Ducky One III SF keyboard review: And it was all yellow

Price When Reviewed

$109

Best Prices Today: Ducky One III SF keyboard

Ducky would possibly sound like a foolish title for a model, nevertheless it’s a severe one amongst keyboard lovers. The small Taiwanese firm has been making high-end mechanical boards for 15 years, and it’s considered a dependable provider of pre-built boards that may rival even boutique builders. So once they supplied me a evaluation unit, after all I mentioned sure…after which I mentioned, “send the yellow one.” 

The barely complicated One III is Ducky’s flagship keyboard design, supplied in full-size, TKL, “mini” 60 %, or the extra accessible 65 % seen on this “SF” mannequin. Filled with high-quality parts and dazzling LEDs, it’s a powerful and tight bundle, to say nothing of its colourful angular exterior.

But two issues let down this in any other case wonderful keyboard: the switches (bog-standard Cherry MX Browns) and the software program (completely nothing).

Ducky One III SF design and options

The very first thing that jumps out at you concerning the One SF III, or a minimum of this one particularly, is that it’s extraordinarily yellow. Don’t fear, this board and its different sizes can be found in a rainbow of colours, plus some fantastic particular editions like Doom and Fallout.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Michael Crider/Foundry

Michael Crider/Foundry

And the sweetness isn’t simply skin-deep: Those are high-quality PBT keycaps with double-shot legends, which means they really feel nice in your fingers and so they’ll by no means put on out. I ought to notice that Ducky made the marginally odd selection so as to add a stabilizer to the shrunken proper Shift key. That would possibly make discovering suitable substitute keycaps, which is already tough with the considerably odd 65 % format, much more so. 

In the field I used to be shocked to discover a handful of additional keycaps, permitting you some selection with a splash of white and pink. The round Ducky brand cap is a pleasant contact, as is the distinctive branded keycap puller and matching yellow braided cable. The sense of fashion extends all the way down to yellow foam beneath the steel deck, and even yellow stabilizers.

Michael Crider/IDG

Michael Crider/IDG

Michael Crider/IDG

Even the keyboard’s case, which is often pretty nondescript and boxy, will get just a little aptitude and flare. The sides jut out at distinctive and pleasing angles, and the underside includes a printed steel plate together with the double-stage keyboard ft. The keyboard has a grab-bag of superior options, together with hot-swap change sockets for additional customization, inside foam for sound dampening, and in depth choices for macro recording and programming. 

Ducky claims that the keyboard has “perfect weight distribution and center of gravity,” which is good, I assume. But understand that this can be a gadget that usually doesn’t transfer round rather a lot. It additionally claims “balanced tuning” for the stabilizers, not that I seen something significantly outstanding about them.

How is the typing and gaming efficiency?

In truth, there’s nothing significantly outstanding concerning the switches or the typing expertise, both. While the keycaps are wonderful and properly textured, they’re let down by the switches beneath them. 

Ducky went with tactile (small bump, no click on) Cherry MX Brown switches for this model of the One III. While there are a number of change choices on provide, all of them are pretty previous Cherry choices: Black, Blue, Red, Speed Silver, or Silent Red. All are serviceable…and that’s about it. Gamers would in all probability favor linear switches (pink or silver), because the tactile bump of the browns makes them just a little slower on the set off.

Michael Crider/IDG

Michael Crider/IDG

Michael Crider/IDG

To be frank, there are much better switches out there on the market to function on a high-end keyboard, and even one with a mid-range worth like this one. There’s nothing fallacious with the switches, it’s simply that the competitors has raised the bar far above this stage. Razer and Corsair provide custom-tuned lubed switches from the manufacturing unit, small manufacturers like Keydous provide unique switches from the manufacturing unit. Even the Kailh BOX switches out there within the 8BitDo Retro Keyboard and the sub-$50 G.Skill KM250 are smoother and higher. 

I get the sensation that Ducky, as a notable model in and of itself, goes with Cherry’s tried-and-true switches for his or her model attraction. And once more, there’s nothing fallacious with MX Browns. But it’s type of like your grandpa insisting that he drive nothing however Ford vans, when a Tacoma is each extra dependable and cheaper. 

Michael Crider/IDG

Michael Crider/IDG

Michael Crider/IDG

Note that you could swap out the switches for any normal MX-compatible switches you like. But for a keyboard on this worth vary, it’s best to count on good switches — not merely sufficient ones — out of the field. 

Software…or lack thereof

Another factor it’s best to count on for those who’re paying triple digits for a keyboard is a few sort of possibility for software program. Be it custom-made or merely suitable with an open normal like VIA, there must be a way for customers to program the format of the keyboard. 

And with the Ducky One III, there may be…it simply isn’t software program. In addition to the big range of choices within the operate layer (such because the considerably busy Fn-Alt-T to modify to a brand new backlight mode), you may program {custom} layouts by way of a posh set of macro capabilities. 

Take, for instance, my normal behavior of setting Page Up and Page Down to quantity up and quantity down. To do this on the One III SF, I must carry out the next, in keeping with the handbook: 

1. Press Fn + Alt + 2 to activate the second profile, as the primary profile can’t be modified. 
2. Press and maintain Fn + Alt + Tab for 3 seconds. 
3. Press Fn + Page Up to pick out the programming goal. 
4. Press Fn + Win + D to program it with the keyboard’s quantity up command. 
5. Press Fn + Alt to finalize the macro. 
6. Press Fn + Page Down to pick out a brand new programming goal. 
7. PRess Fn + Win + S to program it with the keyboard’s quantity down command. 
8. Press Fn + Alt to finalize the macro. 
9. Press Fn + Alt + Tab for one second to exit macro programming mode. 

That’s in keeping with the handbook. That…doesn’t work. And apparently I’m not the one one who has seen this with the Ducky One III collection, because the poor handbook and/or poor translation for the handbook is a typical grievance. 

I discovered this guide for the TKL version of this keyboard that will get the re-binding course of working, nevertheless it doesn’t appear to work for the smaller format of this evaluation unit. That, or there’s one thing fallacious with the firmware. I attempted to replace the firmware. It didn’t work.

Michael Crider/IDG

Michael Crider/IDG

Michael Crider/IDG

Combined with an already-confusing base format — activating sure elements of the operate layer wants Windows or Alt modifiers to be pressed as effectively, however you must dive into the handbook to determine this out — it’s only a massive ol’ mess by way of truly figuring your manner round as a consumer. 

Oh, and the handbook isn’t included within the field. It’s solely online in PDF form. 

While I definitely respect the flexibility to reprogram a number of profiles all throughout the keyboard’s {hardware}, that’s not a substitute for a user-friendly GUI possibility on a premium keyboard design. Certainly not in case your directions are flawed to the purpose that many customers simply can’t use the programming operate in any respect.

Is the Ducky One III SF price it? 

I actually wished to like the Ducky One III. My preliminary impression was of top of the range and distinctive shade choices. A completely yellow keyboard (certainly one of many choices!) in a sea of black and white was so refreshing, and I like the additional visible touches and included alt caps. 

Michael Crider/IDG

Michael Crider/IDG

Michael Crider/IDG

But normal Cherry MX Brown switches simply don’t reduce the mustard today, when even price range boards have higher choices. And the dearth of software program, mixed with complicated (and presumably even non-functioning) programming choices, left me bitterly disillusioned. 

It’s definitely attainable to show the One III into an amazing keyboard. But it could take lots of additional money and time to take action. And when there are already nice keyboards on the market that don’t demand the rest from you after opening the field, it makes it inconceivable to advocate the Ducky over its many options.