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Some of the best gaming keyboards come from SteelSeries, a company that’s been around in the gaming peripheral industry for many years at this point. But like most gaming peripheral brands it doesn’t just offer one, or even three options. It has more than a few.
And you might be wondering, which of the SteelSeries keyboards are the best ones to consider? Well, we’ve put together a helpful buyers guide to assist you in picking the right one for you. Whether you’re looking for something full size, tenkeyless, or mini, we’ve got you covered.
When shopping for a good gaming keyboard you want something that’s going to feel comfortable to you. But you also want something with a decent feature list to help you make the most of your gaming experience. For some that might mean dedicated macro keys, and for others that might mean a wireless setup. We’ve rounded up the best keyboards SteelSeries offers to help narrow down your pick if SteelSeries is a brand you’re considering.
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023)
- Price: $249.99
- Where to buy: Best Buy
Kicking off this list, we’re putting the Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) model front and center. It’s the most expensive keyboard on this list, but also one of the best options and a personal favorite. Wireless keyboards have gotten really good these days with regards to latency. So there shouldn’t be any worry about running into problems with latency because you chose a wireless keyboard over one that plugs directly into your PC. And since it’s wireless it just frees up your desk of some clutter as there’s one less cable.
That being said, wireless keyboards are also more expensive in many cases. And we understand that $249.99 is a lot for a gaming keyboard. But if the price is within your budget and you’re looking at SteelSeries, this is highly recommended. It uses the OmniPoint 2.0 Adjustable switches for faster response times and faster actuation. And when it comes to the wireless connection, it’s using SteelSeries’s Quantum 2.0 wireless technology. This uses a 2.4GHz dongle for the connection so you can play your games lag-free.
What’s really nice is the capability to program two different actions for a single key. The best example of this is using a light press to make your character walk, then fully pressing down the key can make your character run. And you can set this up for all kinds of in-game actions.
The keyboard also features RGB backlighting, a small OLED smart display for everything from battery life stats to in-game details, and it comes with a magnetic wrist rest. Overall it’s a super solid gaming keyboard if you prefer something wireless and want something that takes up less space on your desk.
SteelSeries Apex 9 Mini
- Price: $129.99
- Where to buy: Best Buy
If TKL keyboards just aren’t small enough for your desk space, or your preferences, then enter the Apex 9 Mini. SteelSeries’s most recent take on the 60% gaming keyboard.
It’s small enough to give you a little more room on your desk surface which in turn should give you more room for mouse movement. It also features 2-point actuation so you can swap between a lightning quick 1mm actuation or a more standard 1.5mm full keystroke. You can game with either so pick whichever suits you best.
Height adjustable feet on the bottom help you get the perfect angle for comfort and functionality. Though you should find those on every single one of these keyboards as well. This keyboard is wired but it comes with a detachable USB-C cable. So if you ever need to pack it up, this makes doing so easy. You also don’t lose any functions. Although the keyboard is smaller, any functions which don’t have their own key are printed on the sides of other keys. Lastly, the $129.99 price is probably a little more agreeable with some users.
SteelSeries Apex 3
- Price: $39.99
- Where to buy: Best Buy
Not everyone wants or needs a bunch of features for their gaming keyboard. And that’s totally ok. And some people just can’t afford to spend a ton, and that’s ok too. But just because you’re gaming on a budget or you just don’t want to spend beyond a certain amount, it doesn’t mean you need to forfeit features entirely. Or forfeit quality for that matter.
This is where the SteelSeries Apex 3 comes in. At $36, you’re getting a pretty good value in a gaming keyboard that has a lot to offer you. But you are giving up some stuff too. For instance, the Apex 3 users membrane switches instead of mechanical. But they are super quiet so that’s a big plus. It also still comes with RGB if you like that aspect, and SteelSeries is even throwing in the magnetic wrist rest which honestly, is a big win at this price.
The keyboard is also IP32 water resistant, and it has dedicated media controls as well as the roller button for easy volume adjustment and more. It’s not wireless, and not super feature-packed, but if you want a decent gaming keyboard at a lower price, you can’t really go wrong here.
SteelSeries Apex 7 Red Switch
- Price: $119.99
- Where to buy: Best Buy
If you want some middle of the road, the Apex 7 with red linear switches is a good bet. You get lots of features here in a wired setup that won’t set you back too much. Like the OLED smart display which does quite a bit. It can display notifications from Discord, battery life, and even information from some of your games. SteelSeries also packed in the magnetic soft touch wrist rest for extra wrist comfort when typing or playing, and you get that nifty roller button.
Like all of the recent SteelSeries keyboards this one is also built with an aircraft-grade aluminum frame so it’s durable too. Though we don’t recommend trying to test its durability on purpose. Another nice touch is the three-way cable routing on the bottom to keep things as nice and neat as possible. If you have to have a wired keyboard, you might as well have one that lets you keep things tidy on your desk surface.
Additionally, the switches are rate for 50 million keypresses so this keyboard will definitely last a while.
SteelSeries Apex Pro
- Price: From $137.99
- Where to buy: Best Buy
Normally we wouldn’t have included the Apex 7 above since it’s the same price as this Apex Pro. But the Apex Pro usually goes for $199.99. So we kept both on the list in case this one goes back up in price. Having said that, if you happen to be shopping for a gaming keyboard from SteelSeries while this one is still on sale, go for the Apex Pro instead of the Apex 7. You get more features and because it’s on sale for $151.99 right now, you’re paying less money too.
One of the biggest reasons is the OmniPoint 2.0 switches. This lets you do two actions per key as described with the Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) model above. A light press for one action, and a full keystroke for another. Which is extremely useful for multiplayer and competitive play.
If you like a lot of the feature of the Apex Pro TKL (2023) but want a wired keyboard, don’t overlook this model.
SteelSeries Apex 9 TKL
- Price: $139.99
- Where to buy: Best Buy
The Apex 9 TKL is another good option if you want some of the more advanced features, but also a lower price and a smaller footprint. This model has the OmniPoint switches and not the OmniPoint 2.0. So you won’t get the two actions per key. But it does give you faster keystroke actuation and a super fast response time of 0.2ms.
You also get fully swappable switches just in case any of them ever need to be replaced, a detachable USB-C cable for easy storage during travel, and more basic features like the RGB lighting and the height adjustable feet. There’s even a neat little storage compartment on the underside for the keyboard for the keycap puller. All around one of the best gaming keyboards that SteelSeries makes.
SteelSeries Apex 5
- Price: $79.99
- Where to buy: Best Buy
If you’re willing to give up just a little more on the feature front you can shave a little more off the price tag. The Apex 5 comes in at under $100 and you still get things like the OLED smart display, roller button, and detachable magnetic wrist rest.
It also uses hybrid mechanical blue switches so you get a tactile and durable clicky feel along with a smoother keystroke.