Ducky One 3 is one of the revised generations of Ducky One 2 which has been said to be very successful in the Mechanical Keyboard market. Currently, Ducky One 3 has released their latest Generation of keyboard. There are 4 variants of Ducky One 3 that are already available in the market today, namely Ducky One 3 Mini, Ducky One 3 SF, and Ducky One 3 TKL, and Ducky One 3 Full Size.
On this occasion, I got the Ducky One 3 Mini as a unit test and it will be our main topic of discussion. We will discuss various important aspects related to design, build quality, components used, typing experience and various important things that you should know before buying this keyboard. With this information, we hope to be able to help you to choose which Ducky One 3 variant is the most appropriate for you.
Ducky One 3 Mini
The Ducky One 3 mini is a wired 60% keyboard in a very compact size. There are no arrow keys on this keyboard. This is a 60% keyboard that has very complete features with very great build quality even though the entire keyboard body is made of plastic. The components used are also of very high quality such as thick and solid Double Shot PBT Keycaps, Cherry MX Switch options, quality stabilizers, and also several damper components used to increase acoustics when you use the Ducky One 3 Mini for typing or playing games.
Design And Build Quality
The Ducky One 3 Mini has a really cool design. This keyboard has a unique design especially for the Ducky One 3 Mini Daybreak. The combination of blue and green colors gives this keyboard a very cool affectionate appearance. The build quality on this keyboard is also very good, the entire keyboard body is made of thick and solid plastic, you won’t feel flex when trying to bend the keyboard body because the plastic material on the keyboard body uses thick and rigid plastic.
There are 3 steps of height adjustment on the Ducky One 3 Mini which will give you more options to find your best position when using this keyboard.
There is a dip switch at the bottom of the keyboard that you can use to adjust your bottom row.
Overall, the design that is carried on the Ducky One 3 Mini looks very cool and aesthetic and very pleasant to look at. The casing on the Ducky One 3 Mini also looks very futuristic and the build quality is very high quality. For ergonomic needs, you already have 3 different height settings on this keyboard.
The Keycaps
Double Shot PBT OEM Profile
Ducky One 3 Mini uses a quality OEM profile keycap made of thick and solid PBT plastic. This keycap set is very good at providing grip on your fingers when using it for typing or playing games. There is 1 keycap modifier for the ESC key which at first glance looks like a rotary knob but it is a keycap with a round design that is specially made to give this keyboard a cooler appearance.
The Stabilizers
V2 Plate Stabilizers
The Ducky One 3 Mini uses a plate-mounted stabilizer. Actually it’s no better than the screw-in stabilizer. The stabilizer on the Ducky One 3 Mini works very well when you use this keyboard for typing. The buttons that use the stabilizer are quite stable and don’t shake. The resulting typing results are also quite smooth because the stabilizer on the Ducky One 3 Mini has been lubricated from the factory.
PCB
Hot-Swappable PCB
Ducky One 3 Mini uses a hot swappable PCB which makes it easy for you to replace the mechanical switches on this keyboard. The PCB on the Ducky One 3 Mini can use a switch with 3 or 5 pins so replacing the switch on this keyboard is very easy. The socket switch used is Kailh Socket so you can use various kinds of mechanical switches on this keyboard such as Cherry MX, Gateron, Kailh, and other custom mechanical switches.
The Switches
Cherry MX Switches
When you buy the Ducky One 3 Mini, only Cherry MX switch options are available. Cherry MX is a quality mechanical switch that has an excellent reputation and has great durability. These switches are known to last up to 100 million keystrokes.
There are several switch options from Cherry MX that you can choose according to your preferences. The following switch options are available when you purchase the Ducky One 3 Mini:
- Cherry MX Black
- Cherry MX Brown
- Cherry MX Blue
- Cherry MX Red
- Cherry MX Silver
- Cherry MX Clear
- Cherry MX Silent Red
If you choose a Cherry MX linear or tactile switch, we highly recommend that you lubricate the switch for a higher quality and smoother typing experience because the switches installed on the Ducky One 3 Mini are not factory lubricated.
Quite Good Damping Quality
Foam Inside the casing and also Silicon installed between PCB and Plate
The Ducky One 3 Mini has a damping foam mounted inside the keyboard case and also a soft damper that fits between the PCB and the Plate. This can maximize attenuation when you use this keyboard typing or playing games. With the silencer, you will get a pleasant typing experience and the resulting acoustic typing sound is very good and not annoying.
Silicon between PCB and Plate
The silicon used between the PCB and the plate works well to dampen vibrations and bumps every time you press a key on the keyboard. In addition, this silicone also functions to muffle typing sounds so that it sounds quieter and smoother.
Foam in the case
Using a foam damper inside the keyboard case can minimize the sound resonance produced when you type using this keyboard so as to produce a very high-quality acoustic sound.
The RGB Backlit
Cool RGB with various animation options
The Ducky One 3 Mini has a cool RGB backlit that lights up individually on each button. There are also many animation options that you can customize according to your preferences. When using this keyboard in a low-light room, the RGB backlit is bright enough to provide maximum lighting. To change the RGB animation on the Ducky One 3 Mini you can use the “Alt + T” key combination.
Connectivity And Compatibility
Detachable USB Type C
For connectivity, all Ducky One 3 variants including the Ducky One 3 mini only support connectivity via a detachable USB Type C cable and are compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and Linux operating systems. There is no Ducky One 3 keyboard that supports Bluetooth wireless connection or 2.4Ghz wireless.
The Software
No Software
Unfortunately, this is a drawback that all Ducky One 3 products have. There is no supporting software that will make it easier for you to customize RGB or reprogram the functions of the keys on the keyboard. You can only do all the settings and reprogram the keyboard functions manually.
The following are the basic settings on the keyboard that you should know. This complete guide is in the form of a .pdf file which you can download for free:
Profile Selections
Keyboard Button Function Keys
Keyboard Configuration Diagram US Layout
Multimedia Keys Setting
Typing Experience
Excellent grip on keycaps when typing or gaming
The Ducky One 3 Mini that I use is the Ducky One 3 Mini which uses Cherry MX Clear which is a tactile type switch. The feeling of typing using the Ducky One 3 Mini is extraordinary, this is because the quality and thick double shot PBT keycap is able to provide a very accurate grip on your fingertips so that typing on this keyboard feels very accurate and precise. The stabilizer also works very well at dampening vibrations so typing on this keyboard is a lot of fun!
Price and Variants
Ducky One 3 comes with several keyboard variants that have different layout sizes such as 60%, 65%, TKL, and full size. The following is a complete list of prices and variants of the Ducky One 3 that you can find on the market today:
| Variant of Ducky One 3 Keyboards | Size | Price |
| Ducky One 3 Mini Daybreak 60% | 60% | $119.00 |
| Ducky One 3 Daybreak SF 65% | 65% | $129.00 |
| Ducky One 3 Daybreak TKL | TKL | $149.00 |
| Ducky One 3 Daybreak Full-Size | Full Size | $159.00 |
| Yellow Ducky One 3 Mini 60% | 60% | $119.00 |
| Yellow Ducky One 3 SF 65% | 65% | $129.00 |
| Yellow Ducky One 3 TKL | TKL | $149.00 |
| Yellow Ducky One 3 Full-size | Full Size | $159.00 |
| Ducky One 3 Matcha TKL | TKL | $109.00 |
| Ducky One 3 Fuji TKL | TKL | $109.00 |
| Ducky One 3 Matcha Full-size | Full Size | $119.00 |
| Ducky One 3 Fuji Full-size | Full Size | $119.00 |
Are Ducky One 3 Keyboards Hot Swappable?
All Ducky One 3 variants use a hot swappable PCB that can use a mechanical switch with 3 or 5 pins. The socket switch used is a Kailh Switch Socket so you can use a variety of different MX switches such as Gateron, Cherry MX, Kailh, and other Custom Mechanical switches.
Are Ducky One 3 Keyboards Wireless?
No, USB Type C Only
All variants of the Ducky One 3 keyboard do not support wireless connections. Connectivity is only possible using the detachable USB Type C cable.
Conclusion
The Ducky One 3 Mini is one of the best 60% hot swappable keyboards on the market today. The design is very cool, the build quality is extraordinary, and the features provided are quite complete. The only drawback is that there is no Ducky Shine software support which is usually available for keyboards from Ducky.
All variants of the Ducky One 3 keyboard on the market today have a cool design, excellent build quality, and very reliable component quality. All the Ducky One 3 variants also use a hot swappable PCB which is a really great feature that can make it easy for you to change switches without having to solder them.
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