Steelseries Apex 5 Mechanical Keyboard Review

Performance

Plug the keyboard in, and it will immediately spark to life with a shower of vivid colours. The matte grey aluminium alloy finish of the keyboard does provide a fantastic contrast for the lighting. It certainly makes more sense than just making everything black too. The light texture of the metalwork catches and diffuses the light really nicely giving it a warmer and smoother fade effect between the switches.

The colours are super vibrant too, which may be a bit much for some, but of course, you can dial that down and change the colour and tone of every single switch. With that in mind, you can go as minimalist or as neon-80’s retro crazy as your heart desires.

What I do love about this keyboard is the OLED display, it’s such a simple yet elegant addition. It can show you game stats, volume levels, track information, funny animations and more. There’s an SDK out there for it, so if you’re a bit of a tinkerer, you can really make this your own. It’s nice and clear and it’s basically the same tech we’ve seen them stick on the side of their flagship gaming mice too.

The most important aspect for me is the switches though. They fell pretty fantastic, and offer a really fast and light clicky option. Think Cherry MX Speed with a bit of a tap to them. The travel is 4mm, but they’ll actuate at 2mm. With just a 50cN force, you’re free to touch type with confidence and speed.

The main selling point for me though is comfort. I’ll take whatever leaves my hands feeling less tired at the end of the day. For that, SteelSeries score top marks. The magnetic wrist rest is massive, and provides ample room for much full wrist to rest on. Plus, the keys are so high that I feel like a puppet when typing with raised wrists. For work and gaming, it’s an absolute joy to use. Light, fast and comfortable for extended periods.