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The SteelSeries Apex M800 ($199.99) is a high-performance gaming keyboard with a quality design, improving on the impressive, but more basic SteelSeries Apex ($71.92 at Walmart)(Opens in a new window) . With individually lit, fully programmable keys, the Apex M800($299.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) is bristling with features and built to offer consistently high-end performance. The Corsair K95 RGB ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) remains our Editors’ Choice for gaming keyboards due to its aluminum body and extra features, like media buttons and thrice the number of dedicated macro keys, but the SteelSeries Apex M800 is a strong performer in its own right.
Design and Features
The Apex M800 measures 1.6 by 20.1 by 6.8 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.1 pounds. It’s similar in size to the older SteelSeries Apex, which measures 1.18 by 20.5 by 8.7 inches, and is slightly bigger than the Corsair K95 RGB (0.9 by 19.7 by 6.5 inches). Its large frame makes it difficult to pack into a backpack or bag to take with you to, say, a LAN party. Unlike the Corsair K95 RGB, which is fashioned out of aluminum, the Apex M800 is all-plastic, but the sleek profile is at least attractive, and the plastic is nicely textured.
The keyboard has 110 mechanical keys, all of which are equipped with a QS1 switch. This is a special high-end switch that SteelSeries created with the help of outside experts. The company claims that the QS1 switch offers 25-percent faster actuation than traditional mechanical switches, and the keys are laid out in a smooth, low profile to make it easier to glide across rows and columns while retaining good key travel. The keyboard includes N-key rollover for up to 256 simultaneous button presses—well more than there are even keys present, so all of your input will register during intense gaming sessions.
Every key is individually backlit, and there are 16.8 million colors from which to choose. As a result, the keyboard is capable of nearly unlimited lighting effects. SteelSeries’ software is as good as it gets (certainly better than the archaic program accompanying the Tesoro Lobera Supreme ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) ), and includes a batch of premade illumination patterns. Some of these effects make the colors change in waves across the keyboard; others pulse out from the middle, and yet more options scatter colors across the keys like a sci-fi warp drive or a disco ball.
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You’re free to make your own patterns as well, by choosing an effect and timing for every key, and options are just as open for reprogramming functions or creating macros. All keys are programmable to a different function, and everything is clearly labeled and organized within the software. The left-most column of keys is made up of six dedicated macro buttons, waiting for you to designate a command. While a nice addition, it’s well short of the Corsair K95 RGB’s grid of 18 dedicated macro keys. However, the Apex M800 features two pass-through USB ports for your peripherals, something the Corsair model lacks.
Performance
The QS1 switches are satisfying to use, and offer nice feedback with consistent responsiveness. The flat and condensed key profile means typing takes some getting used to—I stumbled over the keys for a while as I adjusted—but it definitely improves your speed when gaming. Your fingers can slide easily from one key to another because of the design, which helps in multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) or strategy titles that rely on strings of quick key presses.
The Apex M800 comes with two different-size circular rubber stoppers on the base as feet, which will either make the keyboard lay flat or prop it up at an angle. These replace traditional fold-out kickstands, and I suppose they can’t be broken (though they can potentially get lost). I prefer the taller of the two, which creates more of a slope, but both effectively prevent the keyboard from sliding around during gameplay.
The lighting effects can also serve a purpose beyond looking good—some of the presets are named after game genres, and only light up sections of the keyboard relevant to those types of games. For instance, the FPS template lights up the movement keys, the number row, and the traditional crouch buttons, while the MMO setting lights up the movement keys and the usual ability hotkeys. This genre-specific lighting didn’t exactly make me any better while playing, but it did simplify things, and looks neat to boot. The macros are just as useful in-game, particularly for genres with a need for repeated commands, and neither these features nor the physical keys failed or faltered during long playing sessions.
Conclusion
The SteelSeries M800 is a premium gaming keyboard at a premium price, and delivers consistent performance while offering high levels of customization. The software is helpful in setting up the keyboard to your preferences, and the lighting both looks great and serves a function, without being a hassle to set up or change. The proprietary switches are dependable and feel good to use, and that same quality extends to the keyboard as a whole. The Corsair K95 RGB remains our Editors’ Choice gaming keyboard due to its superior aluminum body, dedicated media buttons, and 18 macro keys at $10 less. That said, the SteelSeries Apex M800 is a worthy contender.
4.0
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The SteelSeries Apex M800 is a premium gaming keyboard outfitted with high-performance mechanical switches and a staggering number of customization options for key lighting and programming.
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Source link : https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/steelseries-apex-m800