SteelSeries Apex 5 Hybrid Mechanical Gaming Keyboard $117.67 + Delivery (Free with Amazon Prime) @ Amazon US via AU

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downforce on 12/11/2021 - 17:55 amazon.com.au (1136 clicks)
Last edited 12/11/2021 - 18:09 by 1 other user

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Steelseries Apex 5 Hybrid Mechanical Gaming Keyboard shipped and sold by Amazon US through Amazon AU

Previous price was $136.16 on Amazon (last 30d) and closest reliable price I can find is $159 from Umart or in WA it's $229+. It has been $116 a year ago in this deal, so $1.83 inflation (or 1.57%).

My ETA delivery date is 5/12, so a few weeks to get here.

The product page explains what the Hybrid switch is all about: https://steelseries.com/gaming-keyboards/apex-5.

I personally would prefer all mech but it's for a 12yo who doesn't care and like the colours more 😂. I decided on this over the EVGA Z15 deal, this apparently reviews better.

Price History at CamelCamelCamel.

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  [Deactivated] on 12/11/2021 - 19:00

  +2

  Using the Apex 7 Pro right now, this is a good keyboard

  • 

    CrispyChrispy on 12/11/2021 - 22:05

    Just interested; for you, what necessarily makes this keyboard good? The switches? Build quality? Keycaps?

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 12/11/2021 - 22:27

      +2

      The switches are hall effect so the best typing experience for me, they are customisable actuation too. I also like the gif I can put on the LCD screen. Also the RGB is nice too. Build quality is also excellent, much better than Razer Blackwidow

• 

  incipient on 12/11/2021 - 20:11

  so $1.83 inflation (or 1.57%)

  If you consider what should have been a drop in price after the manufacturing line matured/got cheaper, inflation would be a bit higher.

  • 

    downforce on 12/11/2021 - 20:35

    I was talking in raw price, but yes, in theory it should have got cheaper.

    Although it could be worse, could be a GPU … runs and hides 😂.

    • 

      incipient on 12/11/2021 - 22:05

      Haha bloody hell don't encourage them!!

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  The Kingslayer on 13/11/2021 - 09:39

  I've had this keyboard for more than a year and it's really good. Exceptional value for money with this discount

• 

  ntt on 13/11/2021 - 10:13

  +1

  don't grow up, GLOW UP

• 

  Save Medicare on 13/11/2021 - 10:20

  Wow this keyboard has the LGBT lights

• 

  Ghost47 on 13/11/2021 - 17:12

  I tested this out at JB compared to some Logitech switch samples and another keyboard (can't remember which).

  I thought this was the best out of all three in terms of typing feel. Keycaps seemed a bit on the small side though? Overall pretty decent keyboard, didn't realise it was a "hybrid" mechanical at the time.

• 

  CrispyChrispy on 13/11/2021 - 19:06

  +1

  Lol, from the Steelseries website:

  The Apex 5 combines the smoothness of a membrane switch

  When were membrane switches necessarily smooth? There's not much travel with membrane switches, it acutuates on the bottom out of the switch.

  • 

    iridiumstem on 14/11/2021 - 00:27

    I don't think where the switches actuate has anything to do with how smooth the key travel is.

    I can set the actuation point of a switch all the way down to the bottom, and make my life a hell, but that doesn't make the switches feel any less smooth. I think the whole concept of smoothness of the keys come more from the friction.

    I am guessing the argument would be that because Cherry MX design need to rub against the metal contact leaves for actuations, that causes friction. Whereas using membrane sheets for actuations don't need to rub against something, the hammer just needs to press down onto the membrane sheets so that they deform and make a contact. So I think it could be referring to that.

    The more likely reason probably was that they had to come up with something for the marketing blurb and that comment at least made some sense. We did it because it was cheaper probably doesn't sound as nice.

    https://steelseries.com/blog/what-are-hybrid-blue-mechanical…

    I think TTC makes these switches. TTC MT Hybrid switches, to be exact. I am not really sure whether Steelseries had any inputs in designing these switches. Looks very interesting, to be honest.

    Here is a review of a keyboard that used TTC MT Hybrid switches that goes into how the switch works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFT-veEBID4

• 

  EthicsGradient on 14/11/2021 - 09:21

  A thing to be aware of some of the Steelseries Apex keyboards have a problem where the blue leds start to fail randomly.

  Ask me how I know (Apex Pro, two gone in less than 12 months).

• 

  pinkybrain on 14/11/2021 - 10:03

  is Hybrid Mechanical not as good as fully Mechanical keyboards?

  • 

    iridiumstem on 15/11/2021 - 14:10

    I think it's more, it's different, than which one is better and which one isn't.

    I do think there would be limitations on certain aspects, membranes might be the weak link on the switch. I am guessing that that's the reason why they have 20 million keypresses. NKRO is not common on keyboards using membranes as well.

    NKRO just means that you can press as many keys as possible at once, normally as long as it's above 6 keys, it's not that noticible in my experience but ymmv. APEX 5 is saying 24-Key, but I am very aware that gaming companies tend to measure the key rollover numbers weirdly for the marketing purposes.

    I personally think I will enjoy this one over Cherry MX Blues to be honest. I like click bars more as a clicking mechanism. They do have the downfall of not matching the actuation (Cherry MX Blue is more of a rare design in the grand scheme of things, since it does clicking and actuating with the same mechanism).

    I suppose someone might go Kailh Box switches are better than this because it has the click mar mechanism and doesn't use membranes, but eh. I don't think it's available on a lot of premade keyboards (only one I can think of is from Ducky) and I kinda see this board as a whole package.

    Something slightly sidenote, I think hybrid mechanical switch is a misnomer since the whole definition of a mechanical keyboard is not set in stone.
    I think they were trying to emphasise that it's not a Cherry MX design switches.