Final Impressions and Rating
ImpressionsThe SteelSeries Shift keyboard is a good quality build and sits impressively and stylishly on our desk. The themed, interchangeable keysets for games such as like World of Warcraft, Medal of Honor and Starcraft 2 should appeal to those who play multiple games religiously, while the sheer amount of customization firmly puts the power in your hands. The ease in which you can set up profiles makes things far less stressful than some gaming keyboards we've used, and being able to record macros on the fly effortlessly ensures that you don't have to spend time if you don't want with the software.
The spongy action of the keys feels nice and responsive, but after spending a lot of time with the keyboard on a daily basis it's clear that some keys feel a little different to press than others. After double-checking the product information, we discovered that it's part of the keyboard's design - some keys require more pressure than others. The Space Bar, for instance, has a 70 gram force rating, yet the WASD keys require 60 grams of force. When we were gaming, we noticed no real difference, but for excessive typing - which we do a lot of - you can feel the difference on your fingertips. It seems like a bit of wasted feature: why not make all keys with a 60 gram force rating?
Nonetheless, the SteelSeries Shift has been designed as a gaming keyboard and in that respect it works wonderfully well - registering keystrokes perfectly and combining smooth functionality with good key layout and impressive, easy-to-use customisation options. The Software is solid and incredibly easy to use, yet it has a layer of depth that caters for hardcore gamers. Similarly impressive are the features, such as being able to record macros on the fly, which works very well and gives you added control over your set-up in an instance.
The SteelSeries Shift is a high end gaming keyboard that is going to appeal to hardened gamers. Even though the £75 price tag may seem a little high at first, its price is reflected in the quality of the build, its extensive features and its performance. If you're in the market for a keyboard that shifts and gives you total control over its layout, then the SteelSeries Shift will undoubtedly be money well spent.
