SteelSeries Apex 7 Mechanical Keyboard Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The SteelSeries Apex 7 is available right now with an MSRP of £169.99, although I have seen it go as low as £149.99 in some deals here and there. In the US, it’s listed at just $159.99. It’s available in Blue, Brown and Red switches, as well as multiple layouts for American, English, French, German, Nordic and Turkish regions. Overall, there should be a model for everyone.

Overview

It’s really like I’m seeing double this month, as this keyboard is basically identical to the SteelSeries Apex Pro I reviewed last month. That’s not a problem for you though, as the Apex Pro is a truly incredible looking and very well made keyboard. By design, the Apex 7 is equally well made and is more than competitive with the best any of their rivals have to offer. Of course, it bloody well needs to be brilliantly made, given the price tag is around £150+ as for that, only the best will do. As I said though, SteelSeries is right on the money, and you won’t be disappointed with quality here.

Performance

It’s every bit as good as one could hope for really. What’s interesting is that its raw performance isn’t all that unlike the more expensive Omnipoint switch model, the Apex Pro. They’re both linear switch gaming keyboards at the end of the day, and both superb at everything you throw at them. The difference is you can change the actuation point on the Pro model, but that may not be something that appeals to everyone’s needs, or even more so, their wallets.

For those on Cherry switches, I can understand a lot of brand loyalty may be in play here. However, SteelSeries is one of the top keyboard brands at the moment and their red switches can hold their own all day long. I’d be stumped in a blind test even after the hundreds of Cherry keyboards I’ve tested over the years.

Added Value

SteelSeries knows that to stand out from all the other similar keyboards, they need something unique. Their RGB engine is every bit as flexible and colourful as the other top name brands. They have a macro engine, onboard profiles, multimedia control and more. So in that respect, they’re very competitive. The aluminium construction is sublime, and the USB pass-through is a welcome addition too. I guess the real unique features are the magnetic wrist rest and the stunning OLED display. Overall though, it’s a pretty complete package that any PC user and gamer can appreciate.