Closer Examination

The Ducky One 2 Skyline keyboard comes in a wax paper wrap to keep it dust-free and allow for a pristine unboxing experience. Removing that gives us our first good look at the keyboard, and there are a few things to bring up right off the bat. For those who went through the previous page, you would have noticed the Hardcap-branded keycap puller that was mentioned as a new brand Ducky helped bring to fruition. The One 2 versions, including this very Skyline, are a similar venture featuring a custom-colored stock keycap set and case to match. The Skyline has a matte gray case to match the gray keycaps used in the alphanumeric section seen above, and the One 2 Midnight and Horizon use a deep blue case instead that better matches the overall design there. There is no branding on the front, and instead, the Ducky logo is present on the front of the space bar key, and there is a dual color logo and One series mention on the side of the keyboard facing away from you. This is new to the One 2 series, as is the updated case design with the thin frame and bent sides.

The bezels here are on the smaller side of average, with the bent sides adding in some flair compared to the standard clamshell case design. Ducky used a thick plastic case with an internal stainless steel plate for additional structural integrity to where there is no flex anywhere. The keycaps are either a matte black or gray in color, except for the primary Enter key that is the same color as the Sea Blue of the replacement keycaps provided as accessories. There are four indicator LEDs in the top-right corner, and four extra keys for dedicated volume control and to bring up the calculator program. Single-legend keycaps have the writing on their top center, though there is no backlighting on this version, which is indicative of the same keycap set being used on the equivalent backlit version, with LEDs above the switch. Secondary legends are present below the primary ones on the Numpad, and next to them in the alphanumeric section. It would have been nice to see more of the space used on the keycaps here, but I concede that making a new mold just for one specific SKU is not very feasible.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see a metal badge that houses the certification and serial number information instead of a standard sticker. There are four rubber pads at the corners that help add friction against a desk's surface, while preventing scratches. Ducky has also added in keyboard feet at the top, which allows for three levels of elevation because of the two-piece feet construction. There are rubber pads on the underside of each feet section as well, which is nice to see.


To the left of the metal badge, as seen from the back, is a set of four dip switches. These allow for some very specific key layout changes we will get to in due time, and they are slightly inset into the case to prevent any changes from happening when you move the keyboard while it rests on a desk. There is also an inset female USB Type-C port in the middle with three cable-routing options—straight upwards from the middle or directed to either side with nubs in place to keep the cable in the channel. The provided cable works great here, and this also explains the use of the rubber insulation vs. fabric braiding that could have been scratched off, and allows you to better manage the cable and direct it to where you want it to go out. As we saw on the previous page, the cable is a standard 6 feet in length and needs a standard USB Type-A port on your computer. USB 2.0 will suffice here, with minimal power draw as a result of no backlighting on the various keys.


Ducky is using the tried and tested OEM profile with their keycaps here, which consists of the usual slanted rows and concave surfaces on top. The provided keycap puller works great here and is my favorite ever used thus far since it has a nice base to hold and wires long enough to allow for multiple keycaps to be taken off without having to remove individual ones each time. The stock keycaps are excellent for either color used, with not just the same thick PBT plastic we saw with the replacement keycaps used throughout (average wall thickness of 1.39 mm), but doubleshot injected legends as well for durability and longevity alike. Ducky has also used their new seamless doubleshot technology here which allows for closed loops for letters, such as on "B" or "D". Getting this right is extremely hard to do, with only CORSAIR having done so in addition to Ducky, and props must be given here for doing so in the first place. The keycaps are compatible with backlighting, which more or less confirms that they are used on the backlit versions as well. For what it is worth, the keycap layout is compatible with the vast majority of replacement keycaps, but this is a version with one such custom set already installed.


Ducky has always used Cherry MX switches, and that does not change here either. We see the use of Cherry MX Brown switches on this particular sample, which you can also get with Cherry MX Red, Blue, Black, or Speed (Silver) switches. No LEDs associated with the switches on this non-backlit version as expected, and Cherry stabilizers are used on the larger keycaps, which helps with their removal for cleaning or even swapping out with the replacement keycap accessories. The thick PBT used does mitigate the mushy feeling associated with these stabilizers somewhat, with a heavier feeling that is great to type on generally.


Here is a look at the replacement keycaps in action, and I have used the default Esc key here for a balance of aesthetics and efficiency I personally prefer. You can also use the provided keycaps for WASD if you so desire, as that is Ducky's own little suggestion. The black-gray color scheme with streaks of blue looks great to me, and you can also completely remove all the blue-colored keycaps if you so desire for a dual-tone color scheme. The major selling point with the One 2 versions is the keycap set people would otherwise buy as aftermarket replacements to stock keycaps, so it is always nice to have options here too.