Overall and Final Verdict
So I set out at the start of this article to find out how much had changed between the Siberia v2 and the 6Gv2 to the Siberia 200 and the Apex M500. Well the move to the Siberia 200 required just a few tweaks to the cord where going to the Apex M500 added in backlighting and a new key switch. SteelSeries recognized that the people loved the Siberia v2 as it was and that the 6Gv2 wasn’t bad but it needed backlighting. I don’t think we could have asked for a better refresh, they managed to go back to their roots and bring back a little of the SteelSeries that helped them make a name for themselves.
The Siberia 200 brought back the bright color options though I do hope they continue to introduce new limited edition color options like they did with the Siberia v2. I would especially love to see a new orange model as my old orange v2 is showing its age. They are comfortable and have the good audio performance that the v2’s always had. The new cord design is a plus as well, the old design would end up being too long and prone to failing in the extension cable.
The Apex M500 might not officially be a refresh of the 6gv2, but I am loving that it shares the same simple design that the 6gv2 had. This is a huge difference compared to the other Apex keyboards that take up a lot more space on your desk. Bring back Cherry MX switches for the M500 was also important but I do wish they would offer a few more switch options for people looking for tactile or clicky switches. The same goes for the backlighting as well, it is very bright and looks great, but I know I personally would love a RAW version with white backlighting over the blue. Even with the Apex M500 having a completely standard layout (thank god), SteelSeries did manage to slip in support for their SteelSeries Engine 3 to give the ability to reprogram any key or to add in macros.
One of the things that helped the Siberia v2 become so prevalent was that it could be found for cheap if you kept an eye out on sales. The MSRP of $79.99 isn’t too bad as it is, but you can already find the Siberia 200 for less on outlets like Amazon. It looks like the Siberia 200 is going to continue to be a great buy for a great headset. The Apex M500 on the other hand has a MSRP of $99.99 and is currently selling for that. I think it’s a great keyboard, but I think SteelSeries is going to have a hard time competing with some of the RGB keyboards from lesser known brands at that price point. There are similarly priced keyboards from Cooler Master, Razer, and Logitech though so it is priced right into its market.
Live Pricing: HERE
Live Pricing: HERE
