SteelSeries released their Prime line of mice this past summer to a great reception. Proprietary engineering and minimalist design make it a simple, yet extremely capable gaming mouse. Only a few months later, they’ve improved the ergonomics and made things lighter with their Prime Mini Series.
The Prime Mini wired mouse is similar, but has a streamlined design compared to its predecessor. At 61 grams (8 grams lighter than the prime) and only 5 mm shorter and 1.7 mm narrower, the Prime Mini shows that it’s the little details that can make a big difference.
The Prime Mini comes with a detachable USB-C super mesh cable which felt great out of the box. I had no issues with any stiffness or any other hindrance that can come with a new mouse. As someone with no experience with a detachable cable for a wired mouse, I was concerned about the cable coming loose and losing connection mid-game, but after a couple of weeks of gaming with it, it has remained secure, and my concerns are gone.
The overall mouse design is simple enough. The mouse buttons and wheel are responsive, and you get great feedback from them. The clicks are loud and snappy. The side buttons were well-placed for my thumbs, though I would argue that someone with larger hands might have an issue with their placement.
“At 61 grams, and only 5 mm shorter and 1.7 mm narrower, the Prime Mini shows that it’s the little details that can make a big difference.”
The textured surface of the mouse is enough to give you a solid grip without fear of it slipping. The dome shape of the Prime Mini rests so comfortably in the hand. The groove on the thumb side of the mouse isn’t overly pronounced, but it is enough for that ergonomic feel that makes it feel like an extension of your own hand.
The PTFE mouse feet glide effortlessly on my mousepad and their 1 to 1 TrueMove Pro Gaming Sensor was incredibly reliable. The 18000 CPI (Counts Per Inch) was also a noticeable jump in quality from my old mouse. Not once has the movement of the mouse failed me since plugging it in. It responds well to even the most minor of movements and proved to be an accurate and powerful tool for FPS gaming.
A big feature of the Prime Series is the addition of the Prestige Optical Magnetic Switches, whose unique design has SteelSeries touting the Prime Mini as being capable of 100 million clicks without degradation. The clicks do feel unique to my previous mouse, but not in a way that would mean you have to adapt to it.
“It responds well to even the most minor of movements and proved to be an accurate and powerful tool while FPS gaming.”
App support with the SteelSeries Engine makes it easy for you to customize every part of your mouse. You can change keybinds, customize the RGB on your mouse wheel and adjust sensitivity. Everything can also be saved viz cloud sync, meaning if you use the mouse on a different PC or if you get a new SteelSeries mouse, you can apply the settings to it immediately.
Also available is the ability to add macros and create automatic configurations depending on the games you play. This works by creating a mouse configuration and saving it to a program of choice. When it launches, your mouse will automatically switch, making you ready for any game without having to remember to alter profiles.
Now, as far as its effect on gameplay, I can tell you that I, being fairly novice at Fortnite, was still chasing my first solo win. Since getting this mouse, I’ve been to that mountaintop twice. Is it the mouse? Well, I can say for certain that I’ve had a much smoother experience with the Prime Mini than I did with my previous mouse. Will I give it full credit? Not at the expense of my ego.
At $59.99 USD, it is a very affordable gaming mouse. It isn’t as flashy, though. Some mice are even lighter, lousing with RGB and extra buttons, but the simplicity of this design is a part of its beauty. There are enough customization opportunities to keep it from being plain and enough high-end features to make it a draw for an experienced gamer.
