Ducky is one of the most recognisable names in the pre-built keyboard market, and for good reasons. After all, the Taiwanese company’s range of keyboards offer relatively good typing experience and build quality at a reasonable price point. Plus, they’re widely available too.
Not too long ago, Ducky sent us one of its latest keyboards to review, the Ducky Zero 6108. Basically, it’s a pre-built keyboard that will satisfy most folks who are looking for a no-nonsense full-size keyboard – now with a hotswap PCB – though there are certainly some aspects of the Zero 6108 that could be improved upon.
What It Is
The Ducky Zero 6108 has a number of unique selling points, including tri-mode connectivity (2.4GHz, Bluetooth, wired), a hotswap PCB for seamless switch swapping, and of course, RGB backlighting. It also features rather good quality doubleshot PBT keycaps, not to mention the inclusion of Cherry’s latest MX2A switches – this review unit comes with Cherry MX Brown switches.
Beyond that, the Zero 6108 is your typical pre-built keyboard. There’s no fancy mounting style of any sorts – it uses a standard tray mount system – and it is installed with plate-mounted stabilisers that are tuned reasonably well with factory lube out of the box.
As for pricing, the Zero 6108 is unfortunately not offered in Malaysia at the time of writing, though there are various international retailers that are listing the keyboard at $99; that comes up to about RM430. All in all, that’s a reasonably affordable price tag for a pre-built keyboard of this calibre.
The Good Stuff
One of the best features of the Ducky Zero 6108 is its hotswap PCB. Yes, it’s not exactly a standout feature anymore in the keyboard scene, but it does make the keyboard a lot more compelling. Not only does hotswap support allow users to try out aftermarket switches easily, it also makes tuning the keyboard – such as lubing the switches and tuning the stabilisers – a more seamless experience.
Speaking of which, the Cherry MX2A switch of the Zero 6108 is also good. As promised by Cherry, its updated switch mold really does make a difference. The MX2A Brown switch on this review unit feels smooth, the spring weight consistency between different switches is great, and it doesn’t wobble much either, making for a “stable” typing feel, so to speak.
Further enhancing the typing experience of the Zero 6108 are the doubleshot PBT keycaps. The texture on the keycaps has just the right amount of graininess to them without feeling overly rough, which in turn gives the impression of…well, quality. Granted, “premium” aftermarket keycap sets from the likes of GMK are still noticeably better, but in the context of an affordable pre-built keyboard, the quality of these keycaps are still above average.
And then there’s the wireless connectivity of the Zero 6108, which works just as advertised. Whether I’m in 2.4GHz mode, Bluetooth, or wired, there is no connectivity issue or noticeable latency. I’m also quite a fan of Ducky’s solution to store the 2.4GHz dongle; the USB receiver is built into a keycap! Ingenious.
Last but not least is the value proposition of the Zero 6108, which is really quite decent. While there are full-size keyboards that sit at a lower price point than this $99 keyboard, those products don’t offer the same feature set and build quality of the Zero 6108. Despite its all-plastic chassis, this keyboard still feels solid with a good amount of heft.
The Bad Stuff
Of course, the Ducky Zero 6108 still has a number of shortcomings that need to be addressed, such as its mediocre typing experience. This can be attributed to the mounting style of the keyboard, which is just a simple tray mount system that offers a firm, inflexible typing experience. It would’ve been great if Ducky could implement a simple gasket structure of sorts with the Zero 6108, as the company has shown it is capable of doing so.
This fixed mounting style also affects the sound profile of the Zero 6108. As you can hear in the sound test video above, it has a very plasticky sound signature that is akin to that of pre-built mechanical keyboards dating back to, say, 10 years ago. Again, Ducky has proven that it can build keyboards that doesn’t sound…well, cheap, and to not see that design element here is unfortunate.
Is It Worth It?
Understandably, the Ducky Zero 6108 is designed as an affordable keyboard, which is perhaps why Ducky didn’t implement features that are found on its higher-end products. Despite its shortcomings, I do think the Zero 6108 is worth considering, especially for folks who just want to grab a reasonably good full-size keyboard off the shelves with hotswap support for seamless switch swapping in the future.
Okay, that doesn’t apply for us here in Malaysia, given that no local distributor has brought in the Zero 6108 to our shores yet. Nonetheless, it’s great that Ducky still very much continues its reputation of offering good pre-built keyboards with solid build quality at an affordable price point. Hopefully, more of its products will be officially available in Malaysia.