--- title: "SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 review" description: "SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 review: a full-size wired keyboard with adjustable magnetic switches, rapid trigger, an OLED screen, and who should buy it." canonical: https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/steelseries-apex-pro-gen-3/ language: en-GB updated: 2026-11-14 score: 8.5 --- # SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 review > **Our verdict:** The SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 ranks 9th of the 10 mechanical keyboards we compare, with 8.5 out of 10. No. 9 of 10 in our [mechanical keyboards ranking](https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/) · Updated November 2026 · [How we rank](https://vettedten.com/how-we-rank/) **8.5 out of 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. 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 [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DFHGLVMB) ## Why the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 scores 8.5 - How happy owners are: 10th of 10 - How many rated it: 10th of 10 - How new it is: 3rd 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. ### Key specs - Switches: OmniPoint 3.0 adjustable Hall effect (magnetic) - Actuation range: 0.1mm to 4.0mm - Size: Full size, with numpad - Keycaps: Double-shot PBT - Cable: Detachable braided USB-C - Lighting: Per-key RGB, 16.8 million colours - Display: OLED Smart Screen - Software: SteelSeries GG (QuickSet, Prism); Windows 10 and above - Mac support: macOS 11 and above, some software features unsupported - Hot-swappable: No ## 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. ## All 10 mechanical keyboards, compared | No. | Product | Score | Badge | | ---: | --- | ---: | --- | | 1 | [Logitech G413 SE](https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/logitech-g413-se/) | 8.8 | Best Choice | | 2 | [ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless](https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/asus-rog-strix-scope-ii-96-wireless/) | 8.8 | | | 3 | [Keychron V6 Max](https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/keychron-v6-max/) | 8.7 | | | 4 | [Keychron K8 Pro](https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/#keychron-k8-pro) | 8.7 | | | 5 | [Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless](https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/razer-huntsman-v3-pro-tenkeyless/) | 8.6 | Best Premium | | 6 | [Logitech G915 X LIGHTSPEED TKL](https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/logitech-g915-x-lightspeed-tkl/) | 8.6 | | | 7 | [SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Gen 3](https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/steelseries-apex-pro-mini-gen-3/) | 8.6 | | | 8 | [Corsair K70 CORE RGB](https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/corsair-k70-core-rgb/) | 8.5 | | | 9 | **SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3** (this review) | 8.5 | | | 10 | [DREVO Calibur V2 PRO](https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/drevo-calibur-v2-pro/) | 8.5 | | ## 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](https://vettedten.com/how-we-rank/) ### Where these facts come from - [SteelSeries: Apex Pro Gen 3](https://steelseries.com/gaming-keyboards/apex-pro-gen-3) - [SteelSeries blog: Introducing Apex Pro Gen 3](https://steelseries.com/blog/introducing-apex-pro-gen-3-1167) - [GN newsroom: Apex Pro Gen 3 series announcement](https://www.gn.com/newsroom/news/2024/september/steelseries-introduces-the-new-apex-pro-gen-3-series) - [Gaming Trend: Apex Pro Gen 3 review](https://gamingtrend.com/reviews/steelseries-apex-pro-gen-3-gaming-keyboard-review-riding-on-nitrous/) - [Frontum: Apex Pro Gen 3](https://frontum.co.uk/keyboards/steelseries-apex-pro-gen-3) --- Canonical page: https://vettedten.com/tech/mechanical-keyboards/steelseries-apex-pro-gen-3/ · Every guide: https://vettedten.com/llms.txt · For AI agents: https://vettedten.com/agents.md