This keyboard is very simply and elegantly designed and paired with Steelseries' industry leading software, it's a breath of fresh air.
The keyboard works out of the box for those who aren't interested in configuration. The LCD will display the Steelseries logo and can be used to adjust brightness, macros, profiles and settings without ever installing the software. The USB port on the backside of the board is convenient and designed slickly. The keyboard hand rest attaches magnetically, and the magnets are coupling seems like it will be durable in the long run. This is a clear advantage over other keyboards that attach mechanically, which fail in the long term.
The software interfaces with different games, meaning that keys are automatically programmed to show different aspects of games. For MMOs, this means that the 1-9 keys can be selectively illuminated to show cooldown times. For FPSs, you can have a row of keys deplete with your ammo. The LCD display can also be configured to show essential information, such as round number, mission objective etc. Users can also draw their own graphic, or upload an image as they please.
LED configuration is generous. Users can create custom formats using the intuitive tool, or make advantage of practical plugins (such as music equalizers which illuminate the keyboard accordingly). Additionally, users can also upload GIFs to the software to have them display across the keyboard.
The board is a fantastic choice for the price. Cherry MX blue switches are still king!
| Brand | SteelSeries |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 12.83 x 35.54 x 4.19 cm; 635 g |
| Item model number | 64847 |
| Manufacturer | SteelSeries |
| Series | Apex 9 TKL |
| Colour | Optical Switch |
| Processor Count | 1 |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Operating System | Windows |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Item Weight | 635 g |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
