified.

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SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3: Design and ergonomics

The SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3 makes an impression as quickly as you unpack it. The housing consists of a sturdy aluminum prime and a strong plastic base. Weighing round 2.42 kilos, it sits firmly on the desk. Nothing wobbles, nothing slips.

A sensible spotlight is the magnetic palm relaxation, which adheres firmly to the decrease edge and presents a pleasantly gentle floor. It supplies noticeable reduction for the wrists, particularly throughout lengthy gaming classes. The keyboard is full-size, together with a quantity pad, making it ultimate for anybody who writes or does workplace work. Nonetheless, with dimensions of round 436 × 139 × 40 millimeters, it does take up a good quantity of desk house.

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The RGB lighting is remarkably even. Because of the brand new double-shot PBT keycaps, the sunshine not solely shines by way of the labeling, but additionally from the perimeters. These keycaps are recognized for his or her sturdiness and abrasion resistance, provide a safe grip, and hardly discolor over time.

One small drawback is that PBT keycaps are dearer to fabricate and might really feel barely rougher than ABS caps. In darkish rooms, this appears spectacular with out being distracting. The matte end appears top quality and hardly attracts fingerprints.

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SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3: Equipment

Along with the keyboard itself, the field incorporates a removable, braided USB-C cable, the magnetic palm relaxation, and a keycap remover. Substitute caps or different extras are usually not included. Whereas they aren’t important for a premium keyboard on this class, their presence would’ve been a welcome bonus.

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SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3: Know-how and options

On the coronary heart of the SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3 are the brand new OmniPoint 3.0 switches, manufactured by Gateron. These magnetic switches register keystrokes not mechanically, however through a Corridor-effect sensor. This can be a expertise that works with magnetic fields to measure key journey (with out contact) and with excessive precision.

The switches have a linear really feel with an actuating pressure of round 45 grams, which allows quick and constant enter. The standout characteristic is the per-key adjustability, permitting actuation depth to be set wherever from an ultra-fast 0.1 mm to a full 4.0 mm.

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In observe, because of this for those who want quick response occasions in shooters, you possibly can set the buttons to extraordinarily advantageous triggering. If you happen to favor exact typing, enhance the depth for extra typing management. The customization takes place within the SteelSeries GG software program and is saved on to the keyboard. This permits customers to play with their saved profiles even with out the software program put in.

Not all keys are geared up with the dearer OmniPoint switches. Whereas the primary block makes use of them, the perform row and quantity keys depend on basic linear SteelSeries Pink switches. That is hardly noticeable in on a regular basis use, but it surely’s nonetheless value noting. There isn’t any hot-swap perform for changing the switches.

SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3: Efficiency

The polling fee is 1,000 Hz. That’s strong, however not record-breaking. Some high-end keyboards now provide as much as 8,000 Hz. Because of this the SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3 registers inputs as much as 1,000 occasions per second, which helps preserve enter latency very low.

The keyboard additionally helps N-key rollover and anti-ghosting, in order that a number of simultaneous keystrokes are reliably acknowledged. That is particularly essential for fast-paced video games.

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One spotlight is the “Speedy Set off” perform, which permits a key to reset and actuate once more as quickly as it’s lifted barely. In fast-paced video games reminiscent of Valorant or Counter-Strike 2, this allows lightning-fast route adjustments.

Together with “Twin Motion Keybinds” (i.e. double task relying on the depth of stress), the SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3 turns into a critical device in esports. One button can carry out two actions: a lightweight press prompts strolling, for instance, whereas a stronger press in the identical keystroke prompts sprinting. That is ultimate for dynamic actions in video games reminiscent of Apex Legends or Name of Obligation.

SteelSeries has additionally improved the keyboard’s acoustics. A layer of damping materials now sits between the circuit board and the bottom. In consequence, it’s a lot quieter than different mechanical keyboards. It produces extra of a mild “thock” as an alternative of the standard click-clack.

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SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3: Software program and operation

Setup through the SteelSeries GG software program is easy. Right here you possibly can set the set off level for every button, regulate the lighting, program macros, or handle profiles. Significantly handy are the predefined presets for well-known video games reminiscent of Apex Legends, CS2, and Fortnite.

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An built-in OLED show within the prime right-hand nook exhibits system data, quantity, profiles, and incoming Discord messages. It will also be custom-made with private textual content or a small emblem.

Along with the aluminum rotary wheel, the show additionally doubles as a hub for media management. Right here you possibly can regulate the quantity, hit play or pause, and modify the lighting. Nonetheless, there aren’t any devoted media buttons, which is a little bit of a disgrace at this worth level.

SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3: On a regular basis life and gaming

In on a regular basis use, the SteelSeries Apex Professional Gen 3 proves to be a real all-rounder. It feels pleasantly direct and exact when typing and reacts lightning-fast in gaming conditions. Shooters, specifically, profit from the low latency. When taking part in Valorant and Name of Obligation, keys responded virtually immediately.

The keyboard additionally impresses with lengthy texts. The stroke stays gentle, the typing noise discreet, and the palm relaxation ensures consolation. Anybody who has ever skilled the distinction between 0.1 and 4 millimeters of actuation will perceive how finely the typing habits may be tuned.

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The one draw back is that, with its weight and wired connection, the Apex Professional Gen 3 is clearly designed as a desktop keyboard. If you happen to’re often on the transfer, it’s higher to go for the TKL or wi-fi model. That model, nonetheless, comes with second-generation OmniPoint switches.