Razer Huntsman Mini review

Our Verdict

The Razer Huntsman Mini keyboard works well for competitive play, but the lack of a function row and traditional pointer keys takes some getting used to.

For

Eye-catching design with no wasted space
Easy to configure setups for different games
Very responsive

Against

Non comfy for resting easily
Price is the same as some of Razer'south bigger keyboards

Tom's Guide Verdict

The Razer Huntsman Mini keyboard works well for competitive play, just the lack of a function row and traditional pointer keys takes some getting used to.

Pros

+
Eye-catching blueprint with no wasted space
+
Like shooting fish in a barrel to configure setups for different games
+
Very responsive

Cons

-
Non comfortable for resting hands
-
Price is the same as some of Razer'due south bigger keyboards

When it comes to gaming keyboards, Razer offers a lot of options. The Razer Huntsman Mini is the newest fellow member of Razer's consistent (if a scrap pricey) family. The Mini comes in two flavors: Clicky ($119.99) and Linear ($129.99) optical switches. For the purposes of this review, Razer provided a model with linear optical switches.

The Huntsman Mini boasts a lx% form gene, but that space-saving design comes with a toll: There's no function row, no home cluster or arrow keys, and obviously, no number pad. Even the Huntsman Mini's chassis is trim, with almost no frame around the keys. Visually, this results in what is arguably one of the best gaming keyboards. In execution, still, the Huntsman Mini is occasionally awkward, and the lack of extra keys takes some getting used to. Observe out more than in our full Razer Huntsman Mini review.

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Razer Huntsman Mini review: Design

At 11.v inches long and 4.1 inches wide, the Huntsman Mini is indeed a adept few inches smaller than the Huntsman Tournament Edition. It's taller than the boilerplate keyboard at one.5 inches, thanks to a raised blueprint that makes it announced equally though the keys are floating above the frame.

Both the linear and clicky versions come in black or white. Our review unit came in blackness, with PBT keys and a matte cease adding a level of sophistication to the keyboard's aluminum construction.

There are options for red or purple optical switches underneath the keys, though you'd be forgiven for not noticing the deviation, as they're non visible during normal use. The Mini also has a removable USB-C-to-USB-A string that's easy to shop when not in utilise.

Finally, the keyboard features 2 adjustable anxiety with indicators that allow users to prop it upward at ix or six degrees. These feet are longer than the ones plant on a standard USB keyboard. With the Huntsman Mini'southward raised key design, having multiple elevation options doesn't feel strictly necessary, but it is a nice bonus for gamers with specific preferences.

Razer Huntsman Mini review: Keys

How does a keyboard maintain functionality while eliminating around 1-third of its keys? Many of the Razer Huntsman Mini's keys have additional functions printed on their sides, which y'all tin can activate with the function key, or by using Razer's software to map your own configuration. These additional functions are easy to discover thank you to the raised key design, though it still felt strange to use the I, J, M, and L keys as arrows.

If y'all're used to flatter keyboards, like the ones you lot might discover on a laptop or a basic USB keyboard, look to work a lilliputian slower on the Huntsman Mini. On a typing test, I scored 70 words per minute at 99% accuracy on the Huntsman Mini. Compare that to 90 words per infinitesimal with 99% on my daily workhorse, a xiii-inch MacBook Pro, and my fifteen-inch MSI gaming laptop at 89 words per minute with 99% accurateness, and there's a bit of a lag on the Razer. It's not a deal-breaker, but it does emphasize that this keyboard was designed for gaming, not writing.

Fifty-fifty though my typing test results were worse, physically pressing the keys felt immensely satisfying after years of primarily using laptop keyboards. Also, unless you're the type to really pound on the keys, typing is virtually silent for the version with linear optical switches.

Razer Huntsman Mini review: Features

The Razer Huntsman Mini keyboard works correct out of the box with basic functionality, merely to remap keys and change upwardly the RGB options you'll need to download Razer'due south Synapse software. Though I found Synapse a piddling convoluted when using it with the DeathAdder V2 Mini mouse, I found the software much more intuitive when information technology came to remapping keys.

With onboard retention and v profiles, it was a snap to reassign key functions based on my preferences for unlike games. At that place'due south also an option to use the Hypershift function, which essentially allows players to assign two unlike sets of keys at once and switch between them at volition.

It'south non really a Razer gaming peripheral without colorful RGB lighting, and the Huntsman Mini comes with a number of delightful RGB presets. Gamers can actually switch among the seven options without opening upwards the software, which is convenient when you want to switch up your color scheme mid-game. There are more than advanced options available in Synapse, so you can customize those flashing colors to your middle's content.

Razer Huntsman Mini review: Performance

Earlier getting into the configurations or RGB options, I ran the Huntsman Mini through a few dozen turns of Sid Meier's Civilization Six, my get-to PC game. It'due south non as fast-paced every bit the competitive games for which the Mini was designed, but equally a title that relies heavily on the arrow keys (rather than WASD), I was curious to see how the secondary functions, well, functioned.

To use pointer keys with the Mini's default setup, I had to hold downwardly the Fn primal while pressing I, J, K, and L. It's not exactly comfortable or intuitive, and information technology wasn't long before I was in Synapse looking for a better solution. In about a minute, I created a Civ-specific profile and mapped the arrow keys to the West, A, S, and D buttons. One time back in the game, the new configuration worked exactly as intended. That said, Civ veterans know that the strategy game ofttimes has you lot resting your easily on your keyboard equally you lot wait for other players and consider your tactical options, so it nonetheless wasn't as comfortable equally just using my gaming laptop keyboard.

Next up was Fall Guys, an online "political party royale" that's been dominating the streaming scene since its release in early August. As a silly, frenetic and appropriately paced multiplayer game, Autumn Guys felt like a perfect lucifer for the Huntsman Mini without fifty-fifty having to remap any keys. Fifty-fifty though I typically prefer a controller for this game, I withal managed to brand information technology to the last round multiple times with the Huntsman Mini. This simply underscores that the Huntsman Mini achieves its true purpose as a space-saving keyboard for competitive gamers.

Razer Huntsman Mini review: Verdict

Our Razer Huntsman Mini review explains how the peripheral performs well. Its $130 price tag is steep simply non prohibitive. However, at the same price equally the tenkeyless Huntsman Tournament Edition, there'due south really no reason to cull the smaller version unless y'all prefer a minimalist approach. It actually comes downward to personal preference, equally well as what you're planning to use this compact keyboard for.

Like the Huntsman Tournament Edition keyboard before it, the Mini does what it promises. It shrinks the standard keyboard down to 60% of its size while maintaining its full functionality through secondary commands and configurable setups. Still, exterior of its intended purpose, the Mini isn't a comfortable daily driver, then its uses are express. If y'all're looking to travel light and take upwardly as little space as possible on your quest for gaming glory, the Huntsman Mini is a great selection. Otherwise, stick with a slightly larger keyboard and become your arrow keys back.