SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless review TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless review Worth paying a premium for, but only if you need all the extras By Michelle Rae Uy last updated 22 September 2022 (Image: © Future / Michelle Rae Uy) TechRadar Verdict The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless is brimming with features, from its dual actuation capable keys to its customizable actuation points. But, it also costs much more than other wireless mini gaming keyboards out there. Is it really worth the price? TODAY'S BEST DEALS$217.99 (opens in new tab)at Amazon (opens in new tab)$217.99 (opens in new tab)at Walmart (opens in new tab)$217.99 (opens in new tab)at Newegg (opens in new tab) Pros + Lots of customizations and features+ Excellent performance overall+ Great design and RGB lighting Cons - Slow to wake - 60% form factor has some learning curve- Really expensive Jump to: One-minute review Price Design Performance Should I buy it? Also consider Report card SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless One-minute review We get it. The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless is a trifecta of things that make a gaming keyboard expensive. It has that small-footprint 60% form factor. It's a wireless keyboard. And, it comes with special features you won't find in other options, full-size or otherwise. We can't really blame SteelSeries for charging a lot here. This gaming keyboard's ability to have dual actuation alone feels priceless, especially since it really does work, and is something you'd be hard-pressed to find in other wireless gaming keyboards, even direct rivals. Still, for most people, $239 / £239 / AU$499 is a lot to spend on a mini gaming keyboard. Scratch that – it's a lot to spend on most things, especially given the current cost-of-living pinch. So, while we're blown away by what SteelSeries has done here – the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless is an impressive piece of kit, despite its one flaw of being bizarrely slow to wake – it's hard to recommend to everyone. It's an excellent gaming keyboard – one of the best releases this 2022, perhaps. But, at this price point, it might best serve gamers who can take full advantage of its special features. That said, it's a truly tempting option, and one we'd get ourselves if we had some extra cash lying around.SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless at Amazon for $217.99 (opens in new tab) SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless Price and availabilityHow much does it cost? $239 (£239, AU$499)Where is it available? Available nowWhere can you get it? Available in the US, the UK, and AustraliaSteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless: SPECSLayout: 60% Switch: OmniPoint 2.0 adjustable Programmable keys: Yes, with adjustable actuation and dual actuation Dimensions: 11.53 x 4.02 x 1.59 inches (293 x 103 x 40.3mm) RGB or backlighting: Yes Charging $239 / £239 / AU$499 for a mini keyboard seems a little excessive, even if we weren't in the middle of an economic squeeze – several of the best 60% and 75% wireless keyboards on the market are considerably more affordable. The popular and well-received Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed, for example, will only cost gamers $179 / £179 / AU$299 of their hard-earned money (and we use the word 'only' very loosely here). Same with the newer Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless, which will also set you back $179 (£169, AU$299). That high price makes a lot of sense, though, if you compare the features, as neither of those keyboards can compete with the level of customization the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless offers. However, there's still no denying that the price you're paying for those customizations is pretty steep for most gamers – and it feels steeper still if you won't be taking full advantage of this keyboard's superpowers.Value: 3 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy) SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless DesignCompact form factorBright RGB lightingLots of customization options One of the many things we love about the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless is its design. Not that there's anything special in particular here – it kind of looks like most other mini keyboards. However, it's more compact than most of the best 60% and 65% keyboards we've tested, and thinner than many of them as well. That's quite a feat considering this mini form factor feels like it's already defying the laws of physics, and given the many features this keyboard boasts. (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy) The customizable RGB lighting is very bright on the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless, which is fab for RGB fans, and the front feet have two levels of incline to help with your typing experience. As is typical with many mini gaming keyboards, it's still on the thicker side, which is why we're slightly disappointed that there isn't a palm rest included – not that any of its rivals offer one. (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy) Accessing certain keys by pressing the SteelSeries function key might feel a little annoying if you're used to a full or TKL keyboard. But alas, such is the nature of compact keyboards: you sacrifice some conveniences for a smaller, space-saving footprint. The good news is that this keyboard is incredibly customizable, so you can program those shortcuts in a way that feels most natural and intuitive to you. To do so, you need to install the SteelSeries GG software, which does tend to act up sometimes like all other supporting software for peripherals, especially when a new update is available. When it works, however, it's easy to use, even when you're programming the keys' dual actuation actions and creating profiles, of which the keyboard can store five.Design: 4 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy) SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless PerformanceSlow to wakeSatisfying keysVery responsive, even when using dual actuation Let's get the 'bad' out of the way first: the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless' one failing is that it is bizarrely slow to wake. It doesn't matter which platform or operating system you're using; it takes about a second to wake, which can be annoying when you're trying to log in quickly, or even when you've just taken a short pause from typing. We cannot tell you the number of times we've had to retype things because of this flaw. That's not necessarily a deal-breaker, however. When the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless is awake, its performance is truly impressive, which just about overshadows that issue. The keys have a nice satisfying feel to them, despite the fact that they have less bounce than mechanical switches. The keycaps are smaller, but each has a nice inward curve that keeps your fingers in place. (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy) Its adjustable actuation (3.8 to 0.2) really works and works well. During testing, we changed the WSP keys from 1.8 to 1.1 and kept the A key at 1.8, and we could tell the difference – it took a little more pressure to move Razputin on Psychonauts back or left than it did moving him forward or right. The opposite thing happened when we changed A's actuation to 0.2 and kept P at 1.1. Its dual actuation prowess – its per-key ability to have two actions at different actuation points – is just as effective. It's definitely useful, very responsive, and quite convenient when playing games like Cyberpunk 2077. We have, for example, used the same key to walk and run, the only difference being that we're pressing lightly when walking and deeper when we want our character to start running. We found that you don't need the key to fully bottom-out for the second actuation action to work. As long the second actuation point is deeper, it should work beautifully.Performance: 4.5 / 5 Should I buy the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy) Buy it if You want to set actuation points and dual actuation The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless doesn't just have features. It's got features you won't find elsewhere – namely, customizable actuation and dual actuation.You have the cash While wireless mini gaming keyboards are expensive, this one is even more so. It's worth the price, but only if you can actually afford it, or will take full advantage of the features.You need that 60% form factor This small-footprint gaming keyboard is best for gamers who don't have a lot of space or need something portable. Don t buy it if You hate shortcuts If you're used to a full or TKL keyboard, switching to a mini one can be quite an adjustment, as some keys you'll have been used to using aren't immediately accessible.You haven't got the cash On a budget? Better to go for a cheaper wired one if you really want that mini form factor. Or, if size isn't a factor, there are more full-sized keyboards that are budget-friendly. Also consider (opens in new tab)Razer Huntsman Mini Our choice of the best gaming keyboard in the mini form factor, the Razer Huntsman Mini boasts a 1,000Hz polling rate, n-key rollover with anti-ghosting, and optical switches rated at 100 million keystrokes. Read our full Razer Huntsman Mini review (opens in new tab)