Cruise the mechanical keyboard community, and you’ll see that 60% is all the rage. That’s an informal size and layout—it means a keyboard that chops off the number pad, function row, arrow keys, and everything next to it, to leave only the main alphanumeric typing area. Razer wants into this space with its new Huntsman Mini.
The Mini uses the same general construction and hardware as the full-sized Huntsman, focusing on Razer’s custom optical key switches, which break a visual beam with each button press for “light speed” activation. They’re available in both red linear (smooth) and purple clicky varieties on the Huntsman Mini.
Other highlights of the design include a removable braided USB-C cable, high-quality PBT plastic keycaps, and an aluminum body. That makes this little keyboard competitive with mechanical fan-favorite designs like the Poker 3 or the WhiteFox. Naturally the keyboard gets all of the software bells and whistles that you’d expect from Razer, including full RGB lighting, key programming and macros with Razer Synapse, and onboard memory for keeping programming consistent on the go.
That’ll be especially important on the Huntsman Mini, as users may need to customize their function shortcuts for commands that aren’t available on the smaller layout. It’s worth pointing out that the layout is standard for 60%, so this keyboard could be a good starting point for anyone who wants to jump into the wide world of custom keycaps.
The 60% form factor isn’t traditionally a popular one with gamers, but it’s catching on. Notably, HyperX partnered with smaller keyboard maker Ducky to release a customized version of the 60% Ducky One 2 Mini in May. With gaming laptops and streaming services becoming more and more popular, maybe the Huntsman Mini will find an audience in PC gamers on the go, or merely those who want to keep things minimal at their desk.
The Huntsman Mini comes in black or white, with the clicky switch version going for $120 and the linear switch version (much preferred by gamers) at $130. It’s around the same price as the popular Poker 3, but that’s just $20 less than the standard Huntsman Elite keyboard, which is nearly twice the size. It seems shrinking the keyboard didn’t shrink the price tag very much.
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