Mihawk. Posted July 16, 2022 Posted July 16, 2022 The Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless is a versatile, highly customizable keyboard with outstanding responsiveness. Scratchy switches and rattly stabilizers challenge its high asking price, but it remains an excellent choice for gamers with big budgets and a desire for compactness. Pros + Compact size saves desk space, is great for FPS games + Great for travel + Exceptionally programmable + Outstanding responsiveness + Supports hot-swapping switches Cons - Scratchy switches don’t sound or feel great - Rattly stabilizers - Very expensive - Position of Fn key makes using secondary functions in games difficult Corsair released its first ultra-compact K65 RGB Mini gaming keyboard just over a year ago. And, today, it’s finally ready to reveal its successor: the K70 Pro Mini Wireless. On the surface, the two keyboards have a lot in common. Both feature a space-saving 60-percent layout and a heaping helping of secondary functions tied to nearly every key. But this new keyboard is about more than just a fresh name. It features upgrades inside and out, cutting the cord with Corsair’s high-speed Slipstream wireless technology and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as featuring the same AXON processor found on the company’s flagship K100 gaming keyboard. It’s also Corsair’s first to feature hot-swappable switches, making it the most customizable keyboard the company has ever released. All of this comes at a high price of $180, putting it right in line with the Steelseries Apex Pro Mini, sans cable, and making it more expensive than most of the best gaming keyboards available today. That high price also comes with a significant learning curve that may be a turn-off to the productivity-minded, as its dozens of missing keys and secondary functions are all tied to Fn combinations that need to be memorized to use efficiently. For gaming, desk space, and travel, however, the K70 Pro Mini has a lot to offer. Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless Specs SwitchesCherry MX Red or Cherry MX Silver LightingPer-key RGB Onboard Storage50 profiles Media KeysSecondary keybinds ConnectivityDetachable braided USB-C Cable, Slipstream Wireless, Bluetooth Battery LifeUp to 32 hours with RGB backlighting, 200 hours with backlighting disabled Additional PortsNone KeycapsDoubleshot PBT plastic ConstructionPlastic case with aluminum alloy top plate SoftwareCorsair iCUE Dimensions (LxWxH)11.6 x 4.3 x 1.58 inches Weight 1.42lbs Design and Construction of the Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless The Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless is a 60-percent keyboard, and Corsair leans into its tiny size. This slimmed down layout does away with the function row, number pad, and navigation keys, relegating each of these functions (as well as extras like lighting and media controls) to secondary layers accessible with Fn combinations. The result is one of the smallest keyboards you can buy without venturing into the even more niche 40-percent market. We don’t usually remark on packaging here at Tom’s Hardware, but the K70 Pro Mini’s box is so small that it doesn’t even look like it holds a keyboard at first.This layout is a staple in the custom keyboard community and has been slowly gaining po[CENSORED]rity among gamers for years. By removing all but the most important keys, you’re left with a functional keyboard that’s nearly six inches shorter and more than two inches narrower than Corsair’s full-size K70 RGB Pro. That amounts to some serious space savings on your desk, more room for your mouse hand to make big sweeps in first-person shooters, and more ergonomic spacing for your arms when it’s time to get work done (or browsr Twitter). To make that layout work, the majority of missing keys are accessible through secondary functions accessed by holding the Fn key and pressing the requisite switch. Instead of dedicated arrow keys, you can press Fn+IJKL. Home and End are Fn+N and Fn+M. The function buttons are all tied to Fn and their matching number key. Corsair even expands this functionality by adding mouse controls, media controls, onboard macro recording, Bluetooth switching, and a battery level indicator all to their own button combos. All of that is a lot to remember, but thankfully every key has its second function printed on the side of the keycap. These are easy to see from a normal sitting position, but I did have to stop and check those legends regularly throughout my first week of use. They’re not backlit like the regular legends either, so using the keyboard in a dimly lit room may prove difficult until you have them all memorized. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/corsair-k70-pro-mini-wireless
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