SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini wi-fi keyboard overview: So near perfection

July 18, 2022

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To say SteelSeries is a well known model within the gaming scene could be an understatement. They have been manufacturing high-quality equipment for years, together with partnerships with esports groups for high-end peripherals just like the Apex keyboard vary.

Their newest providing is the Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi. The compact 60% kind issue might sound too small for some, however this miniature gaming keyboard has some intelligent tips. With SteelSeries OmniPoint adjustable switches, you may modify the sensitivity and double-up on capabilities for each key.

It is an thrilling concept for a space-saving keyboard, and the built-in LEDs present that basic gaming aesthetic, however how does it carry out in real-world assessments?

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi: Value, specs, and availability

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless unboxed

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi unboxed. (Picture credit score: Ben Wilson | Home windows Central)

The Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi mechanical gaming keyboard is on the market by the official SteelSeries retailer and main third-party retailers, together with Amazon and Greatest Purchase, for a $240 MSRP.

Class	Specification
Key switches	OmniPoint adjustable mechanical
Actuation level	0.2-3.8mm
Connectivity	2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C
Battery life	30 hours (wi-fi) / 40 hours (Bluetooth)
Lighting	Per-key RGB
Compatibility	Home windows, macOS, Xbox, PlayStation
Dimensions	293mm x 103mm x 40.3mm
Weight	543g

A wired model of the Apex Professional Mini can also be on sale for $180 MSRP.

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi: What’s good

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless close up

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi shut up. (Picture credit score: Ben Wilson | Home windows Central)

My first impressions of the Apex Professional Mini had been fairly improbable. Gorgeously displayed in a slide-out field, the keyboard feels sturdy and nicely made. Weighing round 540g, it is as tiny because it seems to be with a 293mm width, 103mm depth, and flip-out legs beneath with two peak choices for typing at elevated angles.

Anybody and not using a spare USB-C port might want to use the included cable and USB-A adapter.

The keycaps have a tough end, stopping finger slips you get with shiny keyboards and most laptops. In the direction of the rear is a sliding swap for choosing both 2.4GHz wi-fi through the included dongle or Bluetooth 5.0. A USB-C port permits for wired use with and updating firmware with an included cable, and a small keycap puller is within the field if you wish to make any modifications.

Setting the Apex Mini up was breezy for essentially the most half. The dongle mechanically detects the keyboard, and I used to be capable of begin typing instantly and benefit from the default lighting state, displaying a gradual right-to-left rainbow fade. Anybody and not using a spare USB-C port might want to use the included cable and USB-A adapter, which permits the dongle to be positioned farther from a PC tower and on a desk as a substitute.

SteelSeries GG app actuation settings

SteelSeries GG app actuation settings. (Picture credit score: Ben Wilson | Home windows Central)

The SteelSeries GG software program is really helpful early within the instruction handbook, used to customise the RGB lighting, assist create button macros, and assign twin capabilities to the OmniPoint adjustable switches. It isn’t necessary since you may entry the options on a {hardware} degree. Holding the SteelSeries emblem button has every key with secondary capabilities mild up with a heat orange coloration.

I adjusted the lighting brightness with the C and V keys, the actuation level with I and O to make for lighter keypresses and even recorded complicated macros with the X key. Now I can sort out “Home windows Central is the most effective” with one key, which I will little question use on a regular basis.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini wireless rear

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini wi-fi rear. (Picture credit score: Ben Wilson | Home windows Central)

As much as three paired Bluetooth units stay in reminiscence, so fast switching between my pill and PC is extremely simple with a few keystrokes. Having this a lot performance with out software program is improbable, however the SteelSeries GG Engine holds the important thing to the distinctive OmniPoint dual-bindings.

Within the app, you may decide the depth for every key, both for normal presses or twin actuation, from a feathered 0.2mm to a complete of three.8mm. Throughout my time with the Apex Professional Mini, on a regular basis typing felt too delicate on something lower than 3.8mm, and I will get into that later, however the potential for personalization right here is wild. Gaming, particularly, feels extremely responsive with a shallow setting.

The GG engine is the place an additional degree of personalization comes into play, with options like per-key RGB and game-specific occasions triggering lighting scenes, all nonetheless accessible on this mini model of the Apex Professional.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless RGB

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi RGB. (Picture credit score: Ben Wilson | Home windows Central)

There are many choices for the colourful lighting, being one of many high-end SteelSeries keyboards within the vary. Nevertheless, you would possibly need to flip down the brightness like I did as a result of the utmost setting is simply too brilliant at night time and shortens wi-fi battery life.

For the reason that primary draw of the Professional keyboards is the OmniPoint mechanical switches, one of many early assessments was discovering precisely how they carry out in comparison with commonplace variants. With a minimal actuation as shallow as 0.2mm, it is already a lot decrease than the obvious closest comparability, someplace between Cherry MX pink and silver switches, with a barely quieter sound than anticipated.

The macro capabilities aren’t distinctive to the Apex Professional Mini, however its tiny dimensions make them further useful. Lacking a devoted numpad and arrow keys impacts my common workflow, with muscle reminiscence having me attain for phantom keys not current. Making a macro to sort out a typical filename suffix and extension on the contact of 1 key made my working week far more manageable with this space-saving keyboard.

Dropping to a 60% dimension keyboard is not as drastic because it might sound, particularly when it is one as beautiful because the Apex Professional Mini.

It isn’t one thing I anticipated from a gaming-centric keyboard, however the potential for time-saving shortcuts involves thoughts for complicated MMO video games as a substitute of simply interesting to fast-paced shooters with the feathered swap actuation.

After just a few days, the SteelSeries button began to really feel like second nature to entry the extra clearly positioned secondary capabilities like arrow keys beneath WASD, print display screen below P, and delete beneath backspace.

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi: What’s not so good

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini wireless charging

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini wi-fi charging. (Picture credit score: Ben Wilson | Home windows Central)

Regardless of the benefits of its distinctive options, just a few drawbacks and annoyances are exhausting to disregard. Solely the usual, main capabilities are illuminated by the sensible RGB lighting. Secondary choices are front-facing on the keycaps however printed in opaque white, virtually invisible at midnight. If you happen to’re unwilling to memorize the place much less frequent keys are, you’ll wrestle to hit them in a rush.

The arrow key placements make sense to any gamer acquainted with the WASD conference however remembering the precise place of SteelSeries-specific capabilities like backlight brightness and macro recording turns into far more difficult in darker conditions. Too typically did I’ve to change on a lamp or shine a cellphone torch on the Apex Professional to see the place one thing like “web page down” was hiding.

SteelSeries GG app illumination

(Picture credit score: Ben Wilson | Home windows Central)

You possibly can, after all, use the SteelSeries GG app to customise the bindings for each single key and set private macros, nevertheless it nonetheless turns into a reminiscence recreation. The illumination part at present lacks the reactive layer on the Apex Professional Mini, which is a large disappointment for such a high-end keyboard. Whereas the default energetic RGB scenes look good sufficient, they’re simply background ornament till an replace permits real-time typing results.

On-screen colours within the GG engine do not precisely signify what you see on the per-key RGB.

Pointless ads for giveaways encompass the GG Engine, alongside audio-centric Sonar software program designed to boost gameplay sounds and Moments, a clip recording software much like NVIDIA Flashback. It means extra bloated background updates for unrelated instruments.

On-screen colours within the GG engine do not precisely signify what you see on the per-key RGB both, and the dual-actuation sections lack clear explanations or recommendations for sensible makes use of. Software program updates and even a UI redesign would go a good distance for a keyboard with such potential.

SteelSeries GG app firmware update

(Picture credit score: Ben Wilson | Home windows Central)

Anybody and not using a devoted USB-C port or spare cable will wrestle to replace the firmware since SteelSeries requires you to have the dongle and keyboard linked concurrently. I needed to search for an additional twine that wasn’t designed purely for charging units and will talk with the keyboard’s inside {hardware}.

As a each day driver (keyboard), I miss the sensation of tactile suggestions.

Plus, every time the keyboard is linked through USB for charging, you are handled to a flashing inexperienced escape key. I am positive it is supposed to be a useful indicator, nevertheless it rapidly turns into a distraction.

Setting a light-weight actuation is good for fast-paced gaming, rapidly shifting round and hitting instructions with a feather contact, however typing would not really feel practically as satisfying. Though the OmniPoint switches provide huge potential for artistic binds and macros, the linear switches develop a bit of tiresome after hours of use. As a each day driver, I miss the sensation of tactile suggestions paying homage to Brown switches, however this may not have an effect on the rating because it’s purely down to non-public style.

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi: The competitors

HyperX Alloy Origins 60

HyperX Alloy Origins 60. (Picture credit score: Daniel Rubino | Home windows Central)

The obvious draw back to the Apex Mini Professional wi-fi is the value, which is much increased than its rivals. It can save you cash by choosing up a wired 60% keyboard just like the HyperX Alloy Origins 60, that includes the identical linear switches and per-key RGB. You may nonetheless wrestle to see secondary capabilities on keys since they don’t seem to be illuminated, however at $99 MSRP, it is much less of a problem in case you do not thoughts a wired keyboard.

If the dual-action keys are essentially the most enticing function, then the Razer Huntsman Mini Analog has every thing that HyperX gives, plus dual-step actuation switches for $150 MSRP. Take a look at our full-size Razer Huntsman V2 Analog overview for an concept of how Razer performs with a keyboard on this vary.

ASUS gives a extra inexpensive various within the ROG Falchion (opens in new tab), a 65% wi-fi mechanical keyboard with an additional row of keys. It incorporates a side-mounted contact panel for customizable shortcuts, and dependable Cherry MX switches for $150 MSRP.

Even the wired variant of the Apex Professional Mini (opens in new tab) gives higher worth at $180 MSRP, however the value continues to be a soar above the competitors.

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi: Do you have to purchase?

You can purchase this if …

You need a responsive gaming keyboard
You want linear mechanical switches
You want wi-fi portability

You should not purchase this if …

You are not a gaming fanatic
You favor tactile mechanical switches
A wi-fi keyboard is not an absolute necessity

Dropping to a 60% dimension keyboard is not as drastic because it might sound, particularly when it is one as beautiful because the Apex Professional Mini, and it was comfy sufficient to be my each day driver as soon as I memorized the shortcuts. If the value had been a bit of decrease, I might don’t have any downside rating it in the direction of the highest of our greatest gaming keyboards alongside the full-sized Apex Professional. Nevertheless, if wi-fi connectivity is not a priority, you might all the time follow the wired variant of the Mini Professional.

Per-key RGB seems to be stunning, however secondary capabilities are printed onto the caps and are virtually invisible in darker environments. The SteelSeries GG engine wants some updates to deliver out the total potential of this beautiful mechanical keyboard. It is best for fast-paced gaming with ultra-light actuation so long as you are a fan of linear switches and you aren’t getting tempted away by rivals providing extra worth for cash.

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini Wi-fi

A 60% variation of the full-sized Apex Professional, the Mini wi-fi options 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.0 paired with adjustable key actuation making it one of many quickest keyboards. Per-key RGB and a high-quality building full this beautiful providing.

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