Product: SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless
Type: Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Price: $499.00 AUD RRP
Availability: Out Now
Link: steelseries.com/gaming-keyboards/apex-pro-mini-wireless

SteelSeries is known for creating a broad range of high-end gaming peripherals covering everything you need to jump in and get the most out of any experience - competitive or cinematic. At a glance, the new SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless presents the company’s mini keyboard offering, the popular 60% keyboard size that has become something of a mainstay in recent years. But, that only paints one-half of the picture as the Apex Pro Mini Wireless also happens to be one of the most feature-packed gaming keyboards currently out there in terms of wired and wireless functionality.

Not only that but the new OmniPoint Adjustable Mechanical Switches deployed are fully customisable in the actuation department, meaning they can be tuned for super-quick response and even support dual functionality on a per-key basis. Although small in stature everything about this keyboard is, well, huge. Including the price, which makes this mini-keyboard a flagship product for SteelSeries.

And it’s one of the most impressive keyboards we’ve seen to date.

Look and Feel

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With a ten-keyless design (TKL) and a ‘nothing but the keys’ build, the 60% size (compared to a regular keyboard) of the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless is sleek and minimal. The small form factor is something we’ve come to really enjoy of late, so it’s not hard to see why the 60% size is popular once you go hands-on. Not only compact for those with limited desk space but there’s also portability that makes it great for those who game on surfaces where you might set up a temporary laptop. Available in a non-wired version, it’s the Wireless model tested here - something that always adds to the cost of a mechanical keyboard.

Of course, that isn’t the only thing factoring into the high price of this flagship keyboard, the build quality overall is uniformly excellent - with a high-grade aluminum top plate and double shot PBT keycaps that SteelSeries claims are fade-proof. Nice.

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The new OmniPoint Adjustable Mechanical Switches deployed are fully customisable in the actuation department, meaning they can be tuned for super-quick response and even support dual functionality on a per-key basis.

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The USC-C cable is of high quality too, braided and thick, if a little stiff compared to some others we’ve seen. The premium feel extends to the USB dongle and table-top connector so you can seamlessly switch between wireless and play-and-charge functionality. Though it has to be said, even though the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless is fully usable in wired-mode, the escape key flashes green when charging and stays a solid green when fully charged. An indicator that you can’t turn off either, so it was a little distracting when messing about with the per-key RGB lighting to make everything else a little more neon pinkish.

Specs

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Really though the star of the show here is the adjustable mechanical switches found in each key - no doubt a feature you would want to use to get the most out of the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless. At the most basic level, you can set up profiles so the actuation distance (which is when a keystroke is registered) is shorter for competitive games and then longer for day-to-day productivity.

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The build quality overall is uniformly excellent - with a high-grade aluminum top plate and double shot PBT keycaps that SteelSeries claims are fade-proof. Nice.

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Doubling up on functions for each key is relatively straightforward when using the SteelSeries GG app, but it is a little cumbersome and time-consuming to get the hang of changing actuation distances. But, it’s the most impressive keyboard configuration and modding we’ve seen - and it was awesome to see the results. A game changer for those that really want to dig into what a mechanical keyboard can do. On top of this, as you’ll find in other 60% keyboards, secondary functions already exist for each of the keys - covering all the stuff missing and quick shortcuts to lighting modes and profiles.

Switch Type: OmniPoint Adjustable Mechanical Switch

LED Color: Per-key RGB

Cable: Detachable USB Type-C

Connection: Wired / 2.4 GHz / Bluetooth

Battery: 30 hours (Wireless) / 40 hours (Bluetooth with default lighting)

Dimensions: 293 mm x 103 mm x 40.3 mm

Product Weight: 543g

And then there’s the addition of Bluetooth in addition to 2.4 GHz wireless via dongle, which definitely adds to the versatility.

Type Cast

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Although technically silent the OmniPoint 2.0 switches do generate a sound when in use, which might come from the aluminum back-plate. It’s particularly noticeable when pressing the spacebar - though it’s not at the level of the more noisy clicky switches. As for the performance, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless performs beautifully no matter the task - and excels when playing games and you mess around with the actuation. No matter if it was wired or wireless the experience was flawless. The keys have a great tactile feel and even though you can switch between a few very different actuation points it doesn’t drastically alter how the keyboard ‘feels’ which is good.

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The keys have a great tactile feel and even though you can switch between a few very different actuation points it doesn’t drastically alter how the keyboard ‘feels’ which is good.

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And to be honest, even though we didn’t really use the double function features all that much, being able to go from 1mm actuation to lower and fine-tune really made it feel like the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless is something you can customise and tailor to suit what you like best. There are well over 30 different levels ranging from 0.2mm to 3.8mm that you can adjust on a per-key basis so it’s, yeah, impressive. No doubt SteelSeries has packed a lot into this small package - a premium flagship wireless keyboard that pushes switch technology and customisation forward in meaningful ways.