SteelSeries not too long ago launched its first ultra-compact, 60-percent kind issue keyboards, the Apex Professional Mini and the Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi.
SteelSeries’ Apex Professional line notably options the model’s OmniPoint adjustable actuation switches, and these new mini keyboards are the primary to sport the subsequent era, OmniPoint 2.0. Along with adjustable actuation, OmniPoint 2.0 introduces twin actuation — a function that permits you to set two actions, triggered at totally different actuation factors, in a single keystroke.
As progressive as this all may sound, switches with adjustable actuation and twin actuation aren’t distinctive to SteelSeries. Razer’s Analog Huntsman keyboards, together with each the full-size Huntsman V2 Analog and the 60-percent Huntsman Mini Analog (which dropped in March 2022) have switches with adjustable actuation factors and dual-step actuation.
Nonetheless, because the Analog Huntsman keyboards are, effectively…analog, the Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi appears to be the primary wi-fi keyboard with twin actuation. But it surely doesn’t come low-cost: SteelSeries’ Apex Professional Mini prices $180, whereas the Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi prices $240 — dearer than virtually each keyboard on our listing of greatest gaming keyboards.
Specs
| Switches | SteelSeries OmniPoint 2.0 |
| Lighting | Per-Key RGB |
| Onboard Storage | 5 profiles |
| Media Keys | Secondary keybinds with SS operate key |
| Connectivity | Removable braided USB-C cable / Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4 GHz wi-fi (wi-fi) |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (wi-fi) |
| Extra Ports | None |
| Keycaps | Doubleshot PBT |
| Development | Plastic, aluminum alloy backplate |
| Software program | SteelSeries GG |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 11.53 x 4.02 x 1.59 inches / 293 x 103 x 40.3mm |
| Weight | 1.34lbs / 610g (wired) 1.2lbs / 543g (wi-fi) |
Design and Development of SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini
The Apex Professional Mini is a 60-percent keyboard, which is the smallest commonplace keyboard structure you’ll generally encounter (smaller layouts, corresponding to 40-percent aren’t mainstream). The 60-percent structure is definitely pretty standard, regardless of missing a quantity pad, navigation keys, a operate row, and arrow keys. This ultra-compact structure leaves you simply sufficient keys for fundamental typing, and is nice for touring in addition to reclaiming desk house.
The Apex Professional Mini has a easy, elegant design — perhaps it’s a bit of too easy, however, hey, there’s not loads of room for creativity on a 60-percent board. It has a darkish grey (or perhaps “gentle black”) chassis, plastic with an aluminum alloy backplate, and black double shot PBT keycaps. On the again are two units of flip-out toes for adjusting tilt; every set provides roughly 4mm (0.16 inches) in top, although, so it’s not a big adjustment.
The keyboard is 11.53 inches huge, 4.02 inches deep, and 1.59 inches tall (at its tallest), which makes it a bit of taller than, however in any other case virtually similar in dimension to, Razer’s Huntsman Mini.
SteelSeries’ branding is properly understated as normal, with the complete brand on the again of the board in darkish silver, and only a small SteelSeries brand on the entrance left nook (effectively, and the brand on the devoted SS operate key).
Each the wired and wi-fi variations have a USB-C port within the again left nook and include a seven-foot-long removable, braided USB-C to USB-A cable. The wi-fi model has an influence change that toggles between 2.4 GHz wi-fi and Bluetooth, and comes with a 2.4-GHz wi-fi USB-C dongle in addition to a USB-C to USB-C adapter.
The again of the wired model incorporates a silicone flap that lifts as much as reveal an orange keycap puller. The wi-fi model additionally comes with a keycap puller — simply no place to retailer it due to the 30-hour battery. Each variations of the keyboards are the identical dimension, however the wired model is a contact heavier — 1.34 kilos versus 1.2 kilos.
Each the Apex Professional Mini and the Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi will are available US English, French, German, Japanese, Nordic, and UK English layouts, however the US English structure is the one structure out there at launch.
Typing Expertise on the Apex Professional Mini
The Apex Professional Mini is the primary keyboard outfitted with the corporate’s new OmniPoint 2.0 switches, which — like the unique OmniPoint switches — have a linear really feel. Urgent a key’s clean and seamless, with no tactile bump or resistance.
Though the switches themselves are silent, typing on this keyboard produces some fairly loud clacking, in addition to some barely hollow-sounding thunks as you backside out in opposition to the aluminum backplate. This isn’t essentially a nasty factor — I sort of favored the best way this keyboard sounded. Like many writers, I desire switches with tactile suggestions for typing. However what I actually like are clicky switches. The Apex Professional Mini is nowhere close to as loud as a keyboard with clicky switches, corresponding to my present every day driver, the Razer BlackWidow v3 with Razer Inexperienced switches, nevertheless it’s loud sufficient and clicky sufficient that the sound alone practically made up for the shortage of tactile suggestions (practically).
The switches’ adjustable actuation doesn’t change how the keys really feel, nevertheless it does change the general typing expertise. You’ll be able to modify the actuation from 0.2mm, which is so shallow {that a} stiff wind will set off a keypress (severely — at 0.2mm, I used to be in a position to kind with some well-aimed blasts of canned air), all the best way as much as 3.8mm. In case you actually need to get into customizing the expertise, you’ll be able to modify every key’s actuation level individually.
I favored typing on the Apex Professional Mini, however I didn’t love it. I favored the best way the double shot PBT keycaps felt — their slight texture helped maintain my fingers from stray too removed from the keys. That mentioned, linear switches will at all times really feel a bit of spongy to me, and the shortage of tactile suggestions did have an effect on my typing velocity and accuracy.
For reference, I are likely to common round 120 phrases per minute (wpm), with round 98% accuracy, on a keyboard with tactile suggestions. On the Apex Professional Mini, my quickest typing velocity was 106 wpm with 96.3% accuracy — slower than my norm, although not by rather a lot. These outcomes had been achieved after I had the actuation set to the bottom (0.2mm).
I additionally examined the keyboard with the actuation set to 1mm (103 wpm, 97.1% accuracy), 2mm (104 wpm, 96.8% accuracy), and three.8mm (92 wpm, 89% accuracy). As you’ll be able to see, my velocity and accuracy dropped on the highest actuation setting — it seems I don’t normally kind with full, 3.8mm-deep keypresses, and so I stored lacking letters when the actuation was set greater.
Gaming Expertise on the Apex Professional Mini
The Apex Professional Mini may not be my first choose for typing, nevertheless it’s rather more engaging for gaming — which is what it’s made for, anyway. Each the Apex Professional Mini and the Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi are appropriate with Home windows, PlayStation, Xbox, and Mac OSX (although not all software program options are supported on OSX).
I had bother getting used to secondary keybinds whereas I used to be utilizing the Apex Professional Mini for writing, as a result of they only didn’t really feel intuitive to me (and the legends on the perimeters of the keys had been laborious to learn, particularly with the board’s brilliant RGB). After I’m typing, I count on the arrow keys to be…roughly the place the arrow keys are on a full-size keyboard, not as secondary keybinds on W, A, S, D.
Gaming, nonetheless, was a very totally different story. The secondary keybinds had been rather more intuitive-feeling to me after I was gaming. And it didn’t matter which sport — I went by way of my Steam library and performed the whole lot from Subnautica: Under Zero to Euro Truck Simulator 2 to Elden Ring (although I personally suppose Elden Ring continues to be greatest performed with a controller). As a keyboard for typing, the 60-percent structure of the Apex Professional Mini is, truthfully, just a bit too small. However as a keyboard for gaming, it’s fairly good — I even tailored fairly rapidly whereas enjoying Elder Scrolls On-line, and I mainly want two full keyboards’ price of keys to really feel happy in an MMO.
SteelSeries is absolutely pushing the twin actuation on its new OmniPoint 2.0 switches. And it’s an attention-grabbing function, as soon as you determine…what it’s.
It sounds comparatively easy: Twin actuation — or, slightly, twin motion keypresses — allows you to set two totally different actions, that are activated at totally different actuation factors, for a single keypress. SteelSeries says it will allow you to do issues like “stroll after which run” or “pull out a grenade after which throw it.”
It’s not fairly as intuitive because it sounds, although. Twin motion keypresses usually are not the identical as operate keys/secondary keybinds — you’ll be able to’t activate the second motion with out activating the primary. They’re additionally not simply macros (although you’ll be able to assign macros to both — or each — actions), as a result of they work in a really particular order and the actions affect one another.
Mainly, there will certainly be a little bit of a studying curve as you attempt to determine precisely greatest implement twin actuation. I attempted implementing the function utilizing SteelSeries’ instance: Stroll after which run. In Elder Scrolls On-line, you stroll (okay, default velocity is extra of a jog) utilizing W, A, S, D, and also you dash by holding down Shift on the similar time. I first tried to place a second motion (Left Shift) on the W key, considering I may flippantly press W to ‘stroll’ after which maintain it all the way down to ‘run.’ This didn’t work, although, as a result of the 2 actions are separate — the primary motion (W) doesn’t keep pressed when the second motion actuates.
SteelSeries does offer you some choices for a way the second motion works, although — as an alternative of only a single keypress, you’ll be able to set the second motion to play a number of instances, repeat whereas pressed, toggle auto-repeat, or toggle maintain. I first tried “repeat whereas pressed,” which didn’t work as a result of repeating a key isn’t the identical as holding a key (and urgent Shift 5 instances in a row tries to activate Sticky Keys). But it surely additionally didn’t work as a result of the primary motion additionally actuates on key launch. This is sensible now that I give it some thought, nevertheless it wasn’t intuitive. You’ll be able to select whether or not the second motion actuates on the important thing press or the important thing launch, however since you’re passing the primary actuation level twice, you’ll at all times get two actions.
That is in all probability a bit of complicated, so right here’s an easy instance: Let’s say I bind a second motion (‘Okay’) to the ‘O’ key, with the default motion kind (play as soon as, on key press). If I press the ‘O’ key flippantly and solely actuate the primary motion, I’ll kind ‘o.’ If I press the ‘O’ key tougher, activating each actions, I’ll kind ‘oko.’ It is because I actuate the primary motion twice, as soon as on the best way down and once more on the best way again up. I can change the second motion kind to play as soon as, on key launch, and now if I press the ‘O’ key laborious, I’ll kind ‘ook’ — the primary motion nonetheless actuates twice.
The excellent news is that SteelSeries’ twin actuation function is extraordinarily customizable — along with keypresses, you can too assign system features, media buttons, mouse buttons, and macros because the second motion on a twin actuation key. I admire that SteelSeries permits you to create macros utilizing numpad keys, which work even and not using a numpad (that is surprisingly troublesome to search out on TKLs). The OmniPoint 2.0 switches are additionally exact sufficient that I used to be in a position to press flippantly and solely actuate the highest motion with respectable accuracy.
Options and Software program on the Apex Professional Mini
To customise and configure the Apex Professional Mini, you’ll use SteelSeries GG, the model’s software program suite for all of its merchandise. was in a position to take a look at out an official replace to the software program, which is strong — although not excellent — and permits for terribly detailed fine-tuning of the keyboard.
The Apex Professional Mini has onboard reminiscence that enables as much as 5 totally different onboard profiles in which you’ll be able to customise all 61 major keybindings, 60 secondary keybindings, modify the actuation and twin actuation of all 61 keys individually, and program twin actuation keybinds — of which a most of eight are permitted. The GG platform makes this all fairly simple, and even allows you to live-preview issues like actuation degree (which works…more often than not).
The 60-percent structure means that almost each key does double-duty, and many of the Apex Professional Mini’s keys have preset secondary (or “Meta”) keybinds which can be printed on the aspect of the keycaps that faces the consumer. They’re printed in white however don’t permit for shine-through, which in all probability seems to be higher total however makes it troublesome to see the features. All keys apart from the devoted SS operate key might be assigned a customized secondary keybind.
Urgent the SS operate key causes the keys with assigned secondary keybinds to gentle up in SteelSeries’ signature orange — a pleasant contact…even when it’s much less helpful in apply, when virtually all the keys have secondary keybinds.
You’ll be able to modify the actuation level of every key individually in SteelSeries GG utilizing a slider or by typing in your required actuation degree. There are 37 ranges, from 0.2mm to three.8mm. The Apex Professional Mini’s keys have a complete journey distance of 4mm, so 3.8mm is mainly a full keypress. For reference, all Cherry MX and Kailh switches (besides low-profile variations) have an actuation level of 2mm. SteelSeries helpfully factors out that the switches on Razer’s Huntsman Mini Analog keyboard solely have an adjustable actuation vary of 1.5 – 3.6mm.
The Apex Professional Mini’s wider vary does permit for extra versatile customization with regards to twin actuation, nonetheless. You’ll be able to modify the second actuation degree of every particular person key within the SteelSeries GG software program as effectively, though this isn’t that helpful, as a result of you’ll be able to solely program a most of eight twin actuation keybindings directly. You’ll be able to program these twin actuation keybinds on any key apart from the SS operate key.
Actuation level can be adjusted manually utilizing the keyboard (the default secondary keybinds are I and O; I will increase actuation distance, O decreases it). You’ll be able to set 10 totally different actuation ranges, which you’ll see on the keyboard — numbers 1 by way of 0 will gentle as much as point out actuation degree (1 is the shortest, 0 is the longest). This technique trumps customized per-key actuation ranges and adjusts all keys directly.
SteelSeries GG additionally allows you to customise the keyboard’s per-key RGB. The software program permits you to modify every key’s lighting individually, with customized results utilizing a number of colours and totally different animation patterns. The software program consists of a number of presets with names corresponding to “Prism” (rainbow), “West Coast” (blue-yellow-orange), and my favourite “Vapor Desires” (pink-purple-blue-teal). I’m a sucker for the vaporwave aesthetic.
Okay, what I ought to say is that the software program will will let you do all that…hopefully, sooner or later. The illumination part of SteelSeries GG is type of damaged in the meanwhile — I used to be in a position to modify a number of the per-key RGB on the Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi earlier than it froze and left me with a clean display screen, and I wasn’t in a position to do something besides cycle by way of presets on the Apex Professional Mini. SteelSeries additionally says it’ll will let you set reactive lighting along with lively lighting, however this function isn’t but out there.
Backside Line
SteelSeries’ Apex Professional Mini packs rather a lot right into a tiny package deal. Quite a bit. Perhaps an excessive amount of. Do you really want to have the ability to modify the twin actuation level for every particular person key, particularly when you’ll be able to solely program eight dual-action keypresses at a time?
Whereas I’m not a giant fan of the 60-percent structure, I’ll be the primary to confess that this keyboard shocked me with how comparatively intuitive and easy-to-use it was to make use of for sure actions, corresponding to gaming. Gaming on the Apex Professional Mini was so seamless, I didn’t miss my operate keys or navigation keys in any respect. (I did miss the numpad — although not whereas gaming — as a result of I’ve an unhealthy dependency on the Alt code for the em-dash.)
The Apex Professional Mini undoubtedly seems like an even bigger keyboard than it’s, and that’s fairly spectacular contemplating it is rather, very small. It’s not my favourite keyboard for typing, however that wasn’t a shock — linear switches are by no means going to be the author’s favourite change — and the clacky sound and lightly-textured keycaps do make it really feel higher.
However when you’re not feeling all the Apex Professional Mini’s many, many options, there are some very related small form-factor keyboards which can be less expensive. Razer’s Analog Huntsman Mini even has adjustable actuation switches with dual-action keypresses — and when you don’t care about altering your actuation level, the HyperX Alloy Origins 60 has a really related look and construct for lower than half of what the Apex Professional Mini prices. If you need one thing customizable — however on the {hardware} finish, the Mountain Everest 60 has hot-swappable switches and might be bought with a removable numpad.
All that mentioned, my greatest criticism concerning the SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini is that it offers you too many choices and too many layers of customization…and that doesn’t actually appear all that unhealthy on such a restricted structure.
