NZ$280 for a keyboard? No, that's not a typo. What does it do? Well, it doesn't actually do anything that your average plastic-fantastic keyboard doesn't, but what it does it does very well. So well in fact that it has the approval of several professional gaming groups worldwide.

The mechanical switches are basically what sets it apart from other keyboards - virtually all modern boards use cheap rubber membranes instead, which wear out easily and aren't as responsive.

According to Steelseries, the 7G allows users to "perform the most detailed and advanced key combinations to date." It supports both PS/2 and USB interfaces and has "the most powerful PS/2 buffer-system ever created for a gaming keyboard," which "redefines 'anti-ghosting' by supporting as many simultaneous key presses as there are keys on the keyboard."

The Good:

There's plenty of reasons to love this board. It reminds me of the original Model M keyboard from IBM, in that it's so solid and heavy that you feel like you could pick it up and use it for self defence. You can bash the hell out of this board and it will just ask for more - slam those keys as hard as you want, you ain't gonna wear them out. Being able to push literally every button on the keyboard at once and have them all register is also a nifty trick. Nothing is more aggravating when gaming than having keys lock up in the heat of battle.

The Bad:

But there's also plenty of reasons not to like this board. It's $280, for starters. The backspace key is half the size it usually is and is easy to miss and accidentally hit the key next to it. It's $280. There's no "click" when you hit a key which can be a real pain to type with. It's $280. There's no macro keys, no LCD panel, no dedicated media keys - there's none of the stuff which usually justifies higher prices tags for gaming keyboards. And did I mention the price?

The Verdict:

OK, so you want to buy the last keyboard you'll ever own, and you don't need any gimmicky functions or features. Perhaps you're overly violent with your computer peripherals and you've been through 10 keyboards this year already. Maybe you're at the peak of your gaming 'career' and you need a keyboard that absolutely positively won't miss a beat. In these situations, I think you may have just found the keyboard you've been looking for. For the rest of us, personally I think $280 could fund not just a decent gaming keyboard, but a gaming mouse and mousepad too.

Either way, they'll be instore at PlayTech soon enough, so if you're curious then go and have a tinker.

Features

  • No-click mechanical professional gaming keyboard
  • 18K gold-plated connectors for extremely low latency
  • Gaming grade lifetime: 50 million keystrokes
  • Endorsed by the worlds best eSports-players

Specifications

  • Assembly: Face plate mounted keyset
  • Dimensions: 480 x 250 mm / 18,9 x 9,8 in
  • Cable length: 2 m (6,6 ft.)
  • Connectivity: PS/2 + USB