Published: February 18, 2025 | Source: Ducky Channel | Author: Von Blade

Ducky Channel One X Inductive Keyboard Review

Conclusion

For reasons we don’t really understand, whenever there is a mechanical keyboard being demonstrated most people use Cherry MX Blue switches. The ones with the click. Maybe it reminds older generations of the OG IBM keyboards. Or maybe it’s what people think keyboards should sound like and so it’s “realistic”. What it does mean is that those who’ve never used one assume mechanical keyboards are annoyingly loud. Anyone who has used Cherry MX Red switches – the ones without the click – can attest that even “loud” keyboards are quieter than Blue-equipped ones.

The Ducky Quack Mechanics ensure that even the best of the Cherry MX Red keyboards are relatively loud, so quiet is their system. Now, with the Ducky AI inductive switches built into the Ducky One X, even their One 3 seems relatively loud. This keyboard is phenomenally quiet. We’ve had louder laptop keyboards. We know silence isn’t everything, but even if you don’t want the many other benefits of this inductive switch keyboard, but instead just want a quiet typing experience, you’ll love it.

Inductive Switches

The switches themselves are not the first adjustable switches we’ve seen. We recently reviewed both the ASUS Falchion with Hall FX switches, and the magnetic ones on the NZXT Function Elite. If you’re even slightly interested in tailoring your keyboard more, the Ducky AI switches are a godsend. Maybe you want a keyboard that’s more responsive. Maybe you’ve got weakened fingers. Or maybe you press too hard and want to eliminate unintentional keypresses. The One X can do it all. Induction switches also use a lot less power than their Hall Effect cousins, giving the One X a lengthy battery life.

Where they particularly score is working in conjunction with the build quality of the Ducky One X. To say it’s built like a tank is doing it a disservice. It’s extremely robust. There is zero chassis flex. Best of all the keys themselves have no wiggle at all. We’ve known some where the caps come off the stalks too easily, or there is a tiny bit of play in the key. The One X has none of this. If the key moves it’s because you’ve pressed it, and with an actuation distance beginning at a tenth of a millimetre that lack of wobble is vital.

Quibbles

With so much to applaud, we have to dig deeply to find much to criticise. Fortunately two of those things are easy fixes, and the other one is a matter of taste. Even plugged in the lighting power off after 60 seconds of inactivity. There isn’t, yet, a way to change this number. We know why it’s there – battery life – but hope that Ducky add a timer setting to their software. Secondly when you first take it out of the box the keys are set to 0.1mm depth. You can breathe on it and get letters to appear. If you didn’t know the software existed – and the link to it is in a 3pt font on the guide – you might think the One X was either broken or too sensitive to use.

The other problem is the lighting being a bit lackluster. It’s not very bright at all, and the diffusion is so strong that many shades disappear entirely. Look above. Orange, yellow, even purple are tough to spot. In use the lighting isn’t as bright as it looks above either. This might be fine it if you hate glaring keyboards, but for this money we want a light show. Lastly, and admittedly a problem that affects all keyboards, the space bar is only lit in the middle. Normally fine, but with the Zodiac space bar in place it’s obvious that the front and back of the Dragon are unlit. Even a pair of dummy switches for the lighting would help. Again, with the stock space bar it’s a non-issue.

Wrap Up

With build quality from the gods, and quiet, fast keystrokes, the Ducky One X is the Rolls Royce of typing experiences. If it had brighter, more saturated lighting and a way to change the lighting inactivity timer we’d be unable to find fault with it at all. That glorious feel under the fingers easily wins it out OC3D Performance Award.