The Shift from steelseries is, in their own words, “a keyboard chameleon”. I’m using it now to type this article, and I can tell you that it is a sturdy beast. This keyboard boasts a wealth of flexible features to suit any serious gamer, or for that matter anyone who spends a lot of time using a keyboard for programs that have a lot of keyboard-driven functions.
For gamers, the keyset can be changed (as shown in the picture above) to ones pre-customised for various popular games such as the World of Warcraft universe and Starcraft II. These keysets (sold separately) have specially-labelled keys specific to that game with common in-game actions assigned to them using the Steel Series Engine macro software. If you don’t want to purchase the extra keysets, the standard keyset which comes with the Shift is capable of recording multiple sets of macros over different “layers” of function keys, so you could easily create your own version. You can have a different layer for each game or program you use. The key assigned to cast a spell in WoW could be the same as the key to build a certain unit in Starcraft II – they can be in different layers, which you can change between with a single keystroke when you change games. Of course, the function keys could also be assigned to common Windows functions and programs.
This is obviously a hard-wearing piece of kit, but that doesn’t mean it’s uncomfortable. Steelseries say the Shift’s keys can stand up to three times as many key presses (15 million) as a standard keyboard. However, the most commonly-used keys for gaming require less pressure to depress, so you won’t wear your fingers out pressing WASD! Because the spacebar is split to allow the keyset to fold out and be removed, I am finding my thumb keeps hitting the gap while I’m typing. For gaming, though, my thumb would be in a different position so it wouldn’t be a problem.
The keyboard offers up two USB ports as well as mic and headphone jacks – you simply connect the keyboard’s two USB cables and two audio jacks into the back of your PC, and everything’s then in easy reach for no-more-grovelling-on-the-floor fragging. There’s just one cable coming out of the back of the keyboard too which then splits later on into the four connections, so there’s no messy mass of cables strewn across your desk – a nice touch.
The configuration is done via the Steel Series Engine software which you download from the website. It connects to the keyboard and allows you to configure the macros and keyboard setup.
The Shift retails for around £75-£80, or $85-$90 in the States. The extra keysets are around £25/$30 per game set.
Right, I’m off to play Call of Duty…
