Steelseries peripherals

Steelseries is about the only brand of "gaming" equipment that I've never actually tried. How are their mice, keyboards, and headsets in terms of quality and usability? Is the software as intuitive as they claim?

 

Personally, I prefer Logitech but I haven't seen any cardinal sins committed by their devices unlike some others, *cough* Razer *cough*

 

Since the launch of the Blackwidow TE Chroma, I've never had a major issue with Razer's mice, keyboards, or software. I actually prefer Synapse over Corsair Utility Engine and Logitech Gaming Software, despite currently using a G213 keyboard and G602 mouse. I have a 2012 Orochi at work that I hammer on for 8 hours a day, and it doesn't break a sweat.

 

I've used a Taipan for several years and I have to say, Synapse was among the most broken pieces of software I've ever come across. It really did behave oddly and removing it as a whole happened less than a year after initial install. I also really dislike the fact that they transitioned from Cherry MX switches to their own cheaper knock-offs yet still charge a premium over other products with Cherry or Omron switches.

In contrast, I recently helped out a friend of mine with setting up his Logitech G Pro and that software was a much easier install, requires no unnecessary nonsense like an app-specific account or anything. I found it overall a more intuitive design.

As for myself, the Taipan's sensor finally got to the point where it's really not very usable (it started degrading about 1-2 years ago but now it's an actual bother for me) so I may move to something else. I'm contemplating the G403, Rival 100 and Asus Strix Claw but I've yet to make up my mind. I'm definitely not buying into Razer again. The 75$ Taipan was a bigger hassle than the 15$ Canyon basic mouse that I used for about 6 years before that.

 

I felt the opposite way because I prefer most clone switches to the original, regardless of the keyboard that uses them. The only genuine Cherry switch I like is the MX Silent. I'm on a "mecha-dome" kick at the moment, hence the G213 at home, and I'm rocking a Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 Type-S at work. I had forgotten how much I missed the feel of Topre switches. They make an RGB backlit board with MX-compatible key stems, but it's really expensive and sounds weird unless you mod it with lube and silencing rings/pads.

 

I mean, if I have to choose for myself, I actually prefer chiclet keyboards over Mech ones but the Razer Kalih switches are really not my cup of tea, especially at those prices.

 

So you'd want something like the Razer Deathstalker. I had one of those, and while I liked the feel of the keys, the built-in wrist rest proved uncomfortable when using the board for any length of time. It's strange because I have no such issues with the one on the G213.

I'm especially curious about Steelseries because even the keyboard snobs at Geekhack have been raving about the Apex rubber dome. They just came out with an "RGB" version (I use quotes because while it has multi-color backlighting, you can't change it on a per-key basis) that's cheaper than the retail price of the G213.

 

I have Rival 100 mouse. Bought it a year ago, after my Logitech M510 started to act up (double clicks, MMB stoped working properly). Still works fine, don't have any major complains, except for the top matte finish in few spots started to peel off.
I went for Rival 100 mainly because it cost about the same as M510, had similar amount of buttons (6 on Rival vs 7 on M510) and hardware durability. Also I like that it has non-gamey look. And it's pretty light and sits well in hand.
Overall I'm pretty happy with my purchase.

Now I'm considering to grab a mechanical SteelSeries keyboard (Apex 500). Again, I like the non-gamey looks, though Logitech G810 (I think) also looks nice.

 

Last SS peripheral i bought was the Sensei Fantic Edition. All other mice after (and including this one) had serious accel issues, so i pretty much switched to Zowie and Logitech for my Mice and Razer/Ducky for the keyboards.

 

150$ for a Deathstalker is NEVER happening on my end. Especially when I can get a Lenovo ThinkPad Bluetooth keyboard for less than 50$ and that one is better by MILES. I'm not even joking, the ThinkPad keyboard is just beyond anything Razer can ever dream of achieving.

 

You're thinking of the DeathStalker Elite with that programmable LCD panel that Razer never really did much with. The standard version is just $44 on Amazon.

 

Standard version (no backlight, no nothing) is 100$ for me. And that's if I want warranty. Keep in mind, I'm from Eastern Europe and Razer are obliged to offer 2 years of full warranty service and have a device fixed within the month or return the buyer's money. There's a valid reason for the Blades never being sold here and half of their products not being imported. Nobody wants the hassle

 

Yeah, I can see why that would be a problem.

 

I mean, I can understand why the seller would charge extra. Cause if anything breaks (knowing Razer) they'd have to handle shipping and potentially the replacement as well.

 

I've used their headphones, at least the Siberia model. Comfy, and sound good, mic reproduces voices well. I'm almost an anti-audiophile though so YMMV. Haven't tried the keyboards.

 

Steelseries are good, great support more often than not, and they are Danish.