SteelSeries Apex Pro vs. Razer Huntsman Elite vs. Corsair K95 Platinum: Full Comparison & Verdict 2024
SteelSeries Apex Pro vs. Razer Huntsman Elite vs. Corsair K95 Platinum: Side-by-Side Comparison
SteelSeries Apex Pro | Razer Huntsman Elite | Corsair K95 Platinum | |
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | Wired |
Size | Full-size (100%) | Full-size (100%) | Full-size (100%) |
Mechanical | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Dimensions | |||
Height | 1.6" (4.0 cm) | 1.4" (3.7 cm) | 1.3" (3.4 cm) |
Width | 17.2" (43.7 cm) | 17.5" (44.5 cm) | 18.3" (46.5 cm) |
Depth | 5.5" (13.9 cm) | 5.5" (14.0 cm) | 6.6" (16.8 cm) |
Depth With Wrist Rest | 8.3" (21.1 cm) | 9.1" (23.1 cm) | 9.1" (23.0 cm) |
Weight | 2.14 lbs (0.970 kg) | 2.68 lbs (1.215 kg) | 2.65 lbs (1.200 kg) |
Build Quality Close Up | ABS | ABS | ABS |
Ergonomics | |||
Board Design | Straight | Straight | Straight |
Minimum Incline | 4.5° | 0° | 3° |
Medium Incline | N/A | 3° | N/A |
Maximum Incline | 11° | 6° | 8° |
Wrist Rest | Detachable | Detachable | Detachable |
Backlighting | |||
Backlighting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Color | RGB | RGB | RGB |
Individually Backlit Keys | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Color Mixing | Good | Great | Good |
Effects | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Programmable | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Cable & Connector | |||
Detachable | No | No | No |
Length | 5.9 ft (1.8 m) | 6.7 ft (2.0 m) | 7.2 ft (2.2 m) |
Connector (Keyboard side) | Not Detachable | Not Detachable | Not Detachable |
Wireless Versatility | |||
Bluetooth | No | No | No |
Bluetooth Multi-Device Pairing | No | No | No |
Proprietary Receiver | No | No | No |
Battery Type | No Batteries | No Batteries | No Batteries |
Extra Features | |||
Media Keys | Dedicated | Dedicated | Dedicated |
Macro Programmable Keys | All | All | All |
Trackpad / Trackball | No | No | No |
Wheel | Yes | Yes | Yes |
USB Passthrough | Yes | No | Yes |
Numpad | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Windows Key Lock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Lock Indicator | Caps & Num Lock | Caps, Scroll & Num lock | Caps, Scroll & Num lock |
Keystrokes | |||
Key Switches | OmniPoint | Razer Linear Optical | Cherry MX Speed |
Feel | Linear | Linear | Linear |
Operating Force | 37 gf | 38 gf | 45 gf |
Actuation Force | 37 gf | 37 gf | 42 gf |
Pre-Travel | 1.4 mm | 1.0 mm | 1.1 mm |
Total Travel | 4.1 mm | 3.5 mm | 3.4 mm |
Typing Noise | Quiet | Quiet | Loud |
Latency | |||
Latency Wired | 3.4 ms | 1.3 ms | 1.8 ms |
Latency Receiver | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Latency Bluetooth | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Software & Programming | |||
Software Name | Steelseries Engine | Razer Synapse 3 | iCUE |
Account Required | No | No | No |
Profiles | 6+ | 6+ | 6+ |
Onboard Memory | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Cloud Sync | Yes | Yes | No |
Macro Programming | Software and Onboard | Software and Onboard | Software and Onboard |
Ease Of Use | Easy | Easy | Easy |
Software Windows Compatible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Software macOS Compatible | Yes | No | Yes |
Keyboard Compatibility | |||
Windows | Full | Full | Full |
macOS | Full | Partial | Partial |
Linux | Partial | Partial | Partial |
Android | No | No | No |
iOS | No | No | No |
iPadOS | No | No | No |
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SteelSeries Apex Pro, Razer Huntsman Elite, and Corsair K95 Platinum Review
| #1 SteelSeries Apex Pro Full-Size Wired Mechanical OmniPoint Adjustable Actuation Switch Gaming Keyboard
Google Users Rating: 4.8/5
The SteelSeries Apex Pro is a premium mechanical keyboard that comes with just about everything you could ask for. It has a sturdy aluminum alloy frame that stands up to heavy use. What makes it stand out is its adjustable OmniPoint switches. Advanced OmniPoint switches let you change the amount of pre-travel distance needed to input a keystroke, which in turns increases and decreases its actuation force. You can lower it for a more responsive experience in games, or you can raise it up to reduce the number of typos and accidental keystrokes when typing text. Each key can be adjusted to meet your preferred sensitivity level, whether it’s for gaming, work, or anything else. You can also program every key and customize the keyboard inside its software.
The SteelSeries Apex Pro also boasts a USB pass-through, which can be extremely useful if you have USB peripherals to which you’d like easy access. The other luxurious features include a tiny OLED display plus a dedicated media playback and volume control wheel, both of which help navigate the onboard UI, which allows you to customize every aspect of the keyboard without having to launch the software. In addition, Apex Pro is known for providing unmatched RGB illumination and customization with over 16.8 million colors. To take it one step further, with this keyboard, you can customize each individual key. The included magnetic wrist rest may be a bit of a dust magnet but it’s comfy and helps with the overall ergonomics of the board nicely. There is no doubt that the SteelSeries Apex Pro is one of the best gaming keyboards. The custom actuation, elegant build, and bright RGB lighting all help to make it stand out among the dense competition.
PROS | CONS |
Fantastic build quality | The questionable long-term typing experience |
Comfortable wrist rest | No dedicated macro keys |
OLED Smart Display | Not cheap |
Can customize actuation distance | |
Keypress feedback is spot on | |
Brilliant per-key RGB lighting | |
5 onboard profiles | |
USB pass-through |
| #2 Razer Huntsman Elite Full Size Wired Opto-Mechanical Linear Switch Gaming Keyboard
Google Users Rating: 4.8/5
The Razer Huntsman Elite is a good gaming keyboard with novel optomechanical switches. As the name suggests, it is outfitted with hybrid optical/mechanical switches. Instead of using metal contact leaves, these switches register keystrokes with lasers, which eliminates switch debounce and extends the lifespan of the switch—by an extra 50 million clicks compared to Cherry MX, according to Razer which is especially useful for gamers who need tap keys repeatedly. The Razer Huntsman Elite has two optical switches to choose from, the Razer Clicky Optical switch (purple) provides tactile and audible feedback, like known from Cherry MX Blue switches, while the Razer Linear Optical switch (red) offers a simple, smooth keypress.
In addition, the Razer Huntsman Elite comes with padded wrist support that magnetically attaches to the bottom of the keyboard and syncs with its Chroma lighting patterns. It's not the best wrist pad out there, but it offers adequate support for your wrists while you type and game for long sessions. The Razer Huntsman Elite also has dedicated media controls, and in addition to its full RGB backlighting, it has underglow LEDs on the keyboard and the wrist rest. All keys are macro-programmable and even the volume dial can be reassigned. Some customizations can be done on the board, but Razer Synapse 3 is needed to access full customization options and it's only available on Windows. The Razer Huntsman Elite does lack the USB pass-through and requires two USB cables to power, but that’s a small price to pay for such a speedy board. Its premium performance and the overall great gaming experience still make it worth every cent.
PROS | CONS |
Smart design | No dedicated macro keys |
Extremely comfortable magnetic wrist rest | No USB passthrough |
Phenomenal hybrid switches | Requires two USB ports for power |
Fastest key actuation ever | |
Dedicated media controls | |
Per-key RGB backlighting and underflow | |
Hybrid On-board and Cloud Storage – Up to 5 Profiles | |
Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording |
| #3 CORSAIR K95 RGB PLATINUM Full-size Wired Mechanical Cherry MX Speed Linear Switch Gaming Keyboard
Google Users Rating: 4.7/5
The Corsair K95 Platinum is the supercar of gaming keyboards, coming loaded with everything a hardcore gamer needs. Design-wise, the aircraft-grade anodized brushed aluminum chassis and robust construction complement the K95 with a more premium feel and look, giving it a bit of heft to help with stability and augment the rubberized leg stoppers.This keyboard is available in several switch configurations, from the standard Cherry MX Blues and Browns to the coveted MX Speed Silvers. The MX Speed Silver switch comes with 1.2 mm of actuation distance for that ultra-fast reflex improvement while boasting a long lifespan of over 100 million keystrokes.
In terms of RGB lights, the K95 features per-key illumination. You can also alter the RGB lights in 19 different zones around the keyboard using the top edge light bar for a more sophisticated and dramatic animation. Using Corsair's iCue software you can customize the K95, including assigning special functions to the column of keys on the far-left side of the keyboard with macros or whatever you want. If you often experience wrist pain after a long gaming session, you’d be please to hear that this keyboard comes with a removable and super comfortable wrist rest. In addition, the Corsair K95 also features six dedicated macro keys and has a few dedicated media controls, including a volume wheel, a USB 2.0 port (yes, not USB 3.0), and 8MB of profile storage for whatever macro and lighting profiles you need to set for your games. Even though this is an expensive keyboard, it does offer a premium experience. That old saying “you get what you pay for,” couldn’t be more true.
PROS | CONS |
Military-grade aluminum frame | The textured side of the wrist-rest can collect dust and crumbs quickly |
Comfortable wrist rest | No Audio Pass-through |
Good QC of Cherry MX switches | Two USB ports are required on your PC if it doesn't have USB 3.0 available |
Responsive, smooth keys | |
Dedicated macro and media controls | |
Built-in 8 MB of memory for saving your user profiles | |
Stunning design with gorgeous RGB lighting | |
iCUE software is intuitive and easy to use |
Verdict
SteelSeries Apex Pro vs. Razer Huntsman Elite vs. Corsair K95 Platinum: Which Should I Pick?
There’s really no clear-cut winner here. For PC gaming enthusiasts or anyone who enjoys a quality typing experience, the SteelSeries Apex Pro, the Razer Huntsman Elite, and the Corsair K95 Platinum are all worth every penny. In other words, you can’t go terribly wrong with either choice.
In terms of key switches, the SteelSeries Apex Pro, the Razer Huntsman Elite, and the Corsair K95 Platinum are evenly matched despite the major difference in their designs, and both have a full-size footprint. In addition, they all feature a detachable wrist rest and full RGB lighting. So you're going to have a great experience playing games with either, regardless of what those games are.
If I had to choose, I'd go with the SteelSeries Apex Pro, but that’s only for the extra features. The SteelSeries has a customizable OLED screen, a USB passthrough. It also has better compatibility, as its customization software is available for macOS.
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