Keychron V3 Max vs SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

V3 Max compared with Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

	KeychronV3 Max	SteelSeriesApex Pro TKL Gen 3
Overview
Released
Released	February 2024	September 2024
Typing
Layout
Layout	Tenkeyless	Tenkeyless
Switches
Switches	Mechanical	Magnetic (Hall effect)
Backlight
Backlight	RGB	RGB
Keys labelled for
Keys labelled for	Mac, Windows and more	Windows
Touch ID
Touch ID	No	–
Switches
Switches	Gateron Jupiter switches (Red, Brown or Banana); hot-swappable with most 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switches; screw-in PCB stabilisers	OmniPoint 3.0 adjustable HyperMagnetic switches (analogue Hall effect magnetic sensors, not mechanical contacts), rated for up to 100 million keystrokes; per-key lubrication; 0.7 ms response time
Key travel
Key travel	–	Actuation point adjustable from 0.1 to 4.0 mm; 45 g bottom-out force
Keycaps
Keycaps	OSA-profile double-shot PBT, not shine-through; keycaps for Windows and macOS	Double-shot PBT
Layouts
Layouts	80% TKL with a knob; ANSI (keychron.com); UK ISO (keychron.uk)	–
Backlight
Backlight	South-facing RGB LEDs	Dynamic per-key RGB, 16.8 million colours, with reactive typing effects
Special keys
Special keys	Programmable rotary knob; Mac/Windows system toggle that keeps a separate layout for each; N-key rollover wireless and wired	OLED smart display; Rapid Trigger, Rapid Tap and Protection Mode; 5 onboard profiles; 32-bit ARM processor
Connections and battery
Connects by
Connects by	Bluetooth, USB receiver and Cable	Cable
Devices it switches between
Devices it switches between	3	–
Power
Power	Rechargeable	Cable
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 190 hours	–
Receiver
Receiver	2.4 GHz USB receiver at 1,000 Hz polling; Bluetooth 5.1 at 90 Hz to up to three devices; USB-C wired at 1,000 Hz	–
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	4,000 mAh lithium-polymer battery; up to 190 hours with the backlight off and up to 100 hours with RGB at its lowest brightness (Keychron's lab tests)	–
Charging
Charging	USB-C; around 5 hours to charge; Type-C cable with a Type-A to Type-C adapter	–
Works with
Works with	Windows, macOS and Linux	Windows 10 and above; macOS 11 Big Sur and above with SteelSeries GG and Engine (not all features supported on macOS)
Software
Software	QMK firmware with VIA and the Keychron Launcher web app	SteelSeries GG with Engine and QuickSet
Design
Weight
Weight	895 g (better)	974 g
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	–	355 × 129 × 42 mm
Size
Size	367.8 × 149 mm; 23.6 mm high at the front and 32.5 mm at the back without keycaps; 2 mm feet; typing angles of 4°, 7° and 10°; 895 g ± 10 g fully assembled	355 × 129 × 42 mm (width × depth × height); rubber tri-level feet
Materials
Materials	ABS plastic body; PC plate; gasket mount; sound-absorbing foam	Aluminium top plate; sound-dampening foam
Colours
Colours	Carbon Black	Black; other finishes on steelseries.com
In the box
In the box	–	Keyboard, detachable braided USB-C to USB-A cable, extension adapter, wrist rest, keycap puller, product information guide