Lori Grunin / CNET
Razer comes to battle the potato chips currently dominating the mechanical keyboard market 60% with its Huntsman Mini, the first pre-built conventional model and Razer’s first. It will come in two colors: black and mercury (the Huntsman Mini Mercury edition), with a choice of purple (clicky) or red (linear) from Razer. optical switches. And if you’re shoeing your workspace or game in a small place, this may be just what you need to make everything fit more comfortably.
These ultra-compact gaming keyboards have typically been the province of niche companies, such as Ducky. That started to change recently when HyperX partnered with Ducky for a code-developed model in May, using HyperX switches and Ducky’s dual PBT keys (keys made from two pieces of molded PBT plastic, one of which has the legends, instead of the typical ABS keys, which are a single piece of thermoplastic with the legend printed). But that Ducky One 2 Mini It was a limited edition.
You can get the clicky Huntsman Mini model now for $ 120 and the linear version in August for $ 130; Those prices are high, but hey, Razer. Any replacement set of keys that are compatible with Cherry stem will work with them, although Razer offers its own set of Doubleshot PBT keys in pink, white, acid green or black.
However, the Mini is more than a reduced version of its older brothers. Razer has made some improvements to the switches, adding sound-absorbing silicone to the shelves and improved lubricant for both a smoother glide and reduced echo. It uses a full-size detachable USB-C connector, unlike its typical slim connector that makes it impossible for anyone else to use cables. Hurrah!
The keyboard also supports built-in storage of five key combination profiles and can toggle between color presets, so you don’t have to deal with the overhead of Razer’s Synapse utility. You need Synapse to customize RGB per key or combine effects, as well as to define the key combinations to download to the keyboard.
What do you get out of this?
Slimmer than a 15-inch laptop and shallower than the length of a mouse, 60% keyboards define the notion of compact for its species. different to tenkeyless keyboards (TKL) – also known as “80% keyboards” – discarding only the numeric keypad, 60% of keyboards abandon the start key group and function key row, making them 60% the size of a keyboard traditional.
The relative sizes of the 60% Huntsman Mini (above) and the Razer Ornata v2, a full-size keyboard.
Lori Grunin / CNET
60% of the models are geared towards esports players and hardcore gamers for several reasons: the smaller size gives the mouse more room to move and means a smaller gap between your keyboard and mouse hands. The latter provides stability, as photographers know, the most stable position for shooting is with your elbows glued to your sides, and in this case it really gives you a better sense of control when using them.
That’s true for all sorts of uses, not just for games, and I think it’s better for my posture while working. My workspace is also tight and I like to have extra room to hover. Doubleshot’s PBT key captions are more durable than ABS, and the keys retain their matte, sticky texture rather than developing that worn and shiny look. Anyone who writes for hours a day can certainly appreciate that, though that’s an upgrade you can do with lots of gaming keyboards.
However, for conventional and novice players, it also confers benefits. It is small enough that I can move it from the center and angle it to match the way my left hand naturally falls into the WASD group. The smaller keyboard is also less distracting, with less than what sticks out in your peripheral vision; I usually set up full-size dashboards with the lighting turned off, except for select groups of keys, but with 60% I don’t really need to create custom lighting. The size is also ideal to put in a bag if you want to take it with you.
Like most 60% keyboards, the Huntsman Mini has common secondary functions, accessible by the Fn key, stamped on the front. However, the secondary functions are not illuminated, one of my favorite hobbies.
Lori Grunin / CNET
Whether you like it or not for games depends on your skill and sensitivity. With the exception of the change in lubrication, clicky switches are essentially the same ones that have been in the Huntsman since Razer introduced its optical switch technology, so you can extrapolate from them as to whether or not they will like it if it is responsive. to slight differences in trigger points (when a keystroke is registered) and reset points (when the key is ready to register a subsequent keystroke).
I like a response gap between them because it prevents me from too many accidental double knocks when my fingers get nervous, a bigger problem than missed beats when I’m running, ducking and shooting; Double tapping when you try to duck can be especially frustrating.
But the Mini feels very, very good for typing, at least the clicky model I tested, I generally prefer super clicky and tactile to linear and like a keyboard that fights back, although it’s as loud as ever. The lighting is bright and even, but does not shine through the secondary functions printed on the front of the keys. That is a big annoyance for some people, including me. If you use the start groups and arrows a lot, it’s hard to get used to the 60% where arrows, Del, and others are secondary functions, especially since they don’t light up.
Compact enough to store under a 24-inch monitor, as long as you don’t lack critical keys for you, it’s a great solution for installing a better keyboard in a small workspace. However, if $ 120 is too expensive to fit your budget, there are still plenty of much cheaper models to consider.
