SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless review

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless is an outstanding keyboard for gaming. The main feature is the adjustable pre-stroke distance, which can be set for each individual key within a wide range.

In home theater PC environments, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless keyboard works well. You won’t have to worry about plugging a cable through the living room because it has excellent wireless connectivity options, despite not having a trackpad for on-screen navigation. Shortcut keys can be used to access media keys, and the legends are fully backlit in RGB to be visible even at night. The drawback is that, compared to many other wireless solutions, battery life is rather short.

The latest gaming keyboard in SteelSeries’ Apex line is the Apex Pro Mini Wireless. It is the smallest of the bunch, with a 60% reduced but still feature-rich layout that eliminates all but the most important keys. It also includes top-of-the-line OmniPoint 2.0 switches, which SteelSeries says have the fastest response times and actuations anywhere in the world.

Bright RGB allows full keyboard programming. It has a variety of programming options, including actuation points that can be adjusted for fully customized sensitivity and even linked to particular games and programs. It has a response time of 1 ms and can be wired or wirelessly connected via Bluetooth 5.0 or 2.4 GHz. The keycaps, made of doubleton PBT, also feature clear, illuminated lettering.

Design

The smallest conventional keyboard layout usually encountered is the 60% layout of the Apex Pro Mini; smaller layouts such as the 40% are less common. Despite the lack of a numeric keypad, navigation keys, function row, and arrow keys, the 60% layout is still quite common. This incredibly small layout offers enough keys for basic typing and is perfect for saving desk space and travel. Perhaps a bit too simple, but there is not much room for creativity on a 60 percent board, the Apex Pro Mini has a clean, simple look.

The chassis is dark gray, the backplate is polycarbonate with an aluminum alloy, and the keycaps are double shot black PBT. On the back are two sets of removable feet for tilt adjustment, but these add only a small amount of height, about 4 mm (0.16 in.). The keyboard is slightly taller than Razer’s Huntsman Mini, but otherwise has very similar dimensions: measuring 11.53 inches wide, 4.02 inches deep, and 1.59 inches high.

As usual, the SteelSeries branding is tastefully contained, with the full logo in dark silver on the back of the board and only a small SteelSeries logo in the corner on the front left. Both the wired and wireless versions of the device come with a USB-C connector and a detachable, seven-foot braided USB-C to USB-A cable. The 2.4 GHz wireless USB-C dongle and USB-C to USB-C adapter are included with the wireless version, which also has a power switch to switch between Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

Keys

These keys are marginally louder than the standard linear switches, but nowhere near the clamor of the clicky deck. The backspace, enter, and, to a lesser extent, the space bar keys on the Apex Pro Mini have very different sound profiles than the main keys, with the latter having a heavier sound than the other keys’ relatively light sound. It may sound out of place, but we felt no difference in the resistance or depth of these keys during battle, so we kept flying on the bridge. Programmability is critical because of the size of the device.

Like most 60% keyboards, most of the missing keys are printed as side legends on the keycaps and are accessible as secondary functions by holding down the function key, identified by a SteelSeries logo. Most 60% of the boards are not able to limit the ease of remapping the keys within the software. The Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless, the main rival to the Apex Pro Mini, which we evaluated, falls partially into this trap.

RGB Lighting

At the beginning of the instruction manual, we recommend using SteelSeries GG software to customize RGB lighting, create button macros, and assign dual roles to Omni Point adjustable switches. Since this functionality can be accessed at the hardware level, it is not necessary. By holding down the button with the SteelSeries logo, the secondary function keys on each button glow a welcoming orange color.

Despite the distinctive qualities of the Apex Pro Mini, it is hard to overlook some flaws and annoyances. The dazzling RGB lighting illuminates only key functions. The Apex Pro Mini’s secondary front button options are printed in a matte white, essentially indistinguishable at night. If you are unwilling to learn their location, it will be difficult to quickly press less frequently used keys.

Although extra functions are displayed on the keycaps and are essentially invisible with brightness settings, the per-key RGB looks gorgeous. For this magnificent mechanical keyboard to reach its full potential, SteelSeries’ GG engine needs to be upgraded. If you are a fan of linear switches and are not swayed by rivals offering better value, this keyboard is perfect for fast-paced gaming with ultralight implementation.

Software

In Death Stranding, we were able to program the keyboard’s dual-action programming so that Sam runs when we only partially press the “W” key, or runs when we press it all the way. By using the well-known SteelSeries GG Engine software, SteelSeries offers several options. You will need to download this program from the SteelSeries website if you have not already done so.

You use SteelSeries GG, the company’s software suite for all of its products, to personalize and set up the Apex Pro Mini. We were able to try out an official upgrade of the program, which is reliable (if not bug-free) and allows for incredibly precise fine-tuning of the keyboard.

Up to five different profiles can be stored in the Apex Pro Mini’s built-in memory, allowing you to change all 61 main key bindings, 60 secondary key bindings, individual and dual presses of all 61 keys, and up to eight dual key bindings. The GG platform makes everything pretty simple and even lets you live preview items like the actuation level.

Connectivity

The wireless connectivity capabilities of the Apex Pro Mini are also very useful. Leaving extra cables at home is a tremendous advantage because the 60% compactness factor makes it very portable. Also, there is no noticeable difference between using the 2.4 GHz dongle and playing wirelessly. The latency introduced by Bluetooth is not a problem when writing or playing games at a slow pace. Sleep mode is not ideal, like previous SteelSeries accessories.

When waking up the keyboard, there is a delay in reaction to the dongle. The Apex Pro Mini is significantly less responsive than a wireless keyboard such as the Logitech G915 TKL, as it takes one or two seconds. The USB-C port on the back of the keyboard can be used to charge the Apex Pro Mini when the battery runs out. It is located near the connection switch, which can be used to switch from 2.4GHz to Bluetooth or to turn off the keyboard.

Performance

However, this is not always a problem. The performance of the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless when awake almost compensates for this flaw. Although the bounce is less than that of mechanical switches, the keycaps have a pleasant and satisfying feel. The smaller keycaps have a wonderful inward curvature that helps keep the fingers in place despite the small size.

However, SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini was not meant to be used for hours on end to write novels; rather, it was made for gaming performance. Users can and will appreciate the compact form for traditional keyboard-and-mouse gaming. Consider a different, more ergonomic SteelSeries keyboard or perhaps a split gaming keyboard if you need ergonomics or have musculoskeletal difficulties like us.

These keys are slightly louder than the standard linear switches, but nowhere near the clamor of the click deck. The backspace, enter and, to a lesser extent, the space bar keys have very different sound profiles from the main keys, with the latter having a heavier sound than the relatively light sound of the other keys. It may sound out of place, but we felt no difference in the resistance or depth of these keys during the battle and continued to fly around the deck.

Battery Life

The Apex Pro Mini’s long battery life is critical when playing demanding games. The wireless model of the keyboard promises up to 40 hours of battery life. You can check the battery life by downloading the SteelSeries GG software from the company website, where you can view the remaining battery life on the main dashboard. During the test, we switched from our MSI to my work-approved laptop, but since we could not access SteelSeries GG on the latter, we could not know how much battery life we had left after a few hours of use.

When not in use, the keyboard goes into sleep mode to extend battery life. As a result, battery life is increased. According to SteelSeries, a single charge powers the wireless option for up to 40 hours. We used the keyboard for two hours during a gaming session, reducing the wireless battery life from 60 percent to 55 percent. But charging the keyboard takes much longer than expected. The keyboard was initially connected to our laptop via a USB-C to USB-A connector. After a 10-minute charge, the SteelSeries software informed us that the battery life had reached 70 percent.

Finals Words

For those looking for a small, specialized gaming keyboard, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini wired and wireless gaming keyboards are fantastic tools. This keyboard assists you in adjusting and selecting the level of resistance you want for your key switches, if you are a gamer who wants to customize your key switches or if you are unsure of the type of key switch you want.

This is the small gaming keyboard with the best performance, the best sound and the best feel you can get, if you accept the ultra-compact size. The Apex Pro Mini Wireless offers the best value for money compared to other players in this market, making it an easy choice to suggest.

Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams, a prominent content writer at Bollyinside, renowned for his expertise in hardware products. Specializing in list-based articles, Jonathan simplifies intricate tech details about laptops, phones, tablets, and accessories, making them accessible to readers. Off-duty, he indulges his passion for fiction and tech sci-fi, exploring new realms of creativity.

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The smallest conventional keyboard layout usually encountered is the 60% layout of the Apex Pro Mini; smaller layouts such as the 40% are less common. Despite the lack of a numeric keypad, navigation keys, function row, and arrow keys, the 60% layout is still quite common.SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless review