I’ve been a computer gamer for almost the last decade, moving from playing Counter-Strike 1.6 in LAN cafes to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on an Asus gaming laptop. About a year and a half ago, I decided to take a powerful computer that would meet my gaming needs and double as a reliable tool for working from home.
After using a powerful computer that could run games as smoothly as oil, I soon realized that I needed to get better peripherals to reach my full gaming potential. You know, the desires and needs of the gamer never end.
I recently looked at a keyboard with a small form factor to give my mouse more desk space to move around. I’ve always used full-size keyboards (104 keys), which I usually have to angle when I play to make up for the huge space it takes up.
I finally went with the Razer, given that I currently use a Razer mouse, and took the Huntsman Mini (it was reduced 😋).
It is worth noting that I was not interested in taking a wireless keyboard, as I do not intend to use the keyboard anywhere except on my desk. And even if you had to, the Huntsman Mini’s cable is detachable, so the keyboard can be easily packaged and taken with you. If I had to go the wireless route, the Razer Blackwidow V3 Mini Hyperspeed would be my choice. MobileSyrup reporter Jonathan Lamont has a love-hate connection to the wireless keyboard, which you can read about via the link below:
Now, let’s dive in and take a look at the Huntsman Mini!
The Huntsman Mini is a 60 percent keyboard with 61 optical-mechanical (purple) switches that remove the numeric keypad, arrow keys, and function keys, giving you access only to the keys that matter during play. For me, this means that I have a lot more mouse drag space, which is necessary because I play at a significantly low DPI. The small shape also provides a minimalist aesthetic and gives you space to place other accessories on your desk without looking too crowded.
The Huntsman Mini keys are Razer’s Doubleshot PBT textured-coated caps that feel great to press and aren’t as strong as a traditional mechanical keyboard, but still offer the right amount of audio feedback. The keys go back quite quickly and the average scanning speed of the keys is about 22 to 45 ms. This is true for all keys except the space bar.
The average scanning speed of the interval was about 50 ms and this is easily noticeable when pressed. It also has different audio feedback than the other keys and generally feels heavier to press. That said, it doesn’t make or break the keyboard. The keyboard frame is made of plastic with an aluminum plate on top, which adds a little weight and keeps the peripheral strong.
The keyboard connects to your computer with the accompanying braided USB Type-C cable, which is long enough to be tucked away. The cable is not patented and any Type-C cable you have will do the job if you want to mix things up. The Huntsman Mini has two legs that support the keyboard, although they are not tall enough and it took me a day or two to get used to it.
Another learning curve with the Huntsman Mini is related to its immediate key proximity. The keys on the keyboard are tightly intertwined, and at first fat fingers became commonplace for me when typing. Although, after using the keyboard for most of the week, I developed the muscular memory needed to type and play without making mistakes.
Given this, I would not recommend the keyboard to anyone who wants to use it only for typing / working. The lack of arrow keys and the numeric keypad are essential for someone like me, given that I spend most of my day writing news about MobileSyrup and prefer to navigate without having to take my hands off the keyboard. . The lack of a wrist rest also makes writing Huntsman Mini for long periods of time not very pleasant.
I constantly see myself switching between my full size and 60 percent keyboard as I work and play accordingly. However, if you’re a person whose job doesn’t necessarily involve writing huge paragraphs, the Huntsman Mini’s shortcut keys are good enough to replace the missing numeric keypad, arrows, and features. Pressing the ‘fn’ button illuminates only the keys that serve as a shortcut, which simplifies the process of identifying them.
Now that we are talking about the lights, it is worth noting that the presence of RGB lights on the keyboard was not a precursor to buying the Huntsman Mini. I am indifferent to RGB, although their presence is a plus. The keyboard offers a wide range of colors and effects to choose from directly in the Razer Synapse app. The app also allows you to set up profiles (in case more than one person intends to use the keyboard) and macros to initiate a specific command, including the ability to launch a different application, multimedia controls, Windows shortcuts and much more by clicking button. It also adds a little convenience, as the same app serves to customize the Viper V2 Pro, the mouse I’m currently using.
The Huntsman Mini alone will not improve your game, but it will help
Competitive first-person shooting games like Valorant require you to stand still while shooting for maximum accuracy. Inadvertently standing still makes you an easy target to shoot. This is where the kickback comes from. The opposite stroke is the act of pressing the counter-movement key to where your character is moving to stop the character. For example, if I move to the left (by pressing A), I can press D and release it to make my character stand still. When you’re done with the right time and repeatedly, counter strefing allows you to keep moving left and right, while allowing a small window when your character is standing still. This short moment is when you can shoot your shot with maximum accuracy and keep hitting left and right to avoid hitting.
Now, I’m not saying that the Huntsman Mini will make you a god of movement, but its 45-gram trigger power and 1.5mm trigger distance help to properly synchronize your shots in the middle. Check out the Canadian streamer Valorant TenZ (Tyson Ngo), which explains how to properly confront:
Huntsman Mini is definitely a solid cable compact gaming keyboard with ultra-responsive switches, good build quality, RGB lights with a range of customization options, audio feedback that is not too strong and without a built-in battery that you have to constantly recharge and stress for. It connects to your computer via a Type-C cable, which is detachable and not patented, giving you the freedom to use any Type-C cable you like. The small form factor allows you to move your mouse more violently and provides an overall minimalist aesthetic.
However, if you need a gaming keyboard that would be an everyday driver that you can work with all day, there are better options on the market that offer wrist support and additional buttons such as the arrow keys and numeric keypad to navigate the pages with ease. I would usually also mention that you can get better 60 percent keyboards at the price you would pay for the Huntsman Mini, but given that the keyboard is currently reduced at Best Buy and Amazon, the price aspect goes out the window.
The Razer Huntsman Mini is currently available for order from Amazon and Best Buy for $ 99.99.
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