SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL RGB Gaming Keyboard

Not everyone wants the clack of a mechanical board, especially if you game late with someone asleep in the next room. The Apex 3 TKL uses SteelSeries’ whisper-quiet switches, which are made from low-friction material for near-silent typing and are rated for over 20 million keypresses. You still get anti-ghosting, so pressing several keys at once in a fight registers properly.

It’s a tenkeyless layout, meaning the number pad is gone. That’s a bigger deal than it sounds: the keyboard takes up less width, so your mouse can sit closer to your body and you have more room for wide swipes at low sensitivity. There’s also a clickable volume roller and media keys in the corner, which is handy when you want to turn down a loud game without alt-tabbing.

Two practical extras round it out. The IP32 rating gives it some protection from spills and dust, and it works with Xbox Series X|S and PS5 as well as Windows and Mac. Typists who love the crisp feel of mechanical switches will find these soft and a bit mushy in comparison. For a quiet, sturdy first gaming keyboard or a console setup, it covers the basics well.