SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Review: ‘Keyboards Are Starting To Evolve!’

STEELSERIES APEX PRO MINI WIRELESS REVIEW.

The Apex Pro Mini Wireless enters the gaming keyboard arena as SteelSeries’ most expensive offering. For the high price tag, buyers will get OmniPoint 2.0 adjustable switches, top-tier wireless connectivity, and the trendy 60% form factor. With competition in the adjustable switch market heating up, however, is the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless worth it? This is my review.

A steady start

The Apex Pro Mini Wireless boasts a fairly usual unboxing experience. The keyboard itself is joined by a USB-C to USB-A cable, USB-C wireless dongle with an extension cable, a keycap puller, and a manual. Pretty standard stuff and, honestly, the unremarkable nature of this board extends further to its plain design.

While it’s nice to see SteelSeries hopping on the 60% train with a flagship product, smaller-scale aluminum slabs have been pumped out by competitors for multiple years now. It’s tried and tested, but can hardly be described as pushing the envelope.

Buy the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless on Amazon here

Even the usual boons of double-shot PBT keycaps, comprehensive low-latency wireless support, and impressive RGB lighting have been covered extensively by the competition.

It’s not until you look below the surface that the Apex Pro Mini Wireless begins to really shine with its OmniPoint 2.0 adjustable switches.

OmniPoint 2.0 is everything

Though it’s taken over a month to truly get used to them for gaming, I’m fully onboard the adjustable switch train. OmniPoint 2.0 forces users to forget what they think they know about keyboard switches in order to relearn the typing experience with newfound additional functionality.

As you might have guessed from the name, “adjustable switches” are adjustable! From 0.2 mm to 3.8 mm, users can fine-tune the actuation distance to the nearest 0.1 mm. Want a key to respond as soon as it gets even a whiff of your finger? Then that’s where values closer to 0.2 mm come in. Looking to actuate only when a firm press is registered, then closing in on that 3.8 mm cap is your best bet.

On a basic level, I used this to make my gaming-centric keys easier to push and the other keys, like Caps Lock and certain modifiers, harder to push. It’s a neat trick, but that’s only scratching the surface of what these switches can do.

Realize the potential

Diving into the SteelSeries Engine software allows for ultimate customization of the adjustable switches. Here you can set multiple functions per key, one for a soft press and one for a firmer press.

I won’t lie, it took a hell of a long time to be able to consistently hit my soft and firm presses. It might sound simple, but when you’re thrown into an intense firefight and need to be quick with your inputs, there’s no time to carefully think about which key you’re pressing and how hard you’re pressing it. Instincts kick in and, if you don’t get the keypress right, it can be damn frustrating.

As I said, it’s taken over a month to become comfortable with the inputs I’ve set to soft and firm. And it’s taken some fine tuning to get to this point. However, now that I’m here, I can say with confidence that adjustable switches, like we’re seeing here with the Apex Pro Mini Wireless, can greatly enhance your gaming experiences.

Mapping two functions to a key is especially useful in this 60% form factor, which has cut 40% of the buttons that appear on a full-size board. Mapping secondary functions to keys can help make up for those cut keys.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Review: The final verdict

At $239.99, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless has a high price tag that might not feel immediately justified. The unboxing experience is unexceptional, the board itself feels solid but not like $200+, and the default typing experience has Cherry MX Red vibes and too much stabilizer rattle.

When you plug it in and get to fine-tuning the adjustable switches, however, this keyboard really comes into its own. For those who are looking for either the fastest keyswitches around and/or dual functions per key, SteelSeres’ OmniPoint 2.0 range is very impressive. It’s fantastic to see mainstream keyboards evolving to become something more!

Apex Pro Mini Wireless review unit was provided by SteelSeries.