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Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless 8KHz vs SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

Updated

Which to pick

Both are wired esports tenkeyless boards at around £210 in the UK, with per-key adjustable actuation and rapid trigger, plastic bodies with aluminium top plates, double-shot PBT keycaps and switches you can't swap.

The difference is how each switch senses the key. Razer uses analog optical switches, where the stem interrupts a beam of light; SteelSeries uses OmniPoint 3.0 magnetic Hall effect switches. Both offer the same kind of tuning, so the choice comes down to the rest of the board.

The Huntsman has an 8,000 Hz polling rate, Razer's Snap Tap feature, a digital dial and a confirmed UK ISO version. The Apex Pro comes with a magnetic wrist rest, but as far as we can tell its UK version is the US key shape with UK legends rather than a true ISO board.

If you want the tall UK Enter key, pick the Huntsman. If you're used to ANSI or want the wrist rest in the box, the Apex Pro is the one.

Specifications side by side

9 rows differ

SpecRazer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless 8KHzSteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3
Price (differs)£209.99List price£209List price
Sound (editorial) (differs)
Muted
Not listed
Version (differs)8KHzGen 3
SizeTKL (80%)TKL (80%)
Layouts (differs)ANSI / ISOANSI
Switch options (differs)Razer Analog Optical Switch Gen-2SteelSeries OmniPoint 3.0 Adjustable Magnetic
Switch type (differs)OpticalHall-effect (magnetic)
Hot-swapNo, solderedNo, soldered
ConnectionWired (USB-C)Wired (USB-C)
Polling rate (differs)8,000 HzNot listed
CasePlasticPlastic
MountingOtherOther
Keycaps (differs)PBT, OEM profile, doubleshotPBT, Other profile, doubleshot
SoftwareProprietary appProprietary app
LightingPer-key RGBPer-key RGB
Knob (differs)YesNot listed

Prices are list prices unless marked as a live price. Check the retailer before you buy. Sound tags are our summary of what owners and reviewers report, not measurements. Add a third keyboard

Sources

Specs come from our catalogue, which records where each fact was read:

  1. razer.com/gaming-keyboards/razer-huntsman-v3-pro-tenkeyless-8khz
  2. tomshardware.com/peripherals/keyboards/razer-huntsman-v3-pro-tkl-review
  3. scan.co.uk/products/razer-huntsman-v3-pro-8khz-tenkeyless-gaming-keyboard-razer-analog-optical-gen2-switches-n-key-rollo
  4. steelseries.com/en-gb/gaming-keyboards/apex-pro-gen-3
  5. techradar.com/computing/keyboards/steelseries-apex-pro-tkl-gen-3-review