Compact gaming keyboards come with a lot of advantages over full-size keyboards. Because they are smaller, the distance between you and your mouse is lessened, allowing you to play games more comfortably. They are also more portable, so you can carry them with you if you are always on the go. The Razer Huntsman Mini and the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL are two keyboards that offer those advantages. The Huntsman Mini is a compact keyboard while the Apex Pro TKL is a TenKeyLess keyboard. Below, we compare the two keyboards to find out which one offers better ergonomics, gaming features, performance and more.
Razer Huntsman Mini vs Apex Pro TKL Comparison Chart
| Model | Razer Huntsman Mini | SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL |
 |  | |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Size | Compact | TenKeyLess |
| Dimensions | 11.6 x 4 x 1.3 inches | 13.99 x 5.48 x 1.6 inches |
| Switch Type | Clicky Optical / Linear Optical | OmniPoint |
| Connectivity | Wired Detachable USB-C to USB-A cable | Wired Fixed cable with three routing points |
| Media Keys | Hot keys | Dedicated OLED screen |
| Wrist Rest | No | Magnetic |
| USB Passthrough | No | Yes |
| Onboard Memory | Yes | Yes |
| Keycaps | PBT | ABS |
| Typing Noise | Loud | Quiet |
| Software | Razer Synapse | SteelSeries Engine |
| RGB | Individually lit keys | Individually lit keys |
Design
The Razer Huntsman Mini is more compact, but the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL offers better durability and ergonomics.
Both keyboards are smaller than standard full-size keyboards, but the Razer Huntsman Mini is much more compact since it doesn’t have a function row, dedicated arrow keys and a numpad. The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL, as its name implies, is a TenKeyLess keyboard, so it is only missing the numpad; it still has a function row and dedicated arrow keys. Since it is smaller, the Razer Huntsman Mini will take up less space on your desk and it is also much more portable.
In terms of build quality, the two keyboards are excellent. The Razer Huntsman Mini sports an aluminum plate underneath its plastic frame and this gives it durability. On the other hand, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL has an aluminum body that makes it even more sturdy. The Huntsman Mini features PBT keycaps while the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL comes with ABS keycaps. Both are nice to type on, but the Razer Huntsman Mini keys wobble sometimes. The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL is better built, but the Razer Huntsman Mini is no slouch in this area.
The Razer Huntsman Mini has three incline settings that you can adjust to your liking. But that’s all that it offers when it comes to comfort. Meanwhile, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL only has two incline settings, but it does come with a magnetic wrist rest. The two keyboards offer decent ergonomics, with a slight advantage to the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL.
Features
The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL has more features than the Razer Huntsman Mini.
Since it has less keys, most of the Razer Huntsman Mini’s keys have secondary functions that you can access by holding down the “Fn” key. The keys’ secondary functions are printed on the side of the keycaps that face the user. All of its keys are programmable to have pretty much any function that you want. You can program the keys via the Razer Synapse software or via the keyboard itself. The Razer Huntsman Mini also comes with a “game mode” key that locks the Windows key when playing.
Similar to the Huntsman Mini, all the keys of the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL are also programmable via the SteelSeries Engine app and it also has a key that locks the Windows key when gaming. In addition to those, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL also has dedicated media keys, an OLED screen and USB passthrough. The media keys come in the form of a wheel and a menu button. The OLED screen is customizable to show images, GIFs and more. Its USB passthrough is convenient since you can plug in your mouse to it without introducing input lag.
The two keyboards have individually lit keys for RGB lighting. You can choose different preset lighting effects and control the brightness using only the keyboards. However, if you want total control of the RGB effects, you’ll need both keyboards’ software.
Check out our Razer Huntsman Mini vs Tournament Edition comparison here
Performance
The adjustable OmniPoint switches of the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL allows you to finetune the keyboard to your liking.
Razer’s Huntsman Mini can be equipped with either clicky or linear optical switches. The clicky switches provide tactile feedback when pressed. They have low pre-travel and they require very little force to actuate. They are responsive and keystrokes are registered fast. The linear optical switches are even faster to register since they have lower pre-travel. The biggest difference between the clicky and linear switches is that the latter do not provide tactile feedback when pressed.
On the other hand, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL comes with proprietary OmniPoint switches from the brand. These switches are fully adjustable. You can adjust the pre-travel and the force required for the keystrokes to register. Unlike the clicky optical switches of the Razer Huntsman Mini, SteelSeries’ OmniPoint switches are quiet and they don’t provide tactile feedback.
When it comes to gaming, both keyboards are excellent, but the adjustable OmniPoint switches can give you better performance since you can adjust it to your preference. Both of them have low latency and you shouldn’t feel any delay when using either.
For general usage, having extra keys is definitely an advantage for the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL. You can type more seamlessly on it and it’s quiet, so you won’t disturb or annoy other people in the room while working.
Verdict
The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL is better than the Razer Huntsman Mini.
If your choices for a gaming keyboard came down to these two, we recommend that you get the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL over the Razer Huntsman Mini. It’s more durable, ergonomic and its adjustable OmniPoint switches allow you to tailor your keyboard’s performance to your liking. In addition to that, it also comes with added features such as dedicated media keys and an OLED screen. While these features are not necessary, they are nice to have. The Razer Huntsman Mini is also a good gaming keyboard, but when compared to the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL, it’s lacking in a lot of areas.
FAQs
The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL is more ergonomic, durable and its switches are adjustable. Overall, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL is the better keyboard.
No, it is a wired keyboard with a detachable USB-C to USB-A cable.
The only difference between the two is that the TKL version does not have a numpad. In everything else, they are the same.
Yes, the OmniPoint switches on the Apex Pro TKL are quiet.
Last update on 2021-07-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API