SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3  Keyboard Review

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 is a fairly large, full-size keyboard that takes up quite a bit of desk space.

There's a more compact variant of this keyboard, called the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3. You can reference the dimensions of this variant at the bottom of SteelSeries' product page.

This keyboard has impressive build quality. The chassis is made of plastic, and the top plate is made of aluminum. Altogether, the board is quite stiff without any noticeable deck flexing. The keycaps are made of high-quality doubleshot PBT plastic. They feel nice to the touch and have a slightly rough textured finish.

The back of the keyboard also has four large rubber pads, and they do a good job of keeping the keyboard in place without slipping on desks.

A channel for cable management is on the underside that mirrors the design of the cable channel on the last-gen SteelSeries Apex Pro. However, the cable on the newer Gen 3 is a bit thinner in diameter, and the port is in a different location. This means that this channel isn't as functional, and we found the cable easily slid out of this channel during testing.

This new model has added acoustic foam inside the case and small foam pieces inside the spacebar, which helps dampen the noise and impact while typing.

There's some wobbling on the keys, but it isn't as noticeable as it is on previous models in the Apex Pro lineup. The stabilizers generally do a good job of keeping larger keys stable. However, there's some rattling on the right side of the spacebar as well as the backspace, shift, and enter keys, which is also present on the previous-generation SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023).

This keyboard also includes a removable wrist rest. It has a rubberized top, a black plastic bottom, and two strong magnets that secure it in place. The rubber feet on the bottom of the wrist rest provide good traction on desks but tend to get dusty quite easily.

There are some minor build quality differences between this keyboard and its smaller variant, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3, which doesn't have a cable channel. However, its feet have an additional incline angle and a slot for storing the included keycap puller on the underside.

If you're looking for a similar wireless keyboard with Hall effect switches but prefer a more premium aluminum case, gasket mount design, and better-tuned stabilizers, check out the IQUNIX EZ60/EZ63.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 includes a wrist rest that provides good palm support while typing and attaches to the keyboard with a pair of magnets.

There are two flip-out feet on the back of the keyboard that offer an additional incline option.

On the smaller variant of this keyboard, the Apex Pro TKL Gen 3, the feet provide one additional incline angle.

Unlike previous Apex Pro Gen 3 keyboards where all switches were soldered to the PCB, all the alphanumeric keys with OmniPoint 3.0 switches on this keyboard are removable. However, all Gateron Red mechanical switches are soldered. For more details, see the Switches section.

If you're interested in a gaming keyboard with a hot-swappable PCB that's compatible with both mechanical and Hall effect switches, check out the GLORIOUS GMMK 3 PRO HE.

This keyboard has outstanding full RGB backlighting. You can use the customization software or the keyboard's OLED screen to adjust lighting effects, brightness, and colors.

Note that you need to have the software running in the background to use custom RGB settings.

The keycaps have shine-through legends, making them easy to read in darker rooms. When set to display white-only backlighting, it has a fairly strong blue tint.

While the legends are still quite clear, they're a bit more obstructed compared to the legends on the previous generation SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023). This may be caused by changes to the new LED design on the new OmniPoint 3.0 switches or may be related to the fact that they aren't soldered to the PCB as the previous-generation switches were.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 doesn't have dedicated macro keys, but you can record macros to any key, either on-the-fly using a keyboard shortcut (SteelSeries Function Key + F10) or using the configuration software.

This keyboard has a fairly wide array of extra features, including a programmable OLED screen. Using the button and scroll wheel next to it, you can control media playback or enable a variety of settings, including Rapid Trigger and switch actuation distance. You can also use this screen to perform a factory reset, conduct a switch calibration routine, or display system information such as CPU and GPU temperature. Additionally, you can upload and display a small image or video file (.gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, or .bmp).

The Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, Windows Key lock and Num lock keys display white backlighting when enabled.

Using keyboard shortcuts, you can change profiles, adjust actuation distance, and enable Rapid Trigger settings, among other settings. For a list of shortcuts and other information regarding extra features, see an online version of the user manual.

For all extra features related to switch actuation settings, see the Configuration Software section.

• USB-A to USB-C cable
• Wrist rest
• Keycap puller
• User documentation

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 provides an impressive typing experience. The keys wobble slightly, though it's a bit less noticeable than on previous models in the lineup. The keycaps have a slightly rough texture for added grip but feel pleasant to the touch.

The stabilizers are pre-lubed, but it's quite minimal. They mostly do a fine job of keeping larger keys stable, but there's still a bit of a higher pitched rattle on the right side of the spacebar and minor wobble on the backspace, shift, and enter keys, which is also present on the previous generation SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023).

There are layers of sound-dampening foam inside the case and under the spacebar which helps to considerably round out the sound signature and dampen unwanted clacky noises.

This keyboard is quiet and unlikely to bother those around you, despite some rattle on larger stabilized keys and the spacebar in particular.

The OmniPoint 3.0 switches on this keyboard are Hall effect switches that allow you to customize actuation and reset points. They're quite lightweight and have a smooth travel without any tactile bump.

By default, the actuation point of the switches is set to 1.8 mm, which is the setting we used to test this keyboard and produce the graph above. You can adjust the pre-travel distance of keys within a range of 0.1 mm–4.0 mm.

Note: When we first tested this keyboard, we found that the software actuation setpoints were quite inaccurate, even after performing a full factory reset and switch calibration. SteelSeries has since improved actuation accuracy through several firmware updates, as shown in our Adjustable Input Granularity test, which we added in a test bench update after our initial review. However, accuracy still falls somewhat short compared to competing options, such as the Wooting 80HE and NuPhy Field75 HE.

This keyboard offers very good input granularity overall, with a small minimum step depth. However, it has a moderate top deadzone, so the most sensitive settings don't fully match their software setpoints, and it also shows a somewhat limited detection ratio across the full keystroke. These factors don't cause any noticeable issues in gameplay, but they make it slightly less responsive in measured performance compared to some competing models.

It doesn't support true analog output, but that's rarely a limitation in most gaming scenarios. However, it also means the keyboard can't mimic gamepad or joystick inputs, which some users may want for platformers, racing sims, or flight sims.

Most of the keys on the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 use OmniPoint 3.0 Hall effect switches, which allow you to customize actuation settings. See this image, which highlights all 61 customizable switches.

However, the function row, navigation cluster, and numpad use Gateron Red mechanical switches. You can't customize actuation settings on those switches.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 has remarkably low single-key latency. It delivers an extremely responsive-feeling experience for games in any genre and casual or competitive play.

We tested with the actuation point set to its lowest setting (0.1 mm) and with Rapid Trigger set to its most sensitive setting (0.1 mm).

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 has remarkable multi-key latency. It's very well-suited for playing games that require additional keystrokes while multiple keys are pressed and maintained.

We tested with the actuation point set to its lowest setting (0.1 mm) and with Rapid Trigger set to its most sensitive setting (0.1 mm).

This keyboard has a maximum polling rate of 1000Hz, and data transmission isn't bottlenecked by other latency components. It also supports N-key rollover by default out of the box and can send multiple inputs per USB report.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 has very good chord split performance, with fairly low 4-chord and 8-chord split delay, making it suitable for playing rhythm titles or other games requiring many simultaneous inputs.

The software has a straightforward layout and is reasonably intuitive, though it may take some experimentation, as it offers some fairly complex advanced customization options.

You can reprogram keys, change RGB lighting and effects, record macros, and configure custom profiles. You can also save all your custom settings to the keyboard's onboard memory.

This keyboard supports several additional features related to switch actuation settings, detailed below. 

• Rapid Trigger
  Allows you to customize switch reset points or the distance a switch needs to travel back upwards once you've activated a keystroke. This setting can be useful for making much faster repeat inputs.
• Protection Mode
  This mode protects against accidental keypresses by reducing the sensitivity of surrounding keys. For more details, SteelSeries has an FAQ response about this feature on their website.
• Dual Actuation/ Dual Bindings
  Lets you program two different actions to the same key, depending on how far down you press.
• Rapid Tap (SOCD)
  Specifies pairs of keys with custom trigger behavior along optional parameters. Ex: prioritizes the last-pressed key in a pair, without needing to fully release the previous key. Disclaimer: Using this setting may not be allowed in some competitive online games, such as CS:2.

Similar to the software options from other major manufacturers, this software receives criticism for requiring frequent updates and taking up disproportionate system resources. You may find this software frustrating if you prefer more lightweight software options or no software at all.

Note: SteelSeries indicates on its website that not all features are compatible with MacOS. However, during testing on a Mac, we didn't encounter any features that behaved unusually. In particular, all actuation settings, including Rapid Trigger, Protection Mode, and Rapid Tap, worked as expected.

All default functions on this keyboard work in Windows, macOS, and Linux. However, the customization software is only compatible with Windows and macOS.