Ducky ZERO 6108 Keyboard Review

The Ducky ZERO 6108 is a full-size mechanical gaming keyboard designed to offer all the benefits of a hot-swappable design at an affordable price point. This keyboard has some premium features, such as tri-mode connectivity, double-shot PBT keycaps, and RGB backlighting, bringing flair to your setup. However, due to the vast range of affordable mechanical keyboards on the market, we’re curious to see how the Ducky ZERO 6108 stands out, so we’ve rigorously tested it to see how it compares.

Affordable hot-swappable mechanical keyboards have become increasingly popular in recent years. With materials becoming cheaper, manufacturers can start to offer premium features such as hot-swap compatibility without the keyboard becoming remarkably expensive. Because of this, many mechanical keyboards on the market from brands like GMMK, Keychron, RK ROYAL KLUDGE, EPOMAKER and more are solid competition for the Ducky ZERO 6108.

In this keyboard review, we’ll examine the Ducky ZERO 6108 mechanical keyboard to compare it to other affordable options and determine its value.

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Specification

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a full-size keyboard, so unboxing the Ducky ZERO 6108 was a bit of a shock. This enormous keyboard offers 108 keys, which means it features a dedicated set of function keys, navigation keys (like ‘Insert’ and ‘Home’), a Numpad with media controls, and a calculator button. Because the Ducky ZERO 6108 is a full-size option, it has some heft, weighing 1.2kg. Compared to a keyboard like the LoFree Flow, which weighs around 566g, you can immediately notice the stark difference between full-sized and more compact keyboards.

Out of the box, the Ducky ZERO 6108 comes with double-shot PBT keycaps, so they’re reasonably hardy and resilient. Underneath these are CherryMX2A switches. Ducky provides four choices. You’ve got the relatively standard Blue, Brown and Red (clicky, tactile, and linear) switches alongside Speed Silver, which is also linear but has a lower actuation point and travel distance than the other three. The main benefit of this keyboard is that these switches can be swapped out, but it’s good to know that there are decent options by default.

This keyboard offers full-key rollover, which means the Ducky ZERO 6108 can handle multiple simultaneous keystrokes and display them or respond in the order they were pressed.

Connectivity-wise, the Ducky ZERO 6108 features three ways to connect your keyboard: wired, 2.4GHz, or Bluetooth. Ducky notes that in the 2.4GHz mode with the RGB lighting off, this keyboard will last up to 131 hours, while on Bluetooth, this goes up to 138 hours.

Regarding the MSRP, Ducky has priced this keyboard at $100, which is reasonable. However, compared to the current market selection of affordable hot-swap mechanical keyboards, $100 isn’t highly competitive. For example, the RK ROYAL KLUDGE S98 is around $100 but comes with a screen and knob for media controls and features a more interesting design with coloured keycaps. This means the Ducky ZERO 6108 has some stiff competition to beat.

Ducky ZERO 6108 Design

Upon initial inspection, the Ducky ZERO 6108’s design isn’t imposing. As an affordable keyboard, Ducky has likely made some sacrifices to the overall aesthetic. Some prospective buyers will appreciate this, as this cost-saving measure has resulted in increased functionality, but I can also understand that the lacklustre design won’t be for everyone.

This keyboard is available in black or white. Both versions are somewhat plain, but seeing two different-coloured versions is good. The Ducky ZERO 6108 utilises a gritty plastic top plate, while the chassis is metal. It’s unclear whether this is aluminium, but it feels premium regardless.

The Ducky ZERO 6108 offers minimal deck flex, which is good. This demonstrates that this keyboard is durable and shouldn’t break if it falls off a desk. The back of the keyboard features some basic cable routing, which allows the USB-C cable to be easily threaded through to the right or left. This is also where the wireless switch is, located just to the right of the USB-C port.

I feel the USB-C port could have been better positioned. The benefit of this layout is that the port sits out of the way, but it’s much harder to reach, as the keyboard has to be flipped over.

You’ll also find two kickstands here. The kickstands offer two levels of adjustment. I prefer the first level because this keyboard is quite chunky, and it feels much easier on the fingers and wrists.

The highest level feels uncomfortable and is more geared towards those with bigger hands. It’s also worth noting that the kickstands aren’t exceptionally sturdy. Adding pressure to the top of the keyboard can cause the kickstands to buckle, which is a shame.

Regarding the RGB lighting, the Ducky ZERO 6108 has a range of preset modes that can be adjusted using the ‘Fn’ key followed by ‘LShift’ or ‘RShift’. While I’d much prefer some software, I was pretty impressed with the number of RGB modes. The LEDs don’t look incredibly bright during specific modes, such as the rain or spiral settings, but there are plenty of options here catering to a range of prospective buyers.

Regarding the design, the Ducky Zero 6108 is not the most impressive keyboard we’ve looked at. As we’ve alluded to above, this is likely because this keyboard is primarily aimed at being an affordable option with solid functionality, so the aesthetic has likely been dialled back because of this. I don’t dislike the design of the Ducky ZERO 6108, but if you want something that looks a bit nicer, there are better keyboards out there.

Keycaps and Switches

The main selling point of the Ducky ZERO 6108 is that the keycaps and switches can be swapped out with alternatives. However, it’s worth looking at the default configuration, as some gamers might decide to stick with the original design or upgrade later.

As mentioned in the specs section, Ducky has used double-shot PBT keycaps. These are much more resilient than ABS, which means they don’t break easily and tend to be more resistant to keycap shine, which can impact the legend on each key. Each key has a gritty textured feel, which can help with grip, and the profile used is a standard Cherry style, so there’s a slight curvature towards the middle.

I feel the edges of each keycap should be rounded off a bit more. When writing this review with the Ducky ZERO 6108, my fingers slipped a few times, hitting the corner or the edge of a key, which was uncomfortable. This minor gripe won’t be an issue if the keycaps are swapped.

Gamers can choose between four switches, which we’ve discussed in the specs section. The CherryMX2A brown switches feel much more refined than the original CherryMX browns. The travel feels very smooth, and the tactile bump is satisfying.

Of course, these switches are hot-swappable, so you don’t need to stick with the default CherryMX2A options. This keyboard’s PCB is a 5-pin style, which means any compatible 5-pin switch will work. Some popular examples are Gateron Ink Black V2, Gazzew Boba U4T, and Akko V3 Creamy Purple Pro.

The Ducky ZERO 6108’s default switch and keycap options are decent. The CherryMX2A switches feel refined and smooth when typing, and while the keycaps are a bit sharp, they offer a decent typing experience. Removing the switches and keycaps was relatively easy. We recommend carefully inserting or removing switches to ensure the PCB is not damaged.

Features We Like

Hot-Swappable Switch Support

It’s great that the Ducky ZERO 6108 offers hot-swap switch support, providing extra customisation for gamers looking to pick up this keyboard. While the default switches are perfectly fine, this keyboard offers a better typing experience with alternative 5-pin switches.

Preset RGB Modes

While it would be great to see customisation through software, the preset RGB configurations are surprisingly solid. You can easily switch to the different modes, offering a range of patterns and colours to choose from.

Features We Don’t Like

Flimsy Kickstands

The kickstands on the Ducky ZERO 6108 don’t feel particularly robust. When pressing down on the top of the keyboard, there’s a significant amount of flex, which is concerning if you’re a heavy typist. Additionally, a couple of times, the kickstands fell when I accidentally pushed the keyboard forward. This is a silly design flaw, and the kickstands would benefit from being reinforced or could be replaced with metal to reduce the amount of flex.

Lacklustre Instructions

The instructions contain two pages detailing keyboard combinations that can be leveraged to access extra functionality. However, after some research, it’s clear that Ducky has missed a range of these combinations from the instruction manual.

For example, ‘Fn’ and ‘RAlt’ twice return the lighting to its set brightness. Alternatively, ‘Fn’ and ‘Spacebar’ allow you to pick a static colour for those who aren’t fans of the varying RGB effects. We’re not sure why these are missing from the instructions, but ultimately, this takes away from the overall user experience.

Conclusion