Ducky Year Of The Dog is a continuation of a successful series of gaming keyboards inspired by the Chinese horoscope. This model almost came into my hands and is an exciting keyboard.
The dog represents the eleventh sign in the 12-year cycle of the zodiac animals. Dog years include, among others,1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042 etc. According to the Chinese Zodiac, a dog is a good friend who can understand the human spirit and obey his master, whether rich or not.
People who have a dog are reliable, loyal, and honest. They have a sense of good and evil and want to help people in need. Yes, that’s what the Chinese horoscope says, but let’s see what this Ducky keyboard says.
The tattoo artist who worked on the design of keycaps for this keyboard is Michael Chan, who has been working in tattoos for over 25 years and has worked as a tattoo judge in many countries.
Ducky Year Of The Dog Edition
Pros
- 104 Keys (Full size)
- Fantastic design and build quality
- RGB LED backlight
- Adjustable Legs
- Detachable Power Cable
- Brown CheryMX switches
- Comfortable typing on
- The design may not be for everyone
- Limited edition (the question of availability on the market)
Design & Build
The Ducky metal-made body of Year of The Dog is from a special zinc alloy. It seems very solid and stable but also quite heavy. From the attached, we can see that Michael Chan completed his work by masterfully drawing inspiration from the Chinese Zodiac. As a final result, Michale Chan created a true masterpiece. It’s a pleasure to watch and work with this keyboard.
Keycaps are PBT material, the best option for keyboards that provide a better feel and experience while typing. PBT prevents keycaps from developing shine, and plastic is slightly more robust. Great feeling under your fingers as you type.
If this is your first time coming into contact with a mechanical keyboard, you will need some time to get used to it. Once you get used to it, it’s hard to go back to the membrane keyboard. The mechanical keyboard gives you a better feel when typing. You get less tired and generally raise the user experience to a higher level.
Performance
Ducky Year of The Dog comes with Brown Cherry MX switches. The switches are of exceptionally high quality, and the manufacturer itself guarantees their lifespan of an incredible 100 million keystrokes. The keys aren’t noisy to use, and the feedback and touch quality of the keys is perfect.
The Cherry MX Brown is a tactile-style switch, which means you get audio feedback that a key has been pressed. Brown balances clicky (blue) and linear (red) switches. Brown switches are pretty popular with players who prefer accuracy over speed.
The stabilizers are also excellent; there are no rattling and swayings, even when I harder press the bigger keys (space, enter).
Equipment & Support
The package includes a keyboard, a detachable USB-C power cable of excellent quality, a keycap remover, and a keychain. The user guide explains how to adjust the macro keys and backlight. The backlight includes 12 different predefined settings and looks lovely combined with painted keycaps.
All backlight settings you can control over keyboard keys. There’s no special software. A detachable USB-C power cable is a great thing to transport, or use custom USB cables to your liking.
Conclusion
Whether you are an avid gamer or professional writer, or art lover, you can find this keyboard very enjoyable. Ducky Year of The Dog is a solid keyboard, looks excellent, and is fun.
The keyboard will look very interesting on your desk and attract curious glances. Yet if you were born in the year of the dog or have a dog, the atmosphere will be complete. Keep in mind that this model was made for the year of the dog in 2018, but I believe that it will be able to work until the next one in 2030.
The only drawback may be that this is a limited edition, and the question is whether you will find this keyboard in stores. If you don’t like the design or can’t find it on the market, take a look at my selection of the best gaming keyboards under $50 and the best gaming keyboards under $100. I believe you will find something for yourself.
I wish you pleasant gaming and as much success writing as possible. If you have any questions about this article, feel free to comment.