SteelSeries Apex M500
Blinding LEDs, blinding price.
In case you hadn’t noticed by now, the vast majority of keyboards in the mid-range sit around the $150 price point, and the Apex M500 is no exception. Yet with keyboards like the Asus Strix Tactic Pro offering so many features at just $115, competition is tight indeed. It takes more than mere Cherry keys and basic macro recording to stand out — and sadly the Apex M500 doesn’t have much more to offer.
Available with just one Cherry MX option, Red, the first thing we noticed about this keyboard is how bright the blue blacklights are. This thing will light up your gaming den until you tone it down a little (if you can see afterwards).
Key placement is excellent, though, with everything just in reach without having to move your hands, including the delete and tab/caps keys. According to SteelSeries, this keyboard is “built like a tank”. Sadly, we have to disagree — heavy plastic just doesn’t compete with aluminium or steel.
Each and every key on the board can be assigned various duties via the SteelSeries Engine software, but there’s not a dedicated macro key in sight. There’s not even any dedicated media controls, which is a bit of an oversight at this price level. Ditto with any form of audio inputs or USB passthroughs, and the lack of a wrist-rest doesn’t sit well with us after loving the K70’s lovely rubber wrist-home for so long.