SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini review – Unrivaled gaming performance

Size isn’t everything, and the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini knows this, packing incredible performance into an incredibly small frame. While mini keyboards aren’t my preference, the Apex Pro Mini goes to show that if you’re not too attached to a number pad and arrow keys, smaller is certainly better.

Following my time testing the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini, I can easily say that it is one of the best gaming keyboards available right now. Through the responsiveness of its Omnipoint switches, and a layer of customization that is deceptively deep, SteelSeries has made me approach every other keyboard I own with a new perspective.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini features

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini is a 60% form factor gaming keyboard that’s built to impress. It has Omnipoint adjustable switches that use magnetic sensors and patented technology to allow for the sensitivity of each key to be adjusted. 

Dual actuation is possible so you can assign multiple actions to a single key e.g. a half press to crouch and a full press to go prone. On actuation, each point is adjustable between 0.4mm and 3.6mm, meaning you can dictate just how wide your actuation window is, and I’ll touch on this in greater detail during my performance analysis. 

As you have come to expect with SteelSeries peripherals, the Apex Pro Mini is awash with RGB, and is eligible to be used within the Prism section of SteelSeries’ GG software, allowing you to bring all of your RGB effects across multiple devices.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini design

It’s hard to speak on the visual design of the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini given that it is a 60% form factor keyboard, so there isn’t any blank space to use for visual design features. That being said, the per-key RGB is visually appealing and the customizable nature of it is in line with what you expect from a premium keyboard. 

There are three levels that the Apex Pro Mini can sit at, with two sets of height adjustment built into the underside of the keyboard. This is where you’ll also find the keycap puller, hidden away under a silicone-like patch that is easily opened and closed. This is a godsend because so many keyboards pack in a tool, but you’re left having to just put it somewhere and pray you remember where it is if you need it. Here, it’s always close by and secure. 

The keycaps are quite dark when the keyboard isn’t illuminated, which is quite frustrating. If you don’t want the lighting to be on for any reason, the keycap text is very hard to see. Yes, when lit up there’s no issue with legibility, but it’s strange that without the RGB, you must effectively rely on your touch typing alone.

The open USB-C port is located in the top left corner, and this lends itself nicely to letting your cable trail off behind your monitor and into your PC. What good is it having premium hardware that makes your desk look pretty if randomly trailing wires are going to ruin it? 

A final note on design, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini is very light, coming in at just 610g. This makes it ultra-portable, and the onboard profile storage means you can hook up to any machine and be ready to go with no fears about key bindings. 

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini performance

Performance is where the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini shines. I initially struggled to adjust to trying on such a small form factor keyboard, but with time came a fluidity that I wasn’t expecting. 

My initial typing benchmark after only an hour of using the Apex Pro Mini was 49 words per minute with an accuracy of 93%. After two weeks with the keyboard adjusting, this was up to 59 words per minute and an accuracy of 95%. This still falls short of the best keyboard I’ve found for typing, the Drop CSTM80, where the results were 75 words per minute with an accuracy of 99%.

Despite this, the typing performance of the Apex Pro Mini is far better than I imagined it would be, and there’s every possibility that adjusting actuation points could play a role in upping those results. 

On gaming, nothing I have tested in 2023 comes close to the sheer gaming responsiveness of the Apex Pro Mini. This is largely down to the Omnipoint switches and being able to adjust the rapid actuation of every single key. I spent hours playing around with the settings to find a configuration that felt personalized. 

In the end, I found that actuation on WASD didn’t need to be sensitive, as these are the keys I’m always hovering over in an FPS game, and misclicks could pile up over time. However, when it came to equipment keys, say for weapon switching, these needed to be sensitive to ensure I didn’t botch an actuation by not pressing hard enough.

Beyond this, the ‘meta bindings’ are also adjustable, but I wouldn’t recommend altering any of the ones that are inscribed onto keys e.g. the arrow keys are set to WASD, with South-facing markings dictating which keys they are. 

It could get confusing if you play around too much with these bindings, but the issue is there are so many pre-allocated meta bindings that you don’t have too many keys that aren’t already dual-function. 

Should you buy the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini?

Yes! If you’re after a small form factor keyboard that doesn’t sacrifice performance for its size, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini is the keyboard for you. I would argue that this keyboard pushes some optical models to the limit for responsiveness and arguably is still a better option for the pedigree that the SteelSeries name brings with it.

If you are in desperate need of typing performance, there are better options on the market, and I would personally recommend the Drop CTSM80 but you will lose virtually all of the gaming perks the Apex Pro Mini offers.

For something a little more hybrid, the Razer Blackwidow V4 75% is a great choice. This has a slightly larger form factor but balances gaming and typing performance with modding ability very nicely. 

Verdict

If you’re after refined performance for gaming, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini is one hell of a choice. Its smaller form factor takes some getting used to for typing, but it has no problems competing with a general productivity keyboard on that front.

The last thing I expected from the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini was for it to be an all-around powerhouse, but that’s exactly what it is. It has genuinely made me reconsider the performance of previously revered keyboards and the Omnipoint switches are a big reason for this.