steel series apex pro mini review SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review

Some time ago, SteelSeries introduced their newest addition to the Apex Series. Today, we’re discussing the product in this SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review. 

The Apex Pro Mini is a compact keyboard using the original OmniPoint adjustable mechanical switches. These and other notable features give users a new measure for gaming. 

You’ll find numerous things to like about the product, but with its high price, is it worth the upgrade? Continue reading our SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review and see if it’s something you’d want for your setup.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Packaging

Like always, the company does a great job with their packaging. Plus, they continuously make unboxing an easy, convenient, and quick experience. 

The box’s exterior sports an orange and grey theme, and the front part showcases an image of the keyboard. This area also displays the company’s branding, the product’s name, and some of its highlights. 

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You’ll also find images of the keyboard on the sides of the box. Then the rear shows more details about the product. 

Inside, you’ll find the keyboard, a USB-C to A cable, one keycap puller, and a product guide.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review – Design and Functionality

We were excited to unbox the  Apex Pro Mini for our SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review. And when we pulled it out of the box, we realised how small it was. Very small. 

It sports a 60% compact design and comes short at around 29.3cm long and about 10.3cm wide. Even with an aluminium plate, the Apex Pro Mini is light, weighing 610g.

Looks-wise, the keyboard looks great. It’s modest with a grey body that blends nicely with the black keys. Don’t get us wrong, it looks great and is unique, but we would’ve preferred an entirely blacked-out look. 

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When it comes to the RGBs, they’re beautiful like the RGBs on other SteelSeries keyboards. Plus, it looks fantastic with the company’s gaming mice. 

Although the design is simple, we love the little compartment beneath the board. It’s where you keep the little keycap remover when it’s not in use. In the same area, two tri-level rubber feet are present for angling the keyboard at a comfortable ergonomic height. 

For its connection, the keyboard uses a flex-braided USB-C cable. Since it’s long, you to place the product conveniently in your preferred space. 

The Apex Pro Mini uses OmniPPoint adjustable mechanical switches to execute instant keystroke inputs. These have an impressive 0.2 to 3.2mm actuation range that can receive customisations via SteelSeries’ software. The latter will let you take control of the keyboard’s responsiveness. 

While writing our SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review, we saw that the product utilises double shot keycaps. They’re sturdy and can do 2-in-1 actions. You can assign dual actions that depend on how much force you use to press the keys. 

These are ideal for RPGs that allow you to walk or sprint towards the action. Each of the keys has its own RBG backlights and a textured design for added aesthetics to your setup. 

Key Features of the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard

Aside from its adjustable switches, what else can this product offer? We’re discussing the primary features of this product in our SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review. 

Knowing a product’s features is an excellent way to determine if it’s something you need and should purchase.

OmniPoint 2.0 Adjustable Switches

The Apex Pro Mini features the new OmniPoint 2.0 switches, which use advanced magnetic sensors. These offer zero contact keystroke activation, making it 11x faster with increased actuation by 10x.

2-in-1 Action Keys

You can program one key for two actions and advanced combos depending on how you press it. For example, a light keypress executes walking in-game and pressing deeper lets you sprint.

Ultimately Adjustable

The Apex Pro Mini provides absolute precision, and you can fully customise the keyboard easily. You can tune your keystrokes’ registration distance to 0.1mm, 0.2mm, and 3.8mm. This feature makes quick operation possible, which is perfect for gaming since it can make a difference.

Compact 60% Form Factor of the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard

The Apex Pro Mini’s 60% design offers more space on your desk and room for mouse movement. Despite the reduced size and keys, it retains the capabilities of a full-size keyboard since it has side-printed secondary functions.

SteelSeries GG

The SteelSeries GG is an easy-to-use software where you can program key binds, custom actuation points, and per-key RGB illumination. Aside from versatility, this user-friendly interface makes all settings easy to access for everyone’s convenience.

Aircraft-grade Aluminium Alloy

The Apex Pro Mini uses the Series 5000 metal top plate, the type of aluminium used in jets. It provides enhanced structural stability and rigidity, allowing the keyboard to last for years.

Double-shot PBT Keycaps

SteelSeries made a massive leap in durability and quality by using double-shot PBT keycaps on the Apex Pro Mini. These are fadeproof and have a unique texture for better typing accuracy and experience.

Adjustable Tilt Legs of the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard

Get the optimal keyboard height and position with the Apex Pro Mini’s adjustable tilt legs. These allow you to choose from three ergonomic options: flat, half, and full extension.

Detachable USB Type-C Braided Cable

The Apex Pro Mini is easily portable with its detachable USB-C braided cable. This cord is as durable as the keyboard and can withstand daily wear and tear.

Specifications

To continue our SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review, we’re discussing the different specifications of the keyboard. 

It uses OmniPoint adjustable mechanical switches and has a switch rating of 100M presses. The keyboard’s onboard memory has five custom profiles, while its processor is a 32-bit ARM. 

Also, it has 0.2-3.8mm adjustable actuation points available. The Apex Pro Mini uses a detachable USB-C for its connection. 

For its dimensions, the keyboard measures 293 x 103 x 40.3mm (W x D x H) and weighs 610g.

Hands-on with the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard 

After using the keyboard for almost a week, we were able to experience its performance. We’re sharing how it fared during our tests in this part of our SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review. 

The software is your go-to place for all customisation needs. It’s easy to install and has a user-friendly interface, making it convenient. The SteelSeries GG is also the place that allows you to make your deck more multifunctional and innovative. 

The SteelSeries GG has tools for remapping keys, setting up dial bindings, RGB lights, plus other advanced options. You can also set several different profiles using the software. It’s so you won’t have to tinker with it every time you shift between games. 

Playing games was a great experience with the Apex Pro Mini. All the keys were responsive, which made our gaming experience more engaging. 

When we used the SteelSeries GG software, we adjusted the actuation points to see if this would work as advertised. To our surprise, the keys responded with our lightest keystrokes, and our programmed 2-in-1 action keys worked excellently. Since it improved our gameplay, we executed more actions than usual.

We took advantage of the 2-in-1 action keys for basic actions like walking and sprinting. We also used these for pulling pins on grenades and throwing them. This feature was highly beneficial for numerous games, specifically FPS and MOBAs. 

Thanks to its innovative features, we were more in tune with our games. The actuation of the keys felt like using a controller’s thumbsticks, which made us feel in control of the game.

With its compact size, gaming was much easier since we had more space to move the mouse.

Typing was a good experience since the keystrokes felt great. The only issue was the absence of arrow keys, which are essential for typing for quick cursor shifting. 

Having no arrow keys wasn’t a problem for gaming since we use the WASD for moving and navigating. Although there’s a toggle key to turn the WASD keys into arrow keys, it wasn’t convenient when working on deadlines.

Overall, the keyboard delivered excellent performance. It was fast and responsive, making it ideal for gaming and typing. Plus, its unique features worked well. 

Based on our tests, the Apex Pro Mini is an efficient keyboard, and it’s easy to recommend this product.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review Summary

We were impressed with the Apex Pro Mini’s features and capabilities. Even with its smaller size and fewer keys, it’s an innovative product that functions like a full-size keyboard. Its available customisation options make it a highly versatile product.

SteelSeries GG, the keyboard’s complementary software, is easy to use and navigate through its interface. The settings for the Apex Pro Mini allowed us to do a lot of tweaks. Thanks to that, we enjoyed our gaming and typing experience more.

Overall, we had a satisfying experience during our product tests for our SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Keyboard Review. The product worked flawlessly, and with its excellent design and features, we highly recommend it.

For more details about the Apex Pro Mini Keybaord, visit SteelSeries’ official product page.