A sensible option for dedicated gamers
So let’s sum up the Steelkeys 6G.This is a well built keyboard that has a high quality feel and look. It’s a no-frills board that eschews all those daft media buttons in favour of a positive, responsive key-stroke and durability that should mean you’ll give up gaming before the keyboard gives up working.
Interestingly, according to SteelSeries, the Steelkeys 6G is reinforced with metal bars inside the casing to make it extremely durable, meaning you can throw it in your bag for a LAN and not have to worry about pulling out a busted ‘board with the keys dripping off. However, SteelSeries have asked that I limit my testing to gaming use as they’d seen the Corsair Destructive Testing videos on HEXUS.tv and really didn’t want me to sod up their review sample.
Click for larger imageAs a pure gaming keyboard the Steelkeys 6G shines, it really is a pleasure to use and that distinctive, positive ‘clack’ on each key press is a pleasure to hear. But if the Steelkeys 6G really wanted to appeal to gamers, they should stick a USB hub and/or headset ports with a single volume control on here too. Sure, make it so that the USB or headset only works if the keyboard is connected by USB (so to keep cabling and costs down) but it adds a feature gamers want.
However, if you’re looking at replacing your keyboard that has media buttons you perhaps make use of, such as media player controls for track skipping or volume, then the Steelkeys 6G might not be for you. My Logitech Elite strikes just the right balance for everyday use and in replacing it with the Steelkeys 6G, I did miss having that media control. That said, sticking the Steelkeys 6G on the gaming rig felt much better and, seeing as I’m lucky enough to have a dedicated gaming machine, the Steelkeys 6G was right at home and did exactly what I needed it to do.
Click for larger imageSo here’s how it plays out: If you use your PC mainly for gaming and a bit of typing, the Steelkeys 6G is definitely worth a look and I thoroughly recommend you at least try one out when the time comes to get a new ‘board. However, if you’ve found that you do use those extra media bit, then have a think before investing in the Steelkeys 6G as all you get is a keyboard and nothing more.
And here’s another caveat; if you’re a LAN freak but not into BYOC to events, again the Steelkeys 6G is worth a look...
So what I’m saying is that gamers should seriously consider the Steelkeys 6G, general users should give it a look and casual or infrequent gamers should find something else. Yep, seems a fair appraisal to me.
Pros
Based on Cherry technology
Full sized, no-nonsense keyboard
Replacement keys to highlight useful keys
Built in buffer for multiple key press combos
Solid, high quality build
None of those useless extra buttons for IM, email or media stuff
Cons
Lack of extra features make it a ‘gamers only’ keyboard
Lack of USB hub and/or headphone and mic ports
The Steelkeys 6G is a purist gamers’ keyboard... who’d have thought we’d ever see minimalism in keyboards, eh?
HEXUS Awards
SteelSeries Steelkeys 6G
