As technology continues to evolve, the demand for high-performance gadgets has increased. The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Keyboard is the latest introduction in the market. In this comprehensive analysis, we will delve into the features and capabilities of this keyboard to help you determine whether it’s worth investing in. Read on for a detailed review that will provide you with the necessary insights to make an informed decision.
The new SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini keyboard comes years after the original release and features a wireless 60% model now with new OminPoint 2.0 analog switches, how does it stack up for gaming? Check it out in my review!
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[Music] What’s up guys i’m random frank p and Today we’re going to be reviewing the Brand new steel series apex pro mini Wireless a 60 wireless version of their Very popular apex pro lineup so today We’re going to go through it all for you Guys check it all out talk about the Pros the cons the features All of that of the new apex pro mini Wireless so this release comes three Years after the original apex pro and Tkl released in the summer of 2019 now Following the trend with the rise of Gamers using a 60 layout also the fact They’re cutting the cable and going Wireless is definitely going to be Appealing to those who want a cleaner Desktop now getting in a box and Checking it out my first impressions are Eh to be honest in terms of just a Physical design i was kind of hoping to See you know a bit of something new or Refreshing even though that sort of Comes you know underneath the keycaps With the switches but we’ll talk about That more in a minute but yes a 60 Layout here showing we just get the core Keys keeping your overall size and Footprint on your desktop down to a Minimum also real quick included inside The box your additional accessories Including your product manual as you’ve Come to expect we have an orange keycap
Puller the usbc dongle and the extension Adapter plus a usbc cable for charging Or using this wired unfortunately Nothing like extra keycaps or wrist rest Is included anymore but once you plug in The dongle and turn it on you’re met With vibrant rgb lighting letting you Know it’s paired there is a switch on The top side that lets you pick between The 2.4 gigahertz wireless connection Through their quantum 2.0 tech or you Can switch it to the bluetooth mode if You want to use that or like i said just Go wired if you don’t want to worry About the battery dying on you but in That case why even buy the wireless Model to begin with so as you can see Just taking a look at it no extra bells And whistles now yes this is merely a Bummer to see that this is the same Pretty much design as your rk 61s your Gk61s your matrix keyboards your Cracking keyboards your typical amazon Oem 60 keyboard case and you know i Really wish they would have had more of That steel series apex design language On this like on the apex pro and the tkl The nice smooth edges to the body maybe Even like you know up in the corner find Some way to fit in a little volume dial Or just something to make it look better And more steel series like but speaking Of which we do have three pieces of Branding on the keyboard two on the back
Side in front of the case so during use It’s not really visible including Completely underneath the board so your Mouse pad even knows what board this is Then checking on its butt we do have Forward pads in each corner to prevent From sliding around on your desktop During use and there are two feet which Also has two different levels of Elevations you can see which is more Comfortable and ergonomic to you while You’re typing or gaming keycaps here are An upgrade from the old super glossy Ones these are your typical you know Double shot pbt with some decent but Subtle texture to them plus the Characters are a nice clean font with Even shine through to enhance the visual Pop if you go crazy with the rgb Lighting effects now as a 60 keyboard You obviously lose those extra physical Keys But as most 60 nowadays we have side Printed legends so you can see what Those secondary functions still are for That key you have your lighting Brightness and your playback control on The bottom row for example plus your f Row and your paging keys are all still Here just now printed as a secondary Function since the layout here is a Standard bottom row good news is if you Choose to pick up an aftermarket keycap Set you’ll be just fine but note you
Will be losing out then on those side of Printing legends but popping off those Keycaps are going to reveal their Omnipoint 2.0 switches because these are Brand new optical omnipoint switches Just for a reference to comparison the Original omnipoint switches they were Adjustable from 0.4 millimeters to 3.6 Millimeters so they were very fast These are now faster you have 37 levels Of actuation all the way down from 0.2 Millimeters up to 3.8 millimeters so Super fast super adjustable and they’re 11 times faster than your average Mechanical switch and they’re built to Last because these 2.0 are rated for a Hundred million key presses like we had In the original apex pro these are super Super smooth very happy to see and feel That again and the stem itself is still That milky white material with the clear Housing so you have more rgb still Shining through stabilizers are also Factory lubed but there’s a very thin Factory lube job on the wire itself but A little bit of lube goes a long way That’s what she said Now you can adjust the actuation point In two different ways first is actually On the keyboard itself when you hold Down the steelseries function key and i Or o that’s what dictates the actual Actuation either up or down and to kind Of reflect that the rgb will change to
Reflect the levels which i don’t find Too helpful you know there’s 37 Different levels so the rgb is not going To accurately tell me what exact Actuation i’m at you can then do it Inside the software under the actuation Tab obviously here you can control per Key so every key can be a different Actuation level and the main way to do It there is just on the left side where The graphic is you can just adjust the Slider however i do wish inside the Software if there was like a visual Real-time gauge that was showing you how Hard you were pressing down so you can See what actuation level you’re at kind Of like how the oled screen does on the Other apex pro model now while we’re Here real quick i’ll talk about the Software really quick obviously your key Bindings tab is for going through and You could you know readjust what each of The keys are then meta bindings they Call it is just the secondary function Rows and stuff so assigning what the Secondary key would be i just showed you The actuation for adjusting your Actuation distance per key you then have Dual bindings and dual actuation tabs And these go hand in hand and they let You use one key to perform two different Functions or dual action now an example Of this dual action would be say you Want to use z for both crouching and
Going prone so what you do was you know The first action you would set z to be Like you know actually at a point five Millimeters right uh and then if you Want to press it down all the way to Bottom out the key Then you go prone so halfway down you Press it you crouch all the way down you Go prone so dual actions sound cool it Can definitely be useful if you know Fully effective and you practice it and You master it in game it’s just that’s The thing it’s gonna be a bit tricky It’s gonna take a lot of time and Patience to kind of fully you know pull This off while you’re in the heat of the Moment during the game because at the End of the day we’re talking 0.1.2 Millimeters here so being able to Effectively master just that very slight Difference of the stroke here is gonna Be tough admittedly i tried i kept Failing so it’s gonna take a lot of time A lot of repetition a lot of practice to Make this effective and useful for when You’re gaming then the illumination tab Is pretty much the same as it’s always Been for the past few years this lets You go in and change up all the rgb from Whether you want it to be you know like A rainbow wave a bunch of the effects Have different directions you can put Them in speeds and sizes want to use a Static color or use any of the plethora
Of preset effects they have in but yeah Nothing really too new here alright so Now we’re going to do a sound test all Stock other omnipoint switches in the Apex pro mini [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Really not too bad overall i’d say Minimal case ping for what it is the Stabilizers sound pretty good and just Like i said before when i reviewed the Apex pro tkl and stuff in the past the Omnipoint switches are very smooth and That’s still the same case here feels Good sounds good uh dare i say a bit Clocky not clacky not socky but clocky Pretty satisfied with the sound overall Now i was curious and i’m sure you are Too when it comes to modding there are Six screws keeping the top plate to the Bottom of the case but they’re not your Standard phillips heads they’re these Super small star bits so it lets you Know steelseries does not want you Getting into this thing easily Understandable because there’s these two Small soldered wires on the left side of The case that keeps the board from fully Separating from the plate and pcb inside You can see we have their massive Battery it’s over 5800 milliamp hours Which helps contribute to that 30 hour Battery life of the apex mini wireless
Also there’s not a lot of extra room Inside the case for modding with that Big battery there and that sort of heat Pad to prevent the actual pcb from Getting hot from the battery it just Doesn’t leave much spare room for the Extra materials now since this keyboard Is made for the average gamer out there Not so much the keyboard enthusiast i Will highly advise against modding this Keyboard because with the omnipoint Switches being optical uh uses those Infrared beams to actuate the switch and Since they’re so sensitive Anything could trip and interfere with The optical switches and the pcb which Would pretty much render this useless And i say that because i did put in the Tiniest bit of polyfill inside the case On the left and right corners just to See that i heard my pc going crazy Behind me it opened like 90 windows jnn Was just being spammed which just goes To show you that something was Accidentally tripping these switches Inside and interfering with the whole um Optical infrared light beams which is What the omnipoint optical switches are So i really would not mod this So when it came to gaming i’ll be honest I’m a tkl guy like that’s my preferred Layout for gaming video editing Everything so switching back now to a Smaller 60
Definitely hurts in the editing space Because now i’m losing on dedicated Arrow keys and my other macros and stuff That i have set so for editing Definitely not for me gaming though Doesn’t really cause too much of a Negative difference but now with these 2.0 omnipoint switches that are super Super fast is definitely reflected in Game i have my waz keys set to one Millimeter so really just barely Applying any force to the keys will make It actuate just the fact that they can Go down to 0.2 is nuts like it’s kind of Hard to explain to you guys but that’s Like resting your fingertips just on the Key and it can actuate now for gaming That’s great for typing and other things Not so much this adjustment will Definitely cost some typos and stuff for A while so i would have different Presets where you have it you know as a Standard actuation point for everything Else and then a different profile just For gaming so they’re nice and quick but Yeah i mean they felt good gaming felt Just very snappy and since it’s you know Their wireless quantum 2.0 tech there Wasn’t any increase like input lag or Anything it all felt super super smooth Just lightning fast the switches are by Far the biggest selling point of this Keyboard now the really generic case and All that could be kind of overlooked
If it wasn’t for the just absurd Price point of 240 dollars For the steel series apex pro mini Wireless 240 for a 60 keyboard is just Bonkers okay and again i know this isn’t Really for the Custom enthusiasts out there and all That but you can get really decent Custom 60 Out there for this price and under so The fact that it’s just kind of a Generic gaming keyboard but with the Optical switches yes That is just insane to me just for what This is that is super super over the top And i know we’re at this point in the Market with inflation and things are Always more expensive than we want to be But as a consumer myself you know that’s Still just way more than i would want to Spend for this and it’s definitely gonna Make me sick with my apex pro tkl Because like i said i’m more of a tkl Guy myself That’s just Nuts and if they would have had more Physical features if it was designed Better if we had a little volume rocker Maybe if they still would have given us The wrist rest they used to include if It had even something stupid like a like A damn novelty or an artisan keycap just Something to make this stand out and
Make it worth that price point then Maybe but i can’t say for a 60 keyboard 240 Is anywhere worth what i would recommend Spending again omnipoint switches yeah They’re great super fast super Adjustable But not 240 dollars great all right guys So uh yeah that’ll wrap it up for my Review of the steel series apex pro mini Wireless 60 keyboard hope you all Enjoyed again yeah i get the tones this Review we’re kind of on the negative Side but that’s just what we have here Is a product in my opinion if you like This review if you appreciate it give it A big thumbs up show your support feel Free to follow me on twitter Randomfrankp and lastly if you haven’t Already hit that subscribe button Hope you all enjoyed have a good day
Introduction
When it comes to gaming accessories, the SteelSeries brand name has always been a reliable go-to for gamers around the world. And the latest addition to their line-up is making waves in the gaming world, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Keyboard.
This compact mechanical keyboard is designed to maximize space on your desk while providing top-of-the-line performance. With a premium design, customizable key actuation, and wireless capabilities, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini is sure to be a game-changer for gamers everywhere. In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive analysis of this latest SteelSeries keyboard.
Design
The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini has an aesthetically pleasing design that is sleek and minimalistic. This miniature keyboard is perfect for those who have limited desk space as it does not take up much room at all. The steel frame ensures durability and provides a sturdy base for a firm grip.
The keyboard comes in an all-black design with white backlighting, which can be further customized with SteelSeries Engine 3. Each key is individually lit with an LED light, giving the keyboard a unique look while adding to its functionality.
Keys and Key Actuation
One of the standout features of this keyboard is its customizable key actuation. The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini comes with OmniPoint switches, which can be adjusted to your desired level of sensitivity.
Using a magnetic Hall effect sensor, the switches can detect how far they’ve been pressed, allowing you to register keystrokes at different distances. This feature is especially useful for gamers who need to perform quick actions with precision.
Wireless Capabilities
The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini also offers wireless capabilities, providing a stable wireless connection through a USB dongle. The keyboard usage can be up to 100 hours on a single charge by plugging a lithium-ion battery-powered USB cable.
While wireless capabilities may not be a requirement for all gamers, it does provide convenience for those who like to have a clutter-free desk. Additionally, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini offers multiple connectivity options, with the ability to switch between wired and wireless mode as needed.
Other Features
In addition to the above features, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini includes other noteworthy functionalities, including:
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Dedicated multimedia controls: The keyboard has dedicated keys for volume control, playback, and the ability to switch between different audio inputs.
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Macro customization: This feature allows for up to five different macros to be programmed, with the ability to save an unlimited number of macro presets in SteelSeries’ software platform.
FAQs:
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Is the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Keyboard compatible with all operating systems?
Yes, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. -
Can the key actuation be reset after customization?
Yes, the key actuation can be reset to the default actuation point by simply pressing and holding the SteelSeries key and the ‘+’ key. -
How heavy is the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Keyboard?
The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Keyboard weighs only 0.65 kg, making it lightweight and portable. -
Is the keyboard durable?
The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini has a high-quality steel frame and is built to last. The keys are rated for 100 million keypresses, ensuring longevity and durability. -
How many keys does the keyboard have?
The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini has a total of 87 keys, including dedicated multimedia keys and macro customization keys.
Conclusion
Overall, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Keyboard is a top-of-the-line gaming accessory that provides exceptional performance and versatility. The customizable key actuation, wireless capabilities, and sleek design make it an excellent choice for gamers or anyone concerned with space management on their desk. With a solid construction, a number of unique features, and comprehensive customization options, we strongly recommend giving this keyboard a try.