Razer Huntsman Mini review: "Superb Razer quality without any of the fluff"

It sounds painfully obvious written down, but my first thought upon seeing the Razer Huntsman Mini keyboard was "damn, that's small". And in all fairness, it is. It's tiny. While the likes of the Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini have only shrunk 10% or so, this one truly lives up to the 'Mini' name. 

That reduced size brings its ups and downs and your feelings on the matter will almost entirely depend on what you need the Razer Huntsman Mini for. Do you want a portable, tournament-ready keyboard? Great - you'll be well set. If you'd prefer something for everyday use, though, you may be better off elsewhere.

Features

The Razer Huntsman Mini has had every bit of fat trimmed off, leaving an incredibly lean gaming keyboard with nothing but the bare essentials. There's no numpad, no directional keys, no dedicated media controls, no function row or home cluster, and very little in the way of flair. As a 60% compact keyboard, this is designed to be as focused, as light, and as portable as possible.

Still, that doesn't mean it's lacking in features. With a durable aluminium frame to go along with its petite size and detachable USB-C cable (which is braided, by the way), the Huntsman Mini is eminently portable. It also has doubleshot PBT keycaps for longevity and a more textured feel, not to mention onboard memory and the usual individually backlit RGB keys to light up the board.

The headline feature would be the Razer Optical Switches, though. These offer a much quicker action than other keyboards, and they utilize infrared "for actuation at the speed of light". You can fit these with clicky options or quieter, linear alternatives.

Design

As the name would suggest, the Razer Huntsman Mini's diminutive size is the most notable thing about it. That makes it the dream keyboard for those who game on the go or at tournaments. It's also perfect for folks who are keen to maximise their desk-space - it's a lot daintier than the Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition, which is the next size up in the range.

Otherwise, it's a standard Razer offering. The doubleshot PBT keycaps are deep, grippy, and monochrome, while the usual RGB lightshow plays through opaque lettering and numbers. Basically, it's much the same as any other Razer keyboard.

What stands out is a total lack of branding though. Other than a logo on the USB casing, it's fairly nondescript. The Hunstman Mini isn't here to show off; it's entirely focused on function over form.

Performance

That said, the size of the Razer Huntsman Mini makes it tricky to get the hang of. You'll mistype frequently, and it can be a frustrating experience to begin with. That's only compounded by the need to hit 'fn' to activate the directional arrows (a bit of a nuisance if you have made lots of typos and want to amend them quickly, for example). This is particularly irksome because the fn and directional keys are on the right-hand-side of the board, meaning you have to contort your hand or cross your arms uncomfortably to hit them. That, or resort to the mouse. It's not tremendously practical for long stints of typing, in other words.

However, that's not really what the Huntsman Mini is for. It was never intended for typists; rather, it's a portable gaming keyboard for tournament use or gaming on the go. And in that regard, it's perfect. The Razer Optical Switches are every bit as quick as promised, giving an edge during combat where twitch responses are essential. For example, it served me well in the likes of Call of Duty: Warzone where suddenly darting behind cover or sprinting to safety at the drop of a hat can save your digital life. It's bouncy, too, allowing you to jump from key to key easily. Stretching isn't necessary to reach the typical sprint or crouch key commands, either. 

What's more, the clicky version we were sent is phenomenally satisfying. A sharp 'clack' rings out whenever you hit the keys, and the minimal force they require to actuate heightens that satisfaction. It's a great feeling when you activate an attack in a game like DOTA 2, for instance.

The keycaps are equally good. Thanks to their doubleshot PBT coating, they're textured underhand, grippy, and a pleasure to use. They do wobble a little when shaken with your fingertips, but generally they're sturdy and reliable in use. Considering the fact that you're paying only 60% of the standard Razer Huntsman Elite cost, that's also excellent value for money.

With that in mind, the Razer Huntsman Mini is well worth picking up if you fit into the above criteria. If you want to use it for general work use, there are better choices to suit your needs (many of them from Razer, in fact - namely, the Razer Ornata V2). But for those who play at tournaments or on the go? You're getting the same superb Razer quality without any of the fluff.

Interested in all things Razer? Be sure to check out our guides to Razer headsets, the best Razer mouse, Razer laptops, and the best Razer controller you can get (not to mention our top picks for the best Razer streaming gear).