How small is just too small for a gaming keyboard? Personally, I believe my decrease restrict stops at tenkeyless jobs just like the Logitech G915 TKL or my present best gaming keyboard champion, the Fnatic miniStreak. Losing a keyboard’s quantity pad has by no means been a problem for me, however I can’t say the identical factor about shedding my beloved arrow keys, which is the primary factor that will get the chop whenever you transfer right down to a 60% keyboard like HyperX’s restricted version Ducky One 2 Mini collaboration. That is one step too far in my books, not less than if you happen to’re planning on utilizing it as a piece keyboard in addition to for enjoying games.
As a pure gaming keyboard, there’s lots to love right here. Measuring simply 302x108x40mm (the identical measurement as Ducky’s present One 2 Mini keyboard), its tiny proportions imply I can place each of my fingers a lot nearer collectively than a full-sized or tenkeyless keyboard, and it places lots much less pressure on my outdated mouse arm. I’m a type of individuals who’s endlessly making an attempt to inch their mouse mat as near their keyboard as attainable with a purpose to make issues snug, so it was a reduction once I didn’t need to undergo my regular sizing up routine once I swapped out my Fnatic miniStreak for the HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini.
HyperX’s crimson switches present all of the pace and tactile suggestions I must play games with, too, and really feel simply as responsive and fast beneath the fingers because the Cherry MX switches you’ll discover on one among Ducky’s common One 2 Mini keyboards. Besides, whenever you’re primarily targeted on the WASD keys whenever you’re taking part in a game, the necessity for these all-important arrow keys shortly fades away.
At least till you begin typing, that’s. I felt a pang of frustration each time I made a mistake with the HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini, as I couldn’t simply hit the left arrow key a few instances and immediately appropriate it. Instead, I needed to re-train myself to both make larger use of the Delete key (which is painful whenever you solely spot a typo mid-flow) or cease typing solely and use my mouse to get again to the precise spot. Perhaps I’m simply lazy or have completely different typing habits to most, however I didn’t relish this new, nearly surgical strategy to correcting my writing, and at one level I even thought-about having each keyboards plugged into my PC so I didn’t need to put up with this lacking arrow keys. After a couple of weeks with the HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini on my desk, I did nearly handle to reprogram my mind to manage with out these valuable arrow keys, but it surely’s been extremely laborious to interrupt many years outdated typing habits all the identical.
I ought to say, in fact, that the HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini does technically have arrow keys constructed into it, however they’re hidden away as secondary operate keys. In reality, nearly each key on the HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini has a secondary operate of some description, because the quantity keys all double up as Fn buttons, a bit on the left are all assigned to numerous mouse choices, and the decrease row has brightness and quantity controls hooked up to them. But you’ve nonetheless bought to pause and put one hand on the Fn key within the decrease proper nook to reap the benefits of these further hidden keys, and all of it finally ends up being simply as a lot trouble as transferring your hand off over to your mouse.
As a outcome, the HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini and different 60% keyboards prefer it fall into that more and more giant class of merchandise which can be completely advantageous and dandy for gaming, however not lots else. Big display gaming displays that solely have a decision of 1920×1080 are one other instance that come to thoughts right here, whose decision is ok for games at 27in or above, however try to sort up numerous lengthy phrase paperwork on it and your eyes will hate you till the tip of time. It’s the area of interest throughout the area of interest, you may say, and in some methods the HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini is sort of the purest essence of what a “gaming keyboard” must be, in that it’s constructed for games and games alone.
That gained’t be a lot use to anybody who additionally makes use of their PC for work, in fact, and that’s advantageous. There are different, equally responsive keyboards on the market that do a significantly better job at pulling double duties, and you may learn extra about them in my best gaming keyboard roundup. If you might be the kind of one who solely makes use of their PC for gaming, although, then a 60% keyboard could also be value contemplating if consolation is your prime precedence. As I mentioned at the beginning, 60% keyboards just like the HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini do have a specific amount of allure throughout lengthy gaming classes, and it’s possible we’ll solely begin to see extra of those specialist keyboards cropping up because the months go on.
Indeed, once I requested HyperX a bit bit extra about their restricted version keyboard collaboration with Ducky, they mentioned that the demand for smaller kind components is growing yearly. “We’ve wanted to offer our HyperX community something special and exclusive,” a HyperX spokesperson informed me over e-mail. “Ducky is a very well-known keyboard brand with high-quality products, especially for smaller form factor keyboards. By having a collaboration between Ducky and HyperX we can combine great features and deliver our audience something special. HyperX Red linear switches integrated with the Ducky One 2 Mini keyboard casing felt like a natural, yet innovative, fit.”
Alas, the keyboard itself bought out nearly immediately when HyperX first announced it last month, so it’s not in the stores or order anymore, however the optimistic response from each the HyperX and Ducky fan communities “has met our expectations”, in response to HyperX. “This collaboration has been a great opportunity for us to expand our keyboard market and we will continue to monitor demand while we endeavour to bring gamers high-quality peripherals.”
HyperX wouldn’t be drawn on whether or not we’ll see extra collaborations with Ducky sooner or later, however once I requested them about why they determined to make it a particular version relatively than a mass market mannequin, they mentioned that “we each wanted to reflect the special nature of this partnership by making the product limited edition and unique. It felt like this would be a welcome and memorable way to mark the collaboration for both HyperX and Ducky fans.” They additionally revealed that “conversations between HyperX and Ducky have been going on for the past year,” so it is going to most likely be a while earlier than we see one other three way partnership between the 2 peripherals makers, if in any respect.
Still, whereas the HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini could also be a one-time-only deal, Ducky’s common One 2 Mini keyboards are way more extensively out there if even the shrunken dimensions of a tenkeyless keyboard have confirmed to be too cumbersome for you. They’re not low-cost, with fashions beginning at £120 within the UK and $100 within the US, however they do are available in quite a lot of Cherry MX switches and a variety of vibrant chassis. As for me, I’ll be sticking with my Fnatic miniStreak in the intervening time, as I simply can’t say no to these all-important arrow keys.
