Apex 3 RGB Gaming Keyboard – 10-Zone RGB Illumination – IP32 Water Resistant – Premium Magnetic Wrist Rest (Whisper Quiet Gaming Switch)

As a Keyboard snob and a very hard keyboard user, I really like this keyboard and this company overall. It has a nice break for each key and while the typing is not whisper quiet, it is much less than a cherry red mechanical. I can touch type easily and quickly as everything is where it should be. I also have a older Apex 5 keyboard with the Cherry Brown keys I believe - great keyboard as well, but noisy. I think this Apex 3 is superior in feel and typeability. I have never used the wrist rest before on any keyboards due to my very large hands, but this time I gave it a go, and it really improved the overall feel through my wrists. I am now a believer in the hard smooth angled wrist rests One thing I really like about this keyboard is that you can get the white LEDs pretty bright so that I can program without overhead lighting and never not see the keys - it is bright enough and it looks legit while being bright. I am too old for the RGB effects, just give me bright white keys! On my Apex 5, I wore the keys to a high shine and it still hasn't missed a beat. Steel series knows how to put out a extremely useable, high quality product every time. I have had virtually all the big names keyboards and they all have their charms, but for reliability and quality, none has surpassed this manufacturer in my experience, although some have equaled it. From a dollars and cents standpoint - this is a excellent value!

Well its an amazing value for a quality Steelseies TKL Keyboard. Ive become very fond of it the more I use it. The keyboard is very well made. All of my keystroke activate precisely. No mistakes for missed or gently touched keys. This is one to keep in your arsenal. If you look at the prices for other SteelSeries gaming devices, there is a huge swing. I mean this amazingly good keyboard for around $30 to their others at $200. Im sure the technology is higher for their pro gaming products, you can feel and see some differences. I just dont have the coin to buy those higher priced devices! Im happy to own my steelseries TKL keyboard! The LEDs are beautiful and bright. They are highly customizable but Im happy with the rainbow scrolling. I have a steelseries I purchased. Its a win-win!

I bought this for my 14-year-old, and it’s been a great keyboard for both gaming and schoolwork. The hybrid switches feel clicky and responsive without being overly loud, and the RGB is bright and customizable enough for their setup. The included wrist rest adds real comfort and doesn’t slide around. No issues with software or macros so far. It’s a well-rounded keyboard that feels more premium than its price suggests.

The SteelSeries Apex 5 left a strong impression. It’s a well-built keyboard with some excellent features and clever design choices. The cable is thick, long, and even has a nice touch — the SteelSeries logo on the USB plug. The RGB effects are top-notch, with smooth transitions both on keypress and when idle. I was genuinely excited about all of this... until I noticed what was missing. And for me, that’s a big deal. Let’s break it down.😁 ### What Makes It (Almost) 5 Stars – The Good:😃 - Excellent Media Controls: The volume wheel is fantastic: easy to reach, smooth to use, and includes a click-to-mute function. The menu button also works similarly to the playback controls found on many headsets with built-in microphones or hands-free kits. Super convenient. - Onboard Controls – No Software Needed: You can manage brightness, RGB colors, effects, profiles, and more — all from the keyboard itself. No software required. Only macros can’t be directly viewed or edited in menu, which is a small detail worth noting. - Smart OLED Display: It shows the status of Num Lock, Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, and whether the Windows key is disabled. Very handy (though there’s a small catch — more on that below). - Customization & Visual Feedback: Besides full per-key RGB customization and reactive effects, pressing the “Fn” key (the SteelSeries logo key) lights up related function keys in red for quick reference. It’s super helpful… but again, not perfect (you can’t change the color — more on that too). - Profile Memory Built-In: You can save up to 5 profiles directly on the keyboard and toggle them on/off without cycling through all of them. I personally use just two: one for gaming and one for productivity. ### The Not-So-Good – My Gripes😒: - No Dedicated Context Menu Key: This is my biggest issue. A full-size keyboard should include the dedicated menu key (the "right-click menu" key). SteelSeries replaced it with their custom “Fn” key, which really disrupted my usual workflow. I ended up switching to Shift + F10 to keep things consistent across devices. - Fn Key Can’t Be Reassigned: The SteelSeries logo key, which replaces the context menu key, is fixed — it can’t be remapped. Personally, I’d have preferred having the Windows key only on the left, and using the right one for Fn, keeping the menu key in its usual place. - OLED Button Always Lit: The brightness of the button next to the OLED screen cannot be dimmed or turned off. If you’re working in a dark room or watching movies, this little light will keep shining at you — kind of annoying. - OLED Icons Overlap Custom Logos: If you upload a custom image to the OLED screen, the status icons for Num Lock, Caps, etc. may overlap your logo. Not a dealbreaker, but it limits how creative you can get with personalization. - No Visual Feedback When Windows Key Is Locked: Unlike other lock states (like Caps Lock), there’s no lighting change or visual indicator on the keyboard itself when the Windows key is disabled — just a small icon on the OLED. Feels inconsistent. - Function Key Highlight Color Can’t Be Changed: When pressing “Fn,” the related keys light up red — but that red is not customizable. If your RGB theme is red, this effect becomes basically invisible. - Slight Input Delay: There’s a small delay in key activation. I don’t notice it while typing or working, but for competitive gaming, it might matter. Rtings.com confirmed this in their testing too. - Non-Replaceable Hybrid Switches This is the most serious issue. The switches aren’t standard and can’t be replaced by the user. If a key fails, you’re stuck with relying on warranty, support… or scavenging another board. Not great. ### Neutral Points – Might Be Good or Bad Depending on You🤷🏻‍♂️: - Actuation Distance: I switched from a keyboard with ultra-light 0.8 mm actuation, and I kept typing extra characters. The Apex 5 feels much more precise and helped reduce typos — a big plus for me. - Key Feel & Keycaps: The keycaps aren’t made from premium material, but they feel decent. Coming from linear switches, the tactile feel took a bit of getting used to — but I adjusted quickly. - Magnetic Wrist Rest: I don’t use it much, but the magnets are strong and hold it firmly in place. - Macro Labeling (M1, M2, etc.): Some keys are labeled as macro keys (M1, M2...), which can be confusing at first — but you’ll get used to it. - Customization Without Software: You can change basic RGB effects and profiles directly from the keyboard. The software adds more depth, but it’s nice that you’re not forced to use it. - USB Plug with Logo: A small but smart touch: the SteelSeries logo on the USB plug helps you spot which device you’re plugging in. - No Physical Lock LEDs: The lock indicators (Num Lock, Caps, Scroll) have been moved to the OLED screen, and you can set those keys to change color when active. Some might miss the old-school LED lights, but I’m fine with it. ### Final Verdict 💸😇 The SteelSeries Apex 5 is a well-built, visually polished keyboard with great RGB, useful media controls, and a solid set of features for gamers and professionals alike. Still, a few oversights — especially the missing context menu key and the non-replaceable switches — keep it from being a perfect 5-star device in my eyes. If those flaws don’t bother you, then this keyboard is an easy recommendation. Just know what you're getting — and what you're not

UPDATE: 1/10/24 - Long term comment here - I love this keyboard, buying one for my wife now... It has been working flawlessly for over 1 year now without a single hiccup and gaming every night!! Originally purchased Nov '22 - I highly recommend this product! ************************************************** I am not easily impressed and i am not one who would normally spend $50 on a keyboard... This is my first product from Steel Series Let me just get this 1 Major Negative out of the way first. This prevented a 5-star review that i nearly never give <sigh> 1. The default light pattern is RGB and you have little control out of the box, at best you can control the speed at which the color changed across the zones. Quick google search said you need to install the OEM software to get more control over the colors. Hmm, i wasn't pleased about that but so be it, a lot of OEMs do it and its just more crap running on your pc to slow it down.. 2. Software installed was 270MB, pretty darn big TBH, It installed tons of irrelevant stuff for products i do not own.. This could certainly have been done better. 3. YOU MUST CREATE AN ACCOUNT with Steel Series to change anything about your product!!!! WHY??? Just another account username and password to track just so i can set a static color??? **On the bright side, the control software Does Not need to run to keep your color settings, i do suspect if you use the other feature the software provides then you may have to have the software running in the background. OK, that is the ONLY gripe i have so far, Tempted to give a 3- star but that would be me placing too much weight on something that really annoys me and not fair to this product. So, What is good about this item? Taking the software issue out of the equation, it would be a 5 star product for sure. The only thing that would make it better is a lower price. I had just a few simple requirements for my keyboard and this fits perfectly. - Quiet - I hate the clackity clack typing sound especially when gaming - Backlit - I hate RGB and rolling RGB on a keyboard, i find it distracting. I like a nice soft glow to illuminate the keys so i can see the letters in the dark. I used to use blue or purple but have settled on red these past few years. - Compact, but full keyboard layout (108 keys?) - I hate big @$$ keyboards with tons of buttons, switches and misc. macro keys. Yes they have their purpose and are useful to some people, guess I'm getting old an traditional. - Durability - Who doesn't want that??? Side note, Ergonomics IMHO is a personal preference but i kind of feel like the buttons are too high against the base but the keypresses are solid and actuation defined like when pulling the trigger on a quality firearm, you barely feel the slack being taken up and the you get a crisp break of the trigger. Very light keys with positive stroke, it's just good, end of story. All boxes checked with this keyboard - Durability TBD but it feels pretty solid so far. Backlight can be very dim or resemble the surface of the sun (not quite but it is bright). I know they call it "Steel Series" but this thing as some weight to it, it's not heavy but it is clearly not just a block of super thin/cheap plastic.. I have not thoroughly explored the software capability but a brief romp around the menu's looks to be extremely inclusive and a similar type ecosystem to Corsair's iCue ecosystem which allows the software to interface and control all aspects of the OEM's product line. I found a lack of details or explanations for some of the features but not to terrible, most options are pretty straight forward. I believe in HONEST reviews and this has been my honest review that i almost didn't do but morally i have to give credit to Steel Series on a good product, they earned that much especially since this is the first product of theirs i have ever purchased.

I literally just unboxed this (simple as plug and play) and used it for a few mins and can already tell how well built is is, feels amazing, lightweight, works great, and practically silent, the design is nice and simple but the biggest win is how the keyboard feels and sounds. Would recommend just keep in mind there isn’t a number pad.

If this is the price range you're in, get this one. Ive gone through several keyboards around and above this price, and damn do I love this thing. Sleek, comfortable, just the right amount of noise you'd want from a mechanical (enough to barely hear but not notice, not picked up on mic), hasn't degraded in quality even a little bit. If you're prone to smacking your keyboard like I am, rest assured this thing can take a serious beating. You would literally have to snap it in half for it to lose functionality.

I can enthusiastically recommend this keyboard. It feels good to type on, it's well made, the palm rest is soft and comfortable and the keys have backlighting such that one can see the keycaps in dark conditions and type accurately. This is a well made product. I've had an Apex 3 TKL for about a year and it's been fantastic, and recently ordered the full version and am very happy with it. I attempted to look for a Mac compatible key caps set and was unable to find one. If Steelseries was ever to make any improvements I would love to see a set of key caps I could swap in for Mac keys.