Ducky has one helluva fame within the mechanical gaming keyboard world. Even in an age of dazzling keyboards plastered in flashing lights, it is saved up its no nonsense design philosophy (which it calls “Quack Mechanics”—no joke). However even expensive ol’ Ducky can also be leaning into the extraordinary slightly extra; the Ducky One 3 Fuji is prime instance of a extra stylised and vibrant Ducky at its finest.
I am satisfied this new Ducky would nonetheless be intact and exquisite as ever if you happen to discovered it scrabbling via the filth exterior New Vegas.
Look no additional than the One 3’s splendidly vibrant design for proof. That is Ducky’s newest flagship keyboard and it is available in many alternative colors and kinds, however this one is known as Fuji. Each key you see in my pictures of the One 3 is included in the usual Fuji design, which makes it really feel like I’ve obtained a keyboard with a customized keycap set pre-installed for $124 (opens in new tab)/£143 (opens in new tab).
Does not it simply look implausible? The legend on each key’s matched to the color of the important thing itself and to at least one one other. Take for instance the big ISO Enter key. It matches the legends on the letter and quantity keys, whereas its smaller Enter legend matches the encircling blue particular keys. If you happen to do not like that actual colourway, Ducky additionally consists of 11 spare keys in an alternate end.
Each keycap on the Ducky is produced from robust PBT plastic. Not like ABS plastic, PBT tends to final slightly longer, reject stains, and preserve its colour-matched legends from rubbing away. These are double-shot so there truly should not be a lot of a danger of rubbing the legends off in any respect. In addition they really feel nice to sort on, in order that’s a plus.
One 3 specs
Measurement: Full-size (TKL and Mini additionally obtainable)
Connection: USB Sort-C
Switches: Cherry MX Velocity Silver (different MX keys obtainable)
Change sort: hot-swappable
Backlight: None
Rollover: N-key (6-key choice)
Keycaps: PBT
Dimensions: 450 x 140 x 40mm
Weight: 43oz (1.23kg)
Guarantee: 1 12 months
Worth: $124 (opens in new tab)/£143 (opens in new tab)
If you happen to’re a very heavy typer you should not discover it fairly really easy to smash these keycaps to items, both. No guarantees, although. I’ve seen somebody do the skilled author equal of Hulk smash a PBT keycap in two. Simply attempt to maintain your issues and so they’ll maintain you.
From the very good high quality keycaps to the remainder of the board the Ducky continues to impress. The encircling plastic case is a match for the color of the keycaps with a modern two-tone end in pink and blue, and that focus to element continues right down to the adjustable toes. Sure, even the toes are an identical hue, not that you’re going to see a lot of them. They actually do their job nicely, in any case; there’s completely no wobble to this board on a flat floor.
The blue underbelly of the Ducky comprises cable runs for the included (and detachable) braided USB Sort-C to Sort-A cable. The cable on the One 3 Fuji is a wonderfully matched shade of pink to the remainder of it, in fact. There are additionally 4 DIP switches that supply a few hard-coded shortcuts for varied keyboard modes, nonetheless, I could not get them to work. I attempted unplugging and ready a short time earlier than making an attempt once more, however could not get them to do something in any respect.
You will not discover full media controls on the Ducky One 3, both, however there are quantity up, quantity down, and mute keys within the higher row. There’s additionally the all-important calculator shortcut, which does what it says on the tin and opens the calculator in Home windows when pressed.
What can I say in regards to the calculator swap: I did not assume I wanted it, however I will miss it once I transfer on to the following keyboard for overview.
The One 3 is primarily made out of plastic, though I’ve by no means seen that as a lot of a draw back with a Ducky. It is construct like a tank and there is completely no flex to it in any respect. Maybe it would not love a drop from a excessive place, however I do not dare to strive it with this attractive overview unit.
I’ll, nonetheless, paw underneath the keycaps on the switches under. I opted for Cherry MX Velocity Silver switches, that are a few of Cherry’s best for gaming. They provide a easy press with just one.2mm of journey earlier than actuation and a complete distance of three.4mm. The swift actuation helps with the kind of snappy response I need whereas gaming, whereas the linear press with out a tactile bump or click on makes for reasonably low-noise operation. I’ll admit they don’t seem to be the quietest switches however they removed from the loudest (clicky blues with rattly stabilisers).
The Ducky barely rattles in any respect as I am tapping away at its positively pink caps. The spacebar and enter keys have a sure tell-tale thud to them, however past that the switches, together with these with stabilisers, are impressively uniform in sound. There’s a complete lot of sound dampening occurring with the Ducky underneath the floor, and that satisfying mechanical thud in consequence is amicable to my ears for a day’s price of fixed typing, or gaming with a microphone close by. Which may not be the case with each key swap you’ll be able to have put in on the One 3, however it’s possible the case with all of the linear choices.
A key swap breaks? Swap it out for one more.
The One 3 is out there with Cherry MX switches of varied color and tactility so you’ve got just a few to select from. I consider you may as well discover boards with Cherry MX Silent switches if noise is a trigger for concern.
However I have never talked about the perfect bit but: the Ducky One 3 is hot-swappable. A key swap breaks? Swap it out for one more. You obtain some new key switches on-line as a result of they seemed good even thought you will by no means actually see them as soon as they’re put in? Simply pull the outdated ones out and slot the brand new ones in. The keyboard comes with a metallic keycap plucker included, so that you’re sorted for all of the instruments you want. It actually is an easy process.
Loads of gaming keyboards are hot-swappable these days, however this explicit inclusion with the Ducky One 3 actually seems like icing on an already extraordinarily tasty cake.
There is a assured simplicity to the Ducky One 3. Ducky has made small however calculated changes with the One 3 over the Ducky One 2 as an alternative of reinventing the wheel. Nor did it have to. I adored the Ducky One 2 as my go-to workplace board in my earlier hang-out—I could not title all that a lot mistaken with it. The newer One 3 largely retains what labored and improves on a small variety of issues, particularly the hot-swappable keys and a few new vibrant kinds. It is a neater trying package deal, too.
Importantly the elemental tell-tale Ducky options have been left as is with the One 3, and that is actually mirrored within the high quality of the construct right here. I am satisfied this new Ducky would nonetheless be intact and exquisite as ever if you happen to discovered it scrabbling via the filth exterior New Vegas. That is “Quack Mechanics” for you, I suppose.
You might have to depart RGB lighting on the desk with this explicit mannequin, however I am not torn up about it. There’s a Ducky One 3 with RGB LEDs, positive, however you’d forgo the extra fascinating designs on supply to have them. For me, it is that mix of seems and brawn that actually make this Ducky One 3 the entire package deal.
