The membranes register your input by the underside of the key meeting a contact point, which is considerably less noisy than a mechanical switch, as they are all about pushing a plastic panel out of the way and being sprung back into position. And while it is a more tactile and responsive experience for the most part, it’s also liable to aggravate anyone trying to sleep nearby if you’re gaming into the night. For the uninitiated, it also saves the hassle of learning all the differences between colours and types of mechanical switches, of which there are plenty. For the lower price point in their range – and currently discounted to a historical low, with hefty 36 per cent discount – you don’t miss out on the premium features. The 10-zone RGB is present, customisable through SteelSeries’ proprietary software, as is the magnetic wrist rest and the dedicated media controls, allowing you to easily adjust volume without diving into your settings. It’s even water resistant rated to IP32, though I wouldn’t fancy its chances emerging entirely unscathed against an upturned bottle of Lucozade. One potential downside, depending again on preferences, is that the Apex 3 is not wireless. You can adjust the cable’s position from the board to sit either left, right, or in the middle to help it slot into your setup and keep those cables managed, which helps mitigate a bit of the inevitable spaghetti junction of leads that comes with using wired devices. The SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL (tenkeyless) is also on sale for £43.99, down from £49.99. While it’s not a huge saving in cash terms, it will save you some desktop real estate. It’s also one of Digital Foundry’s picks for best gaming keyboard, having it as their favourite membrane keyboard earlier in the year. If you do opt for the TKL, be mindful of its two key rollover count (2KRO), compared to the full size version’s 24KRO – meaning that the TKL will only guarantee recognition of two simultaneous key inputs. You’ll also get a discount code for 33 per cent off of three months Games Pass for PC for ordering either model, effectively netting you a free month of the service if you take advantage of the offer. Make sure to follow Jelly Deals on Twitter for the latest bargains on PC hardware, or jump into one of the many Digital Foundry deep dives on gaming tech.
