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SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 review

No. 9 of 10 in our mechanical keyboards ranking · Updated · How we rank

Our verdict: The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 ranks 9th of the 10 mechanical keyboards we compare, with 8.5 out of 10.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3

8.5/10

The Apex Pro Gen 3 is SteelSeries' full-size wired keyboard with adjustable magnetic switches and a numpad. It suits players who want fast, tunable keys, and anyone who also types or works in spreadsheets.

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Why it's here

  • Adjustable Hall effect switches with rapid trigger
  • Full size with a numpad, so it works for spreadsheets too
  • PBT keycaps and a braided detachable cable
  • Per-game presets in the SteelSeries software

Keep in mind

  • Wired only
  • The software is needed to get the best out of it
  • Amazon listings mix US and UK layouts under similar titles

Why the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 scores 8.5

Each bar shows where it places among the 10 mechanical keyboards in this guide, so a full bar is 1st of 10. How happy owners are counts for most of the score.

  • How happy owners are10th of 10
  • How many rated it10th of 10
  • How new it is3rd of 10

Level with the Corsair K70 CORE RGB

The Corsair K70 CORE RGB and the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 score the same, so either is a safe pick. The Corsair K70 CORE RGB goes first because it has been rated by more owners.

About the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3

The Apex Pro Gen 3 uses SteelSeries OmniPoint 3.0 switches, which read key travel with a magnetic Hall effect sensor instead of a metal contact. Actuation is adjustable from 0.1mm to 4.0mm, and SteelSeries says there are 40 levels in that range. Rapid Trigger resets a key as soon as you ease off it, without waiting for a fixed reset point.

Three other features target shooters. Rapid Tap prioritises one key of a pair, which helps with strafing. Protection Mode lowers the sensitivity of keys next to the one you are pressing. 2-in-1 Action Keys assign two actions to one key, split by a light or a deep press. An OLED screen at the top right changes settings and controls media without opening software. The GG QuickSet presets can switch profile when a supported game launches.

The keycaps are double-shot PBT. SteelSeries lubricates each switch at the factory, uses triple-layer foam to dampen sound, and fits a stabiliser design meant to cut keycap wobble. The cable is a detachable braided USB-C one, a change from the older Apex Pro's fixed dual-USB lead. The USB passthrough port has gone. The box holds the keyboard, a magnetic wrist rest, the cable and a keycap puller. The switches are not hot-swappable.

What owners report about the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3

We found little owner feedback for this exact UK model, so we do not draw conclusions about long-term reliability. The owner pages we could open were US-based and not usable as a pattern for UK buyers.

Reviewers who handled the keyboard report a solid build, a quieter and smoother typing feel than the older Apex Pro, and a software suite they liked. The complaints they raise are modest: the lighting is not very bright, the full-size board takes a lot of desk space, and the passthrough port is missing.

Who the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 suits

This is for players who want adjustable actuation and rapid trigger but still need a numpad, and for people who split time between games and spreadsheets or accounting software. It also suits anyone who wants a wired board with the settings reachable from the keyboard itself.

Look elsewhere if you want wireless: the Keychron V6 Max is a full-size wireless board in a UK layout. If desk space is tight, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Gen 3 is a 60% board with the same magnetic idea. Check the listing for a UK layout before ordering, as Amazon titles mix US and UK versions.

Questions about the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3

What is the difference between the SteelSeries Apex Pro and the Apex Pro Gen 3?

The Gen 3 has OmniPoint 3.0 switches with Hall effect sensors, per-key lubrication, triple-layer sound dampening and new stabilisers. It adds Rapid Tap, Rapid Trigger and GG QuickSet, and swaps the fixed dual-USB cable for a detachable braided USB-C one. The USB passthrough port is gone.

Is the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 hot-swappable?

No. The switches are fixed, so you cannot change them without replacing the keyboard's switches by soldering. Actuation is changed in software or on the OLED screen instead.

When did the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 come out?

SteelSeries announced the Apex Pro Gen 3 series on 24 September 2024. The line includes full-size, tenkeyless and wireless tenkeyless models.

What switches does the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 use?

It uses SteelSeries OmniPoint 3.0 adjustable Hall effect switches. Actuation can be set from 0.1mm to 4.0mm, with Rapid Trigger available.

Other mechanical keyboard picks

The other badge winners in our mechanical keyboards ranking.

All 10 mechanical keyboards, compared

  1. 1 Logitech G413 SEBest Choice 8.8 Check Price
  2. 2 ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless 8.8 Check Price
  3. 3 Keychron V6 Max 8.7 Check Price
  4. 4 Keychron K8 Pro 8.7 Check Price
  5. 5 Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TenkeylessBest Premium 8.6 Check Price
  6. 6 Logitech G915 X LIGHTSPEED TKL 8.6 Check Price
  7. 7 SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Gen 3 8.6 Check Price
  8. 8 Corsair K70 CORE RGB 8.5 Check Price
  9. 9 SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3This review 8.5 Check Price
  10. 10 DREVO Calibur V2 PRO 8.5 Check Price
See the full mechanical keyboards ranking

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 on Amazon

SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3

The Apex Pro Gen 3 is SteelSeries' full-size wired keyboard with adjustable magnetic switches and a numpad. 8.5 out of 10.

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How we score it

Every score here comes from our ranking model; no editor sets the order. We haven't read the review sites for this guide yet, so for now it is led by owners. It ranks products by how happy owners are, holding back any product few owners have rated until more agree. How many rated it and how new it is only settle close calls, and value for money earns its own badge rather than a higher place. We compared 17 models for this guide before settling on these ten.

Brands can't pay to be included or to move up. We last checked these picks in November 2026.

How we rank, in full

Where these facts come from