SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) review: a feature smorgasbord in a wireless package

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SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023): Two-minute review

The abbreviated mentation of what makes the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) truthful large is its fantabulous equilibrium of competitive-level show and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink diagnostic acceptable with a tiny but not tiny TKL signifier factor.

Unless you person definite circumstantial demands specified arsenic a dedicated fig pad oregon macro keys, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) tin spell toe-to-toe with immoderate of the best gaming keyboards retired determination to fulfill your typing needs. That’s doubly truthful if you’ve been considering the champion mini keyboard.

Of course, similar astir models astatine the apical of a company’s merchandise line, the Apex Pro TKL Wireless comes with a beauteous important terms tag. It’s not much costly than different premium options from different brands, but it is significant. And, if terms is simply a large factor, you tin astir apt get distant with spending little than fractional for a inactive fantabulous keyboard.

That said, if you privation everything packed wrong this tiny keyboard, it’s worthy it nary substance if you’re looking for gaming show oregon the best mechanical keyboard.

At archetypal glance, this keyboard looks overmuch similar astir models from the big-name manufacturers. You’re not getting funky keycaps oregon colorways. Instead, this all-matte achromatic matter keeps things mostly traditional. Any colour you’ll acquisition comes from the reasonably agleam RGB lighting.

Where the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) differentiates itself from galore different robust but functional keyboards is the OLED show and accompanying power instrumentality and button. Through the display, it’s casual to marque on-the-fly adjustments similar changing profiles, adjusting brightness and actuation distance, and adjacent creating macros without having to unfastened the app.

Since this keyboard is made with competitory gamers successful mind, it comes with SteelSeries’ ain speedy OmniPoint 2.0 switches with up to a 0.2mm actuation. In fact, 1 of the marquee features of this keyboard is the inclusion of dual actuation, thing I deliberation is lone imaginable with having switches that are this fast.

That dual actuation is simply a invited summation here. While macro users volition delight successful mounting up each sorts of shortcuts for utilizing spells, I recovered it to beryllium incredibly utile for each crippled wherever you person to clasp down the displacement cardinal to spell from walking to moving in-game. Instead of pressing shift, I acceptable the archetypal actuation astatine a precise speedy setting, astir 1mm, and past the dual actuation binding astatine a deeper point, astir 2.7mm, freeing up my pinky. Any clip I privation to tally successful a game, each I person to bash is bottommost the cardinal out. 

Lastly, it comes with triple connectivity (Wired, 2.4GHz Wireless, Bluetooth 5.0) making it perfect for those with a aggregate machine setup similar myself. Instead of moving a dongle from 1 machine to the next, I tin conscionable flip a power connected the backmost of the keyboard to spell from wireless to Bluetooth for erstwhile I privation to spell from my gaming machine to my MacBook Pro. Just beryllium alert that Bluetooth, though lag-free, has a polling complaint of 125Hz alternatively of the 1K complaint of the different connectivities.

With that 1,000Hz polling complaint and up to 0.2mm actuation, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) tin support up with the pickiest of competitory gamers. I tested this keyboard with a fig of games including CS:GO, Battlefield 2042, Rocket League, arsenic good arsenic a fig of single-player games. No substance what was required of me, I had nary issues with missed presses, latency, oregon immoderate show problems.

Additionally, I’m capable to acceptable the Apex Pro TKL Wireless for a overmuch quicker actuation. That way, I tin get an adjacent faster absorption from the games I play with conscionable a airy press. On apical of that, having dual actuation disposable opens up a batch of options for shortcuts truthful that I don’t person to bash immoderate dancing astir the keyboard to trigger things similar throwing grenades oregon activating spells.

Adjusting the dual actuation requires the usage of SteelSeries’ GG Engine. The app, wherever you tin power each the accustomed keyboard-related features, specified arsenic adjusting RGB lighting and remapping keys (this keyboard is afloat remappable), is not the astir intuitive erstwhile it comes to mounting up that dual actuation. That’s due to the fact that there’s 1 leafage wherever you set the archetypal actuation of the keyboard oregon idiosyncratic key, different wherever you acceptable the dual actuation, and past a 3rd leafage wherever you representation retired what the dual actuation does. Since it’s not streamlined, it took maine a small spot to fig retired however to decently acceptable up the dual bindings that I wanted. 

However, erstwhile you recognize it, it’s casual to acceptable up and has each the options you get with wide remapping specified arsenic macros, alphanumeric values, and media functions among galore others.

The artillery life, though good, is not rather arsenic awesome arsenic the different aspects of this keyboard. Rated astatine 37 and a fractional hours connected wireless mode and 45 hours connected Bluetooth, it really goes beauteous rapidly for maine arsenic I usage it for some enactment and play. That means that I person to complaint it astir erstwhile a week. Backlighting and speedy features necessitate vigor truthful if artillery beingness is much of a precedence than gaming performance, this mightiness not beryllium the keyboard for you. That’s particularly existent arsenic I person recovered that it takes a fewer hours to complaint backmost up from 0 to 100.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023): Price & availability

• How overmuch does it cost? $249.99 / £229 / AU$289.99 
• When is it available? Available now
• Where tin you get it? Available successful the US, UK, and Australia

As afloat featured arsenic the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) is, and arsenic bully arsenic its gaming show whitethorn be, its accompanying terms tag of $249.99 / £229 / AU$289.99 is simply a spot hard to stomach. In fact, the biggest contented with this keyboard, successful my opinion, is the size of the spread it volition permission successful your wallet. 

That’s not to accidental it’s not worthy it. After all, galore of the best wireless keyboards beryllium successful the aforesaid range. The Asus Rog Azoth is simply a akin size, besides delivers fantabulous performance, and goes for the aforesaid terms (unless you unrecorded successful Australia) of $249.99 / £269.99 / AU$399. While it has overmuch deeper customization options than the Apex Pro TKL Wireless reviewed present similar being capable to alteration retired keycaps and switches, it doesn’t person that dual actuation.

If you’re hoping for thing little expensive, see forgoing wireless connectivity. Dell’s caller Alienware keyboard, the Alienware AW420K, not lone provides stellar gaming show but stunning RGB arsenic well. And, it goes for a overmuch much accessible $149.99 / £145 / AU$238.70.  

•  Price: 4 / 5 

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023): Specs

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SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL WIreless (2023): Also consider

How I tested the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023)

• Tested implicit a month
• Tested with antithetic and antithetic kinds of games
• All included features were explored

To trial the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023), I spent a period with it, playing each sorts of titles including fast-paced games similar Battefield 2042 and CS:GO arsenic good arsenic single-player adventures similar Far Cry 6 and Cyberpunk 2077. I besides typed rather a spot connected it including immoderate of the precocious published articles I’ve written. 

While testing, I spent plentifulness of clip seeing if it could support up with adjacent the astir fast-paced enactment arsenic good arsenic however good the features were implemented, not to notation checking however utile they truly are.

Having spent the past fewer years reviewing tech cogwheel for gaming and otherwise, I’ve gotten a consciousness for what to look for and however to enactment a portion of kit done its paces to spot whether it’s worthy the recommendation. And, I’ve spent adjacent longer playing machine games truthful I person an knowing of what gamers look for to get the astir retired of their titles.

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• First reviewed May 2023