SteelSeries Shift Gaming Keyboard Review

1. Introduction2. The SteelSeries Shift Gaming Keyboard (1)3. The SteelSeries Shift Gaming Keyboard (2)4. Comfort, Performance and Software5. Closing Thoughts6. View All Pages

There are a huge number of gaming keyboards on the market so it can often be very difficult to make a decision on which to buy.  When we review gaming keyboards it is always good to see a product that brings more features to the table and differentiates itself in some way from the competition.

Today we are going to look at the SteelSeries Shift gaming keyboard which is different from many keyboards on the market.  This is because the whole keyset is removable and can be replaced with customised keysets for a variety of games.

Features

• Audio and USB hubs
• Media Keys
• Exchangable Keysets
• Multiple Levels of Macros
• On-The-Fly Layer Switching
• Direct Macro Recording
• Rubber Dome Switches
• Fine-Tuned Heat Spots

Measurements

• Height: 40 mm (1.6 in)
• Width: 490 mm (19.3 in)
• Length: 190 mm (7.5 in) – With wrist rest 240 mm (9.5 in)

The Shift is supplied in a standard style cardboard keyboard box which should provide it with ample protection during transit.  This is covered in a whole host of information about the keyboard inside alongside a number of product photos.  SteelSeries have used a grey, white and orange colour scheme which is in keeping with the rest of their product range.

Inside the box we don’t find a whole lot extra with the keyboard but there isn’t really a need for a plethora of accessories.  There are a few, though, including a palm rest, a user guide and a selection of leaflets.

The aesthetic design of the Shift is quite pleasing to the eye when compared to some of their existing products like the 7G that we reviewed a few months back.  The wide stance of the base gives it quite a presence on the desk even without the included palm rest attached.

SteelSeries have finished the shift in a high-quality matte-black plastic which looks and feels great.    Even though it doesn’t have a metal backbone like the 7G, the keybed remains free of flex and the whole board feels very robust and durable.  The cable carries a thick plastic shielding which should stand the test of time well and all the connectors are gold-plated to ensure the best possible connection to your PC.

Behind the illuminated SteelSeries logo there is a two port USB2.0 hub and headphone and microphone jacks.  SteelSeries have thoughtfully included a separate USB2.0 connector for the hub so not to overload the keyboard connector.  Unlike some keyboards, the Shift doesn’t have a build in USB soundcard so the audio jacks simply plug into the back of your machine.

The SteelSeries Shift has a very impressive party trick up its’ sleeve; the ability to switch out the keyset.  While this may not sound so special, if you check out the full range of available keysets which are designed with specific games in mind such as World of Warcraft and Medal of Honor, it quickly becomes a useful feature.  When you replace the keyset, an inbuilt chip automatically reprograms the key functions making it incredibly easy to switch keysets quickly.

To remove the keyset we’re simply required to undo the clip on the right and lift out the keyset.  To re-install the keyset, we just have to do this in reverse.  When the keyset is removed, the rubber-dome switches are revealed.  Although most rubber-dome style switches only have a lifespan of around a million keystrokes, the ones used in the Shift have five times the lifespan – yes, around 5 million operations.  SteelSeries have tuned the force needed to activate the keys for optimum performance.  The most used keys require 60g of force to depress while the less frequently used keys require 75g.

Along the left hand side, SteelSeries have included a selection of media control buttons which should fulfil the basic multimedia needs of most users.  We’re glad to see that they are proper buttons rather than touch controls which we have found to be frustratingly unresponsive on some keyboards.

Above the keyset there are eight macro buttons.  The three buttons to the right let you activate three different functions for each of these buttons meaning you can configure up to 24 macros for these buttons.  On the far right there is a macro recording button which enables simple configuration of new macros without using a software interface.  If 24 macro keys aren’t enough for you, the numpad and F1-F12 can also be configured as macro buttons and are enabled using the ‘Bar Lock’ and ‘Pad Lock’ buttons next to the ‘Shift’ logo.

One side-effect of having a replaceable keyset mechanism is the sheer thickness of the Shift.  This makes it a little uncomfortable to use without the included wrist rest.  But when the wrist-rest is attached, the keyboard feels much better and we would recommend using it all the time.

On the underside of the keyboard there are adjustable rubber feet which allow for three different height settings in total.  These let you set the keyboard up to your preferred angle for comfortable typing.

The keys themselves have a slightly cushioned action as a result of the rubber-dome switches that SteelSeries have used.  We found that they provide an ideal level of resistance for gaming and are very responsive on the whole. The only slight issue that we have with the keys is the broken space bar.  This isn’t a huge issue but we occasionally found ourselves hitting the gap and activating each side at the same time.  We can’t really say that the Shift is ideally suited to typing long essays as the key action seems a little imprecise but this is true of many gaming keyboards on the market.

Inside the box there is a small leaflet which directs us to the SteelSeries website to download the configuration utility.  This is only around 11Mb in size so doesn’t take too long to download and install.

The ‘SteelSeries Engine’ software lets us set up the Shift however we like.  We can assign custom macros to every key and set up multiple profiles for switching configurations quickly.  There is also a ‘Stats’ option which lets us monitor keyboard activity to see which keys we use the most.

On the whole we’re quite impressed with the Steelseries Shift. We were expecting the removability of the keyset to have an impact on comfort or performance but it doesn’t affect either. In fact it feels almost identical to the SteelSeries Merc Stealth keyboard in terms of key action and feel.  Like almost every SteelSeries product we’ve tested in the past, the Shift is built very well and should last a very long time.

When gaming, the Shift performed very well but unfortunately we didn’t have any of the additional keysets available to test at the time of review so cannot evaluate the complete experience.  For those who are going to be doing a lot of typing, though, we would recommend looking at the SteelSeries 7G as we found it preferable.

As with all SteelSeries products, the Shift has quite a hefty price tag of £75 at Overclockers UK .  We also have to consider the price of additional keysets which are £20 at Overclockers UK which brings the overall price to £95.  We feel that only serious gamers will be willing to pay this as those who can only afford the keyboard alone would be better off buying a Merc Stealth which offers a very similar experience for less money.

KitGuru Says: An innovative keyboard that will provides a unique gaming experience.

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