Closer Look: SteelSeries 7G

In this section we are going to look at the SteelSeries 7G and get our initial opinion. This is not a gaming keyboard in the sense that it has LED backlit keys, info panel LCD or any other bells and whistles. It is instead a function over aesthetics kind of gaming keyboard, one that will last the duration - if the specs are anything to go by.

The SteelSeries 7G Ships in a gigantic box measuring in at 54cm long x 32cm wide, for once it isn't all just packaging though. The 7G is a huge keyboard when it has its wrist rest attached. The box really stands out and has lots of information on it regarding the product inside.

Remove the outer sleeve and you get extra protection via this inner box, the keyboard is suspended within this box by two end pieces of moulded polystyrene. The sample I received from SteelSeries had a bit of a bad time in the back of the couriers truck and as a result a few of the keys had come loose. SteelSeries re-assured us that this is a "non-issue" because the keys are designed to be removable with a little force for cleaning etc. This opens up a few channels for the modding scene out there, you can remove the keys of the 7G to customise them without fear of breaking them.

The wrist rest is nothing more than moulded rigid plastic, function takes precedence over form here. The wrist rest is very nice when typing but not so much when gaming - at least that's how I feel. It is by no means bad and improves things ten fold over having no wrist rest at all, it's just more comfortable when typing than it is when gaming.

With the wrist rest removed the 7G looks its best. The design is minimal and I like that, sometimes you just don't need macro keys and LED backlights or LCD status screens to beat down some pixelated enemies, all you need is your elite skills and good quality peripherals and you will be good. I am a FPS gamer myself and as such I don't need macro's and probably never will, what I do need is rapid response and anti ghosting for when I get my dance on, and I need a keyboard that won't buckle under the pressure when I die and need to vent my frustration.

Here is the 7G in all its glory, I have to admit that before I started to use this keyboard I thought it looked stupidly hideous. With that said though, now that I have been using it for some time my mind has changed a little. It is still huge but that works to its own benefit and the ergonomics feel just right. I would like to bring your attention to the backspace and enter keys, the enter key is just brilliant and the size of it is just right but as with all things good, comes some bad. As a result of the L shaped enter key the vertical bar/back slash key takes a new place to the left of the backspace key, I'm used to having a large backspace key so now and then when I reach for it with my chubby fingers I find myself pressing the wrong key.

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