The mechanical gaming keyboard I've used for 855 days (and counting) is practically perfect after fixing its biggest downside

Ben Wilson from Windows Central wearing a Meta Quest 2 VR headset with stick-on cartoon eyes

Meta's Quest 2 is gone, but the Apex Pro Mini is still with me. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

"Too expensive" is a common theme among gaming peripherals, alongside garish RGB lighting and unnecessary features, but ultimately outshined by an outrageous price tag. That's what held the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless back when I first got my hands on it in 2022, making it a problematic recommendation until now, as it drops to $128.99 at Best Buy.

This keyboard hasn't left my desk since I unboxed it, except to make way for other review samples temporarily, but it always came back — I love this keyboard, and at this price, so will you.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless
Was: $179.99
Now: $128.99 at Best Buy

"A beautiful design built from high-quality parts, this tiny mechanical keyboard makes fast-paced gaming a breeze with adjustable actuation and dual per-key bindings." — Ben Wilson

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: PC gamers with limited desk space and a love for linear mechanical switches.

❌Avoid if: You're absolutely tied to your arrow keys or number pad or dislike multi-key functions.

Launch date: June, 2022.

👉See at: BestBuy.com

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (Also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

💰Price check: $208.99 at Amazon.com

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Still my daily keyboard over two years later

SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless unboxed — SteelSeries' Apex Pro Mini Wireless fresh out of its box. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

I'll be candid: I don't use the SteelSeries GG companion app to control anything on this Apex Pro Mini because it became more of my daily driver for writing than it did for high-effort gaming.

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Even if I did, I still have the option to record a sequence of keypresses into a macro just by holding down the SteelSeries logo key + X.

It might have been handy for typing "good game, well played" if I weren't playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 exclusively on Xbox and acting like an antisocial hermit in multiplayer.

Plus, I can flip through a few RGB lighting presets with the SteelSeries logo key + Z if I need more animated rainbows, though I could install the official app if I ever wanted deeper customization.

Essentially, I'm saying that the Apex Pro Mini Wireless is a functional gaming keyboard that works well enough without total reliance on a desktop companion app. Still, the extended personalization options are available whenever you want them, and you'll need the GG app if you dig into the dual-binding option that assigns two options per key based on how far you push it down.