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Tech head-to-head

Apple Magic MousevsSteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

1.1 points separate them: 7.9 for SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3, 6.8 for Apple Magic Mouse. Performance carries most of it, 9.4 to 6.8.

Apple Magic Mouse

Apple

6.8

Beautiful, gesture-rich, and shaped in a way that most hands stop tolerating after an hour.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

SteelSeries

7.9

Actuation you set per key, from a hair of travel to the full stroke, on a board that charges for it.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Performance, SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 ahead 9.4 to 6.8. They come closest on Value, 6.2 to 5.6. Left of center is Apple Magic Mouse, right is SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3.

Apple Magic Mouse versus SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Apple Magic Mouse run left from the axis labels, bars for SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 run right. Apple Magic Mouse: Performance 6.8, Value 5.6, Durability 7.8, Ease of use 5.4, Design 8.6. SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3: Performance 9.4, Value 6.2, Durability 7.8, Ease of use 7.4, Design 8.6.Apple Magic Mouse (left)SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 (right)PerformanceApple Magic Mouse — Performance 6.8 out of 106.8SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — Performance 9.4 out of 109.4ValueApple Magic Mouse — Value 5.6 out of 105.6SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — Value 6.2 out of 106.2DurabilityApple Magic Mouse — Durability 7.8 out of 107.8SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — Durability 7.8 out of 107.8Ease of useApple Magic Mouse — Ease of use 5.4 out of 105.4SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — Ease of use 7.4 out of 107.4DesignApple Magic Mouse — Design 8.6 out of 108.6SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — Design 8.6 out of 108.6Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Apple Magic Mouse

  • macOS gesture navigation is central to how you work
  • The mouse spends more time being looked at than used
  • You want something that disappears into a minimal desk

Take the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

Leads on Performance, Value and Ease of use.

  • Competitive games where actuation depth is worth tuning key by key
  • You want a handful of keys set shallow and the rest left normal
  • Media control and profile switching without opening an app

Durability and Design score identically, so those axes can't break the tie.

What each one gets wrong

Apple Magic Mouse

  • You use a mouse for more than about an hour at a time
  • Charging from a port on the underside is an obvious problem

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

  • Typing is the main job — shallow actuation punishes resting fingers
  • You would rather not have the SteelSeries suite installed to configure it
  • You expect to change switches later; these are not sockets

Specs, side by side

SpecApple Magic MouseSteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3
SurfaceMulti-touch gestures—
ChargingUSB-C port on the underside—
ProfileAlmost flat—
Layout—Tenkeyless
Switches—OmniPoint 3.0 magnetic, 0.1–4.0 mm adjustable
Top plate—Aluminum alloy
Extras—OLED display, onboard profiles, double-shot PBT keycaps

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Is SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 the straightforward pick?
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 leads on Performance, Value and Ease of use, and there is no axis where Apple Magic Mouse comes out ahead. It is 1.1 ahead on the average, which is wide for a 5-axis category.
What does Apple Magic Mouse still do better?
Nothing on the scorecard: Apple Magic Mouse doesn't lead a single axis, though Durability and Design are level. Its listed weakness is You use a mouse for more than about an hour at a time.
Which one ranks higher in "A desk that looks right, and what it costs the hand"?
Apple Magic Mouse sits at #2 in "A desk that looks right, and what it costs the hand", SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 at #3.