SteelSeries new Apex M800 keyboard offers both colour and function, for a price
I covered the original Apex keyboard from SteelSeries, and concluded that, while it was acceptable for gaming it wasn’t much use for other keying activities. That design was also enormous, like it had been conceived by an ironing board maker on his day off.
The new M800 addresses both those issues directly, being both a much less imposing scale and also now built around mechanical key switches. However, in reality, this amounts to a major revamp in almost every respect. Adding a per-key definable backlight LED system, in-built USB hub (two-port) and compatibility with SteelSeries Engine3 customisation tool.
This brings the Apex design into line with Corsair’s K70 RGB, a similarly priced product that offers mechanical keys and perkey lighting control.
What’s different here is that instead of using the Chery MX RGB switch as others have done, SteelSeries designed its own switch called the QS1 to provide a quiet and short key action while allowing the key tops to illuminate as well. As such, the action is noticeably shorter than you will have experienced with a Cherry switch, but it’s very positive and certainly seems to lend itself to high speed repeated presses that are common in games.
In terms of the layout it’s one of the more normal gaming designs I’ve come across, with only two minor diversions from the classic full keyboard layout. On the far left there is a macro key cluster consisting of six keys (labelled 0-5) that can be programmed with almost any combination of presses using the Engine3 software tool. As useful as this is, it tended to confuse this writer; I kept going for Macro key 0 instead of the Escape key that I was hoping to hit. The other adaptation is the oversized spacebar, which SteelSeries has made double height so anyone should be able to find it in a pinch. Compared with the split space bar nonsense of some designs, I much preferred this alteration.
The rake of the keyboard isn’t steep, and for those who want it steeper a couple of larger rubber feet are provided that can be used to raise the back marginally. These do the job well, and help to retain stability while stopping any keyboard action from vibrating the table top it's placed on.
The only other accessories are three alternative key tops for those who can’t accept that Apple don’t make the most popular computers on the planet and want to see the ‘option’ key replace the Windows flag. What each key top says is pretty much irrelevant, because the M800 is totally reprogrammable, and even includes separate processors for handling keyboard inputs and its on-board illumination.
For those that love lighting effects the M800 is a wonder because, if you can think of a combination of colours you'd like, it’s probably possible to program them to dance across the keys. The only limitation I’ve noticed is that you can only bind one type of effect to each key, so it can be reactive or animated, but oddly not both. Also some of the effects, like ‘cooldown’ colour changes, can only happen if you’re running the Engine3 software, where others once programmed will work without that tool being in memory or even installed.
For example; if you load up one of the default modes like the matrix green animated effect, it will still work even if the PC it’s attached doesn’t have Engine3 loaded.
I have but two concerns with the Apex M800, and the first is that it is more than double what the original Apex cost. The other is more a personal issue where, with the size of my hands, I found the key tops rather too close together for rapid typing. That didn’t impair its gaming ability, but for punching words/code into the computer I’m still a huge fan of the 6GV2 (can we have a V3, please?) over this particular design.
Where this works well, though, is in respect of how quiet it is. Compared with most Cherry MX-based keyboards this one is effectively silent. That could be useful if you like to play late into the night or you have youngsters that are easily woken.
At this price the Apex M800 was always going to be difficult to justify, because as nice as the lighting is, you can’t gaze at it while you’re gaming. The key action I liked, personally speaking, but it’s a very individual thing, and I’d definitely try one out before parting with this sort of money.
This is a substantial improvement on the original Apex, but the new levels of sophistication have pushed the price a bit too high. If only they could make this design for closer to £100, then I’d be less reticent about recommending it. Mark Pickavance
Mechanical switches and LED backlights are an expensive combo.
Specifications
• Weight 1390g
• Size (WxHxD) 510 x 174 x 42mm
• 2m USB Cable Length
• Zero Ghosting, 256 Keys at Once
• Six extra quick access keys
• All Keys are Programmable
• One-touch multimedia controls via F-keys
• QS1 Switch – 3mm Throw, 1.5mm, Activation/Reset, 45cN Force. 60M Clicks
• Intuitive and Simple Macro Editor
• Text-based Macros (Direct to Console)
• Custom Profiles Per Application
• Switch profiles across all SteelSeries Engine devices
• Number of Illumination Colours: 16.8 million (eightlevel RGB)
• Unlimited lighting layers,
• Pre-set effects, create your own
• Illuminated custom cool down timers
• Individually Illuminated Keys - centred LED, Clear Housing, Minimized Bleed