Apex Pro: The revolution in mechanical keyboards?
10.10.2019
Translation: machine translated
With the Apex Pro, Steelseries dares to try something new: for the first time, you can set the trigger point of the mechanical switches yourself. Is this the switch revolution or just a stillbirth?
It's finally here: the Apex Pro from Steelseries. Ever since my visit to Computex, I've been itching to test it out. Does the manual adjustment of the trigger point really work?
Simple and yet powerful
You will look in vain for edges on the Apex Pro. The keyboard ends on the left and right where the keys end. At the top and bottom, there are only a few millimetres until the aluminium plate drops down in a curve after the keys. Despite the few superfluous edges, the Apex Pro looks anything but plain. This is due to the fact that the switches are located outside the housing and the keycaps protrude strongly as a result.
The keyboard differs only minimally from other full-size keyboards in terms of features: the Apex Pro only has the volume wheel, the OLED display and a control button for the display. These controls are located above the numeric keypad.
You can use the OLED to display in-game notifications, Discord messages or even the current song. You can also insert any logo or lettering. But these are all gimmicks. What's really cool is that you can manage the lighting, trigger point, macros, profiles and other settings directly on the keyboard via the OLED menu, which you can access by pressing and holding the control button. This means you don't have to rely on software. This works perfectly in my test.
The Apex Pro also comes with a palm rest. This can be magnetically attached to the keyboard. The rubberised rest feels good and makes typing more comfortable.
There is also a USB-A passthrough on the rear left. This means you can connect other devices such as an external SSD directly to the keyboard. To help you find the port, it is illuminated by a white LED. The Apex Pro comes with two USB-A connection cables: one for the keyboard itself and one for the passthrough. The cable is therefore relatively thick and can get in the way on your desk. This is probably why Steelseries decided to allow you to route the cable on the underside of the keyboard so that it comes out to the left, right or centre. This at least makes it easier to hide the dead beater cable.
The technology of the switches
First things first: Not all Apex Pro switches are Omnipoint switches. These are reserved for the alphanumeric keypad - i.e. the 61 keys with letters, numbers, space bar, Enter and so on. The remaining switches are linear - those without noticeable and audible feedback - Gateron Red Switches.
The Omnipoint switches feel similar to the Gateron Red. However, they work differently to conventional mechanical switches. They trigger when two mechanical parts touch during the triggering process. The Omnipoint switches are triggered by magnets and sensors that do not have to touch each other.
When you press an Omnipoint switch, a magnet inside the switch moves towards the sensor. This uses the Hall effect to determine the exact distance between the sensor and the magnet. When the magnet has reached the predetermined trigger point, the button press is triggered. You can see how this works in the promo video from Steelseries.
In addition to the possibility of freely configuring them, the Omnipoint switches have other advantages. Because there is no physical contact when the switches are actuated, they wear out less quickly. Steelseries promises 100 million actuations - in contrast to 50 million with conventional mechanical switches. The response time is also reduced. Instead of 6 milliseconds as with a conventional switch, the Omnipoint has a response time of just 0.7 milliseconds. It is therefore possible to press the same button faster and, above all, faster in succession.
The trigger point can be set in ten stages, with one triggering very early and ten triggering very late. In millimetres, this is 0.4 to 3.6. The actuating force is 45 grams.
How does the whole thing work in practice?
Although I am a fan of clicky switches - those with tactile and audible trigger feedback - I enjoy working and playing with the Apex Pro. This is mainly due to the fact that I can freely configure the trigger point. When writing, I set a longer trigger point at level eight. When gaming, I set a shorter one of four. But that's not all. All Omnipoint switches can be set individually. So if you want a longer trigger point on a button in a game, you can set this individually and save it in a profile.
Of course, I tried it out and the whole thing worked perfectly during my test period. It's really fun to configure the trigger point to your own liking. It gives a touch of DIY keyboard. I'm into that. The Steel Series Engine or the OLED-controlled menu make configuration very easy. It's easy to switch between the settings and it actually works. All that's missing now is the tactile and audible feedback of Clicky Switches and I'd be in keyboard heaven.
Great, great, great
I'm really excited. After years of the same old technology, something is finally happening. Now I can not only freely configure the RGB - which I always deactivate straight away anyway - but also the switches. It's like a revolution. The fact that the whole thing works so well straight away and comes in a high-quality design is brilliant.
I still have two small points of criticism. At just under 250 francs, the keyboard is in the upper price range despite all the innovation. It's also a shame that the keyboard is currently only available in the DE layout. If you really want the CH layout, depending on the keycaps, you'll have to pay quite a bit more.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
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