SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023) Keyboard Review

It's a fairly compact keyboard that doesn't take up much space on your desk compared to most full-size keyboards, including the original full-size SteelSeries Apex Pro. It isn't as compact as the Apex Pro Mini Wireless. You can also choose to remove the included wrist rest if you prefer.

If you're interested in a newer, full-size version in the same product lineup, check out the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3.

This keyboard has impressive build quality. The chassis is made of plastic with only a small degree of flexibility, and the top plate is made of aluminum, which looks and feels high-quality. The keycaps are made of PBT plastic. They feel nice to the touch and have a textured finish for added grip. There's some wobbling on the keys, but it isn't very noticeable while typing. On the back of the keyboard, there's an indent in the case for storing the included keycap puller.

If you're interested in a similar gaming keyboard with Hall effect switches but with more premium-feeling build quality, check out the Keychron Q1 HE.

This keyboard has good ergonomics. There are two plastic incline feet on the back of the keyboard that offer two incline angles. There's also an included wrist rest, which is unusual for keyboards of this size. The wrist rest attaches magnetically and provides good support.

This keyboard has outstanding full RGB backlighting with individually lit keys. You can use the companion software to customize lighting effects and colors on a per-key basis.

The keycaps have shine-through legends, making them easy to read in darker rooms. Unfortunately, the color mixing is poor, and the white lighting has a strong blue tint.

This keyboard has a detachable, braided USB-A to USB-C cable. The cable feels high quality but retains some kinks from its packaging.

This is a wired-only keyboard, but there's also a wireless version of this keyboard available called the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023).

This keyboard has various extra features, some of which are fairly standard on similar gaming keyboards at this price point, like Full Key NKRO and anti-ghosting, storage for onboard profiles, and media hotkeys keys.

One of the more unique features this keyboard offers is the ability to adjust the actuation point of its OmniPoint 2.0 switches within a range of 0.2mm-3.8mm. You can also program dual bindings for two separate actions at different actuation points. Note that you can only adjust the actuation point on the keyboard's 61 alphanumeric keys, as seen in this image. You can't adjust the actuation point of the function keys, navigation keys, and arrow keys.

There's an OLED screen on the right side of the keyboard that you can use to customize select options directly on your keyboard without using software, custom profile, RGB lighting, and actuation point settings. You can also use it to display custom images or short animations.

• SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023)
• Wrist rest
• USB-A to USB-C cable
• Keycap puller
• User documentation

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023) offers a great typing experience. The keycaps feel high quality and are made of PBT plastic with pleasantly textured surfaces for added grip. The keys wobble a bit, but it's hard to notice while typing. The switches themselves have a smooth linear feel without any tactile feedback. You can also adjust your typing experience somewhat by adjusting the actuation point of switches between more sensitive or deliberate pre-travel distances, and the switches have a smooth linear feel.

This keyboard is at the upper limit of what we would consider quiet. If you're concerned about noise, you may want to check out our recommendations for the best quiet keyboards for alternatives.

This keyboard uses switches that allow you to change the actuation point of the 61 alphanumeric keys (highlighted in this picture). Note that the function, navigation, and arrow keys aren't adjustable and have a default linear feel.

By default, the actuation point of the switches is set to 1.8 mm, which is the setting we used to test this keyboard. You can adjust the pre-travel distance of keys within a range of 0.2mm–3.8mm, which is an improvement over previous generation OmniPoint switches found on earlier models in this lineup with an actuation range between 0.4mm–3.6mm. It's important to note that during testing with this adjustable pre-travel distance, the recorded measurement varied slightly between 0.1 mm and 0.3 mm longer than the measurement set in the software. However, these differences are very marginal, so you're unlikely to notice the difference, and it doesn't present issues during gameplay. However, you may need to slightly fine-tune individual keypresses to achieve your desired sensitivity levels.

If you're interested in a keyboard that offers similar functionality, allowing you to adjust the pre-travel of individual keys more consistently and precisely, check out the Wooting 60HE.

Alternatively, if you're interested in an analog gaming keyboard that uses tactile Topre switches, see our review of the REALFORCE GX1.

This keyboard has remarkably low latency. It delivers an extremely responsive-feeling experience for games in any genre and casual or competitive play.

SteelSeries added a Rapid Trigger feature to this keyboard via a firmware update post-launch. This feature allows you to adjust the sensitivity of the switch reset point or how far the switch needs to travel back up and reset before you can register another keystroke. This feature can help you register repeated keystrokes more quickly.

We tested the latency of this keyboard with the actuation point set to its lowest setting (0.2mm) and with Rapid Trigger set to its most sensitive setting (0.1mm).

This keyboard offers excellent multi-key latency performance, making it very well-suited for playing games requiring additional inputs while multiple keys are already being pressed and held down.

We tested the latency of this keyboard with the actuation point set to its lowest setting (0.2mm) and with Rapid Trigger set to its most sensitive setting (0.1mm).

This keyboard has excellent data transmission performance. It 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.

If you're interested in a similar analog gaming keyboard with a higher maximum polling rate of 8000Hz, check out the NuPhy Field75 HE.

This keyboard uses SteelSeries GG software. The software is well laid out, easy to use, and provides a wide range of adjustable options. You can rebind keys, program macros, adjust the pre-travel distance of individual switches, and adjust RGB lighting settings. You can also adjust the actuation point of these switches or record macros directly on the keyboard without using the software if you prefer. Note that certain settings, including custom RGB settings, can't be saved to onboard memory and require the software to run in the background.

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.

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