SteelSeries Apex keyboards have long been a favorite among gamers, and for good reason. The line includes several high-end models, all of which are loaded with great features and powerful specifications. And as you might anticipate, the “Pro” models are the most enticing since they provide the greatest degree of customization thanks to their adjustable actuation switches.
SteelSeries has now responded to public demand and created a device with a small 60-percent form factor, the Apex Pro Mini Wireless. In addition, compared to keyboards with conventional mechanical switches, the business guarantees an 11-times faster reaction time and a 10x faster actuation using it.
Many other editions like Steelseries arctis 3 2019 edition wireless, Steelseries arctis 5 2019 edition, steelseries siberia 200 and Steelseries arctis pro gamedac also available for gamers. However, does SteelSeries arctis 9x wireless live up to the hype? In order to find out, we’ve been using it for work, browsing, and gaming.
SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless
With flagship pricing, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini wireless is a premium keyboard. Although it may be out of many people’s price range, you do get a lot of great features and characteristics here. It is a highly enticing choice because of its customizable meta layer, adjustable actuation levels, dual bindings, and other features. Although it has a few small drawbacks, like loud typing and mediocre RGB lighting, this is a fantastic alternative to take into account if you’re looking for a 60% gaming keyboard.
SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless
Pros:
- Connectivity that’s simple
- intriguing customization.
- It is nicely designed with a manageable typing speed.
Cons:
- Cherry MX Switches-like in feel
- Regular keycaps hide RGB
- a little loud
World’s Quickest Keystrokes
- OmniPoint 2.0 Adjustable
- Mechanical Switches with Dual-Action
- Customization Options range from 0.2 to 3.8mm
- 60% form factor and optional meta layers.
On the surface, the Apex Pro Mini Wireless appears to be no different from any other 60% keyboard. Although it doesn’t appear beautiful right out of the box, its features and specifications actually include beauty.
A few of the PBT double-shot keycaps are accessible by removing a few of the SteelSeries OmniPoint 2.0 adjustable switches. These provide for a larger range of key-by-key changes, allowing you to alter the actuation within 37 possible levels ranging from 0.2 mm to 3.8 mm. The shorter the actuation point, the quicker the press is recorded by your computer. The actuation point is where the key delivers the signal to register the keypress.
According to SteelSeries arctis 9x wireless, the Apex Pro Mini wireless has a 0.54 ms reaction time with the actuation set to only 0.2 mm. On paper, this differs from the typical 2mm actuation of Cherry MX Red switches used on many gaming keyboards in that only a light touch is enough for the average gamer to engage the keys. The switches on the Apex Pro Mini are already set to 1.8mm as standard, making them responsive even before you start fiddling with settings.
Additionally, some of the keys allow you to configure a dual actuation, so the fascination doesn’t end there. This allows you to write dual bindings for those keys and define two separate levels of actuation, enabling you to use one button to do actions like an in-game run and walk. This is related to actuation; therefore, pressing the key lightly initiates the first action while pressing it firmly initiates the second action.
This was a bit problematic normally, but it worked beautifully using macros. Even still, it’s a fascinating function and a potentially exciting addition to a keyboard with a compact form factor, which naturally has fewer keys to experiment with. Some of the standard actions are hidden in a second layer on this smaller board to help offset some of the drawbacks, and you must press and hold the FN key (the SteelSeries arctis 9x wireless logo) to access them.
For instance, deleting requires FN and backspace to function. The WASD number buttons and directional arrows cover the function row as well. This is a hassle, but with a keyboard this large, it’s unavoidable. However, it’s not too difficult because the labelling for each of these extra activities is plainly stated on the sides. Additionally, the RGB lighting of keys with additional functions changes when you hit the FN key, making them easier to see as well.
Also Check: Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless Review – techlion
This is a lovely touch, in our opinion. You may add your own secondary actions to the so-called “Meta Layer” if you go inside the SteelSeries arctis 9x wireless engine. This is a significant plus because it makes it possible to easily add new actions, macros, and other features. It’s convenient to be able to modify the keyboard in this way. We used it to shift the directional arrows closer to the right-hand side of the keyboard (where they should be).
- Typing Ability Sufficient
- Battery life of 30 hours on 2.4GHz Quantum 2.0 Wireless and Bluetooth 5.0
- Five profiles of onboard memory
- The USB-C cable is removable.
Since the removal of keys might reduce productivity, we often find 60% of keyboards to be mixed in terms of effectiveness. However, in general, we discovered the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless to be both cosy and quick. Obviously, depending on the actuation you’ve chosen, your experience may differ, but it’s quite agreeable as is. Having said that, despite all we’ve mentioned above in favour of the OmniPoint switches, we do find their typing feedback to be a little underwhelming.
At this price range, you’d expect more than the Cherry MX Red-like typing experience these switches provide. The stabilisers on the Apex Pro Mini Wireless are a touch shaky and the keycaps are PBT double shot. Although it’s not the noisiest keyboard we’ve ever heard, it’s still really loud. Therefore, even if it’s not terrible to type on, we do wish it was a little more comfortable, particularly for the price.
If you’re looking for a true all-arounder, it’s definitely something to take into account, but for gaming, it’s unquestionably accurate and won’t let you down. The RGB lighting isn’t as spectacular as we’d like, which is a minor drawback. The illumination from products like the SteelSeries Apex 7 Ghost Edition has been considerably more pleasurable in the past. This board might be more layered and customizable, but the PBT keycaps on it block part of the lights.
That’s unfortunate, even though it definitely helps the battery last a little longer. To provide you with the lowest new price we can discover, we search 1,000s of prices at 1,000s of merchants. However, if you buy and attach a pair of SteelSeries PrismCaps, the keyboard will look much nicer. In our opinion, these pudding keycaps give the keyboard a considerably nicer appearance and are highly recommended.
Conclusion
Although the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini is an excellent small keyboard with plenty to offer, it also comes at a hefty price. Whether you need speed actually depends on the situation, but there’s a lot to enjoy about this.