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Review: SteelSeries Prime Mini wireless gaming mouse

The same performance as the original Prime mice, but in a smaller package.

Steelseries prime mini mouse on table
The Good
Great ergonomic feel
Satisfying clicks
Super lightweight
The Bad
May be a little small for larger hands
8.7
Overall

A few months ago, I got an opportunity to try out a new line of competitive gaming mice. The SteelSeries Prime series is a huge winner in my book, so needless to say I was super excited to get a chance to test out the new SteelSeries Prime Mini.

Earlier this week, SteelSeries revealed the new additions to its Prime lineup. Both the Prime Mini and the Prime Mini wireless version follow in the footsteps of the original Prime series: everything you need, and nothing you don’t.

Not a lot has changed from the original Prime series and the Prime Mini mice. The only real change is, you guessed it, the new line is a bit smaller.

After using the original Prime wireless mouse for the last few months, I’ve now been using the Prime Mini wireless for about a week, and I’ve actually been surprised by how much I like it. So let’s see what the Prime Mini wireless is all about.

Still no frills with the Prime Mini wireless

Gaming mouse on table
Image: Alex Gatewood / KnowTechie

READ MORE: Review: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset

Upon opening up the Prime Mini wireless, I was once again surprised by the simplicity that comes along with the mouse. SteelSeries set out to release a mouse with no extra bells and whistles but the best performance possible, and I think they’ve done a great job at that.

The mouse has a standard, ergonomic design specifically for your right hand. It has a slightly rough matte finish that makes gripping the mouse very easy. Coming from the Logitech G502 and its very smooth finish, this was of the biggest changes for me, and I absolutely love it.

The Prime Mini wireless has a battery that lets you game for up to 100 hours on a single charge. In the week or so that I’ve been using the mouse so far, I’ve only had to charge it up once (I assume it didn’t have quite a full charge when it came out of the box).

Both the right and left mouse buttons have ergonomic finger rests that work well for either a claw grip or a more relaxed grip with your whole palm on the mouse. The buttons are equipped with SteelSeries’ own Optical Magnetic switches that won’t degrade over time.

READ MORE: Review: ROCCAT Kone XP

The switches are rated for over 100 million clicks. Now, I’m pretty positive that I haven’t reached nearly that number yet, but every click on the Prime Mini wireless feels just as satisfying and sharp as the last one.

But what about gaming?

Steelseries prime mini gaming mouse
Image: Alex Gatewood / KnowTechie

READ MORE: Review: Alienware 720M wireless gaming mouse

As was the case with the original Prime mouse, gaming with the Prime Mini wireless is a breeze. The mouse has an onboard button that lets you switch to various CPI settings that you can set up in the SteelSeries Engine PC app.

It’s pretty safe to say competitive days in FPS games are long gone if they ever existed in the first place, but I still enjoy hopping on games like Apex Legends and Escape from Tarkov here and there.

When playing a game like that there’s just something so nice about the simplicity that you get with the Prime Mini wireless. It only has the two additional thumb buttons that we’re used to and the ergonomic design just feels right in your hands.

READ MORE: Review: SteelSeries Aerox 5 wireless gaming mouse

I actually had a hard time noticing the size difference between the Prime Mini and the original Prime mouse, but I could definitely tell the weight difference. The Prime Mini wireless was able to shave off seven grams in weight just by shaving a few millimeters off of the mouse’s overall size.

The only area where I really noticed a difference was in the height of the mice, which I find interesting considering it’s only shorter by two millimeters in that direction. I noticed my pinky dragging across my mouse pad and catching a little more often than with the full-size Prime, but that even got better as I used the mouse over time.

Prime and prime mini gaming mouse
Prime mouse (left) vs. Prime Mini (right)

Overall, the gaming experience with the Prime Wireless Mini is a very good one. The even lighter weight mouse tracks perfectly and evenly and the ergonomic design combined with the textured matte finish make this mouse comfortable during even the longest gaming sessions.

Is the Prime Wireless mini worth buying?

SteelSeries is always delivering quality products and the Prime Mini wireless isn’t any different. With performance always at the top of the list of priorities in the Prime series, the Prime Mini delivers that excellent performance in an even lighter weight package than before.

READ MORE: Review: SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini mechanical keyboard

The only hesitation I would even consider when thinking about the Prime Mini is for people with larger hands. Although the Mini is only a fraction smaller than the original Prime, there were a few times where the difference was notable. That being said, those instances became fewer and farther between the more I used the mouse and it gradually became more comfortable.

For $129.99, it will be hard to find a wireless mouse that is better in both design and performance than the SteelSeries Prime Mini wireless. And if you’d prefer to go the wired option, you can snag the Prime Mini wired version for just $59.99.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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The Good
Great ergonomic feel
Satisfying clicks
Super lightweight
The Bad
May be a little small for larger hands
8.7
Overall

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Staff writer at KnowTechie. Alex has two years of experience covering all things technology, from video games to electric cars. He's a gamer at heart, with a passion for first-person shooters and expansive RPGs. Shoot him an email at alex@knowtechie.com

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