INTRODUCTION

   During the past 3 years or so most gaming keyboards we've seen roll-out from the majority of the gaming peripheral manufacturers out there have been mechanical ones since they offer superior durability (build quality), much longer lifespan (key presses) and tactile feedback compared to regular membranes ones (or at least that's what the general opinion is). Of course one of the things i love about this industry is that there's always at least one manufacturer out there who likes to stand out from the others and do things quite differently and Mad Catz did exactly that with their S.T.R.I.K.E. line of gaming keyboards a while back since they went with a special membrane design instead. Well although i can't really say if that was the right choice or not (time will tell just how good these keyboards were) SteelSeries has also decided to launch two new membrane (rubber dome) based gaming keyboards the feature-rich APEX and the more "mainstream" APEX[RAW] and so today we will start with the APEX.

   From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making professional gaming gear that provide meaningful benefits to gamers of all skill-level, with the most demanding being those gamers whose lively hood depends on the performance of our products. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying! What originally began as a small two-person operation in Copenhagen back in 2001 has become a global leader in professional gaming products. SteelSeries recognized the need for superior, high-quality professional gaming gear that would give players a competitive edge. Fast-forward to today, and we've come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!

   The APEX gaming keyboard is perhaps the most complete model SteelSeries has built to date and comes fully packed with features including low-profile keys, 5 fully customizable illumination zones (16.8m colors), anti-ghosting technology that supports up to 6 simultaneous key presses during gaming use, 22 raised macro keys each of which can be used on 4 available profiles (resulting in 88 total macros), an enlarged space bar for increased comfort, swappable feet and finally several independent media keys (placed on the far right). Of course just like most gaming peripherals by SteelSeries you can customize and control most of the features found in the APEX through their very easy to use engine control software. So yes although the APEX doesn't feature mechanical keys that pretty much seems to be the only "downside" if you can call it that (since that comes down to personal preference) so let's see exactly what it brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

We did expect the APEX to arrive inside a long box but this is a bit over the top. Regardless at the front we see a large product image and of course the main features listed right next to the SteelSeries logo.

At the base of the box SteelSeries showcases the 5 different color/illumination zones.

The features of the APEX are listed in 10 languages at the rear and are showcased on a rather small product image.

As you can see the APEX is also placed inside a plastic bag while the box has several cardboard sections keeping it in place during shipping.

Well the bundle is quite basic and leaving out the APEX gaming keyboard you will also get a case badge, quick start guide and two rubber feet.

THE APEX

Although the center section of the APEX gaming keyboard is dressed with black glossy plastic the exterior features a matte/texture coating. Size-wise the APEX is one of the largest keyboards we've seen to date measuring a maximum of 555mm in length, 220mm in width and 33mm in height (tallest point).

The SteelSeries logo is placed on the upper right and yes just like the keys you can choose the illumination color.

SteelSeries decided to use an oversized space button which took me some time to get used to (the main keyboard area is slightly smaller than what we see with other keyboards).

On the far left we see 4 macro layer keys and 10 macro keys right beneath them.

Unlike most keyboards SteelSeries has left F1 through F12 alone so they don't double as media keys. However right above them they have placed 12 more macro keys this time placed higher to make it easier to locate/use while gaming.

The APEX has in independent media keys placed on the far right (not very useful to me but I’m sure others will disagree).

There are two USB 2.0 ports left and right from where the connection cable exits the keyboard. Of course i still don't know why manufacturers refuse to make their peripherals USB 3.0 compatible (especially since the specs for USB 3.1 were just announced).

SteelSeries has also focused a lot in the design section of the APEX so on both sides there are LED areas that illuminate along with the keys.

Another unique feature of the APEX is the removable rubber feet instead of the usual height adjusters.

The preinstalled rubber feet give the APEX an angle of 7 degrees while the ones in the bundle increase that angle to 10.

As expected SteelSeries has used a long braided cable for the APEX along with two USB connectors (for extra power when you use the forward ports) however for some weird reason they are not gold plated (not that it matters but it does look better).

USING THE APEX

First thing you will need to do especially since there's no software disc in the bundle is to head over to the official SteelSeries support page and download both the latest firmware version and the latest Engine software version.

For quite a few years SteelSeries has been using unified firmware update software so once you launch it you will see many of their products (just choose the APEX). The entire procedure takes a few minutes and you need to have both USB ports plugged with your computer.

The first time you will launch the SteelSeries Engine you will need to choose the layout of your model (you can also change it later on from within the Engine software).

Once the Engine control software is launched you will see a large drawing of the keyboard (you can also see that we are using the Sensei MLG gaming mouse with our test rig). Through the Engine control software you can customize any key (different keystroke/macro/to launch programs), set the 88 different macros (through the 4 different layers), adjust the lighting on the keyboard, create profiles based on games and also to adjust the polling rate of keys. There's also the usual statistics screen which can help you see which keys it is that you are using more (can be quite useful for serious gamers).

Here we see the initial illumination (default) and how the APEX looks with everything turned to red through the Engine software (the center seems like orange and not red but it could be me).

CONCLUSION

   As we speak i consider 3 gaming peripherals manufacturers as the top in this industry and SteelSeries is amongst them for a reason so i never had any doubts about the success of their APEX gaming keyboard. The materials used are of high quality, it has a very sleek design, it's very easy to use (largely thanks to the fact that it has no unnecessary bells and whistles on it) and it offers many features that serious gamers will find extremely useful such as a total of 88 macro key commands, low-profile keys which are faster to use compared to regular ones, rubber feet which make it extremely hard for the keyboard to get pushed around and finally five different illumination zones which can certainly help (although mostly for show). That however does not mean that the APEX is perfect and it's really not since aside the fact that the keys are very soft to press and offer little feedback (after using mechanical keyboards this may annoy some people) the main keyboard area (l/r shift) is not as large as with other keyboards so if you go from let's say the 6GV2 to the APEX you will probably need some time getting used to it. That's not really a serious drawback since it took us but a couple of hours to get used to it (including the large space key) but we like calling things as we see them.

   Since the APEX gaming keyboard doesn't have the extra bells and whistles that the majority of users out there will probably never get to use SteelSeries has given it a very attractive price tag which is currently set at USD99.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 99.99Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). Granted since we are not talking about a gaming keyboard with Cherry MX keys many people will find it expensive but at the end of the day SteelSeries also gives their rubber dome keys a lifespan of 5 million keystrokes so if the end result is the same durability-wise i don't see a problem. Perhaps the sole problem is the lack of tactile feedback which you can get by using a mechanical gaming keyboard but many gamers will probably like that (i didn't however). Still overall the APEX is without doubt one of the best gaming keyboards we've used in the last 3 years and that's why gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Low-Profile Keys
- 22 Macro Keys (88 Macro Commands Total)
- 5-Zone Color Illumination
- Independent Media Keys
- Anti-Ghosting Technology (Up To 6 Simultaneous Key Presses)
- Enlarged Space Bar
- Removable Rubber Feet
- 2 Front USB Ports

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Membrane Keys (For Some)