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Ducky Shine 7 Keyboard Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3
Reviewed Apr 03, 2020 at 08:00 am
Latest change: Writing modified Aug 30, 2023 at 12:45 pm
Ducky Shine 7 Picture
8.5
Gaming
7.4
Office
1.0
Mobile/Tablet
7.8
Programming
2.8
Entertainment / HTPC
8.2
Raw Performance

The Ducky Shine 7 is a great keyboard with exceptional gaming performance, amazing customization options, and outstanding build quality. Its doubleshot PBT keycaps feel durable, with key legends that are clear and legible. The Cherry MX Brown switches on our unit provide an outstanding typing experience, with great tactile feedback and responsiveness, and you can get the keyboard with the switches of your choice. The keyboard's settings are easily accessible without the need of its companion software, including customization for the RGB backlighting. There's no USB passthrough or dedicated media controls, but its premium build and sublime typing quality more than make up for it.

Our Verdict

8.5 Gaming

The Ducky Shine 7 is an excellent gaming keyboard. The Cherry MX Brown switches on our unit feel light and responsive, and the latency is very low. You can reprogram or assign a macro to any key; however, there are no dedicated macro keys. It's also available in various Cherry MX switches, so you can choose the switches that you prefer.

Pros
  • Outstanding typing quality.
  • Superb build quality.
  • Macro-programmable keys.
  • Low latency.
Cons
  • Cheap USB-C cable.
7.4 Office

The Ducky Shine 7 is a very good office keyboard. It's well-built and comfortable to type on for an extended period. Typing feels light with the Cherry MX Brown switches, and you get great tactile feedback, assuring that each keystroke was registered. Also, there are multiple Cherry MX switch options available.

Pros
  • Outstanding typing quality.
  • Superb build quality.
  • Quiet typing noise with Cherry MX Browns.
Cons
  • Cheap USB-C cable.
  • Customization software limited to Windows.
1.0 Mobile/Tablet

The Ducky Shine 7 is a wired-only keyboard and can't be used with mobile devices.

7.8 Programming

The Ducky Shine 7 is a great keyboard for programming. Typing feels very responsive with the Cherry MX Brown switches. The key spacing and the excellent PBT keycaps make it easy to type with high accuracy, and it doesn't feel tiring to type on without a wrist rest. You can reprogram or set a macro to any key, and all customizations can be done on the keyboard, including the RGB backlighting.

Pros
  • Outstanding typing quality.
  • Superb build quality.
  • Macro-programmable keys.
Cons
  • Cheap USB-C cable.
  • Customization software limited to Windows.
2.8 Entertainment / HTPC

The Ducky Shine 7 is bad for use with a home theater PC. You have to run a cable from the couch to the computer since it's a wired-only keyboard, and the lack of a trackpad means you need a mouse for navigation. On the plus side, it's great for dark room viewing thanks to its RGB backlighting.

Pros
  • Outstanding typing quality.
  • Superb build quality.
Cons
  • Cheap USB-C cable.
  • Wired-only.
  • No trackpad.
8.2 Raw Performance

The Ducky Shine 7 offers impressive raw performance, with great single-key latency and very good multi-key latency.

Pros
  • Outstanding typing quality.
  • Superb build quality.
Cons
  • Cheap USB-C cable.
  • 8.5 Gaming
  • 7.4 Office
  • 1.0 Mobile/Tablet
  • 7.8 Programming
  • 2.8 Entertainment / HTPC
  • 8.2 Raw Performance
  1. Updated Aug 30, 2023: We've added text to this review for the new tests added in TBU 1.3.
  2. Updated Aug 30, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3, which overhauls how key input is evaluated. We've added new tests for Single Key Latency, Multi Key Latency, Data Transmission, and Chord Split. We've also introduced a new Raw Performance usage and adjusted how the Gaming and Office usage scores are calculated. You can see the full changelog here.
  3. Updated Jun 21, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update introduces new Backlight Features and Backlight Clarity test boxes. We've also added a new Switches test box, added additional test comparisons to our Hardware Customizability test box that we introduced with our last Test Bench. For an in-depth look at our changes, you can see our full changelog here.
  4. Updated May 31, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.1. This update adds several new tests addressing Hardware Customization, Macro Keys And Programming, and Wireless Mobile Compatibility. We've also added new objective evaluations to the Typing Noise test, and we've simplified several tests and removed several others that were no longer relevant. For an in-depth look at all our changes, you can see our full changelog here.
  5. Updated Mar 19, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  6. Updated Apr 03, 2020: Review published.
  7. Updated Mar 25, 2020: Early access published.
  8. Updated Mar 24, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  9. Updated Mar 18, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Ducky Shine 7 is available in two colors: blackout and gunmetal gray. There are several switches to choose from, and they're all genuine Cherry MX switches, including Red, Brown, Blue, Black, Silver, Red Silent, and Nature White.

Compared To Other Keyboards

The Ducky Shine 7 is a great keyboard for most uses, including gaming, everyday browsing, and productivity. However, it lacks some features like a USB passthrough and dedicated media controls.

For other options, check out our recommendations for the best keyboards, the best gaming keyboards, and the best RGB keyboards.

Ducky One 2

The Ducky Shine 7 is better than the Ducky One 2 for the most part. The Shine 7 is better-built because it has a metal frame, and it has dedicated software for customization. Both keyboards are available in a wide variety of Cherry MX switches, and even though our unit of the One 2 doesn't have backlighting, it's also available with full RGB backlighting. If you plan on gaming, the Shine 7 has lower latency.

Corsair K70 RGB MK.2

The Ducky Shine 7 and the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 are both outstanding wired full-size gaming keyboards. The Ducky is much better built, but the Corsair has more features, like dedicated media controls and a USB passthrough. We tested both keyboards with Cherry MX Brown, but typing feels better on the Ducky because it has higher-quality PBT keycaps. Both keyboards are available in various Cherry MX switches.

Razer BlackWidow Elite

The Razer BlackWidow Elite and the Ducky Shine 7 are both outstanding wired gaming keyboards. The Razer has more features, such as dedicated media controls and a USB passthrough, and its latency is lower. The Ducky offers a better typing quality when comparing the Cherry MX Brown against the Razer Orange switches, though this depends on the type of switches you get, as both keyboards are available in multiple switch options. The Ducky has PBT keycaps, whereas the Razer's are ABS.

SteelSeries Apex 5

For gaming, the Ducky Shine 7 is better than the SteelSeries Apex 5, mainly because it has much lower latency. The Ducky also provides a better typing experience, and it's available in various Cherry MX switches, whereas the SteelSeries only has one option. The SteelSeries has more features, though, like a customizable OLED screen and dedicated media controls, and it comes with a wrist rest. Also, it has software support for macOS, which the Ducky lacks.

HyperX Alloy Origins

The Ducky Shine 7 and the HyperX Alloy Origins are very similar. The main difference is that the Ducky feels better built because it has PBT keycaps. Both keyboards are available in various switch options. 

Ducky MIYA Pro

The Ducky Shine 7 and the Ducky MIYA Pro are very different. The Shine 7 is a full-size keyboard, and the MIYA Pro is a compact 65%. The Shine 7 has better build quality, and its customization software is much easier to use. While we tested both keyboards with Cherry MX Browns, the Shine 7 feels better to type on because the MIYA Pro's spacebar feels mushy and can be quite annoying for some. Both keyboards are available in various Cherry MX switches. If you plan on gaming, the Shine 7 has significantly lower latency, resulting in a more responsive gaming experience. The MIYA Pro that we tested has white backlighting, but there are variants that have full RGB.

GLORIOUS GMMK

The GLORIOUS GMMK and the Ducky Shine 7 are very similar, with the main difference being that the GLORIOUS has hot-swappable switches. That said, the Ducky is available in multiple Cherry MX switches. The Ducky has significantly lower latency, making it a better choice for gaming. We tested a full-size variant of the GLORIOUS, but you can get it in a 60% or TKL size.

Keychron K10

The Ducky Shine 7 is better for most uses than the Keychron K10. The Ducky has more gaming features, like macro-programmable keys and dedicated software to customize the RGB lighting, both of which the Keychron doesn't have. Typing also feels better on the Ducky, thanks to the PBT keycaps. However, the Keychron is better for mobile use because it has Bluetooth support, and you can connect with up to three devices at once.

Corsair K95 PLATINUM

The Ducky Shine 7 and the Corsair K95 PLATINUM have similar overall performance, but they offer very different features. Build quality is much better on the Ducky, but the Corsair has dedicated macro keys, media controls, and its customization software has more options and better compatibility. Typing on the Cherry MX Brown switches feels much better to type on than the Cherry MX Speed on the Corsair, though both keyboards can be purchased with different types of switches.

Das Keyboard Model S Professional

The Ducky Shine 7 is a better keyboard than the Das Keyboard Model S Professional. The Ducky has a much better build quality, full RGB backlighting, and offers a better typing experience, along with being compatible with the Ducky RGB companion software. That said, the Das has USB passthrough.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Dimensions
Size
Full-size (100%)
Height
1.5" (3.7 cm)
Width 18.0" (45.7 cm)
Depth
5.3" (13.5 cm)
Depth With Wrist Rest
N/A
Weight
3.09 lbs (1.400 kg)

The Ducky Shine 7 is a large, full-size keyboard. It's also quite heavy, mainly due to its rigid zinc alloy top plate. For a smaller keyboard, check out the Ducky One 2 Mini V1 or the Obinslab Anne Pro 2. If you need a compact board but still need arrow keys, take a look at the Ducky MIYA Pro.

9.0
Design
Build Quality
Keycap Material PBT

The Ducky Shine 7's build quality is outstanding. It has a plastic bottom with a zinc alloy top plate that feels solid and hefty, showing no signs of flex at all. It has high-quality doubleshot PBT keycaps, similar to the ones on the Ducky One 2 Mini V1. The keys are very stable, although some of the function keys and the spacebar wobble a bit. The rubber feet are very grippy and, combined with its hefty weight, doesn't move when bumped. The main downside is that the included USB-C cable feels a bit cheap, as it tends to retain kinks that are hard to straighten out.

6.0
Design
Ergonomics
Curved/Angled
No
Split Keyboard
No
Key Alignment
Staggered
Minimum Incline
Medium Incline
Maximum Incline
11°
Home Row Height
30.1 mm (1.2")

The Ducky Shine 7 has acceptable ergonomics. It has a high profile with a natural four-degree incline, and it provides two additional incline settings. It doesn't come with a wrist rest, but most people should be comfortable without one. The keys are well-spaced and angled in a way that makes typing very enjoyable for long periods.

6.0
Design
Hardware Customizability
Replaceable Cherry Stabilizers
Yes
Stabilizer Fixation
Plate-Mounted
Spacebar Stabilizer Size
6.25u
Size Of Right Mod Keys
1.25u
Hot-Swappable Switches
No
Switch Stem Shape
Cherry MX Style
Switch PCB Socket
Soldered
North-Facing Cherry MX Interference
Yes
10
Design
Backlight Features
Backlighting Yes
RGB
Yes
Per-Key Backlighting
Yes
Effects
Yes
Software Controllable
Yes

This keyboard has full RGB backlighting, and the keys are individually-lit. All customizations can be done directly on the keyboard, as the customization software is optional.

Note that the etching on the spacebar may look different depending on the edition, as Ducky often sends an extra spacebar with a random theme. In the case of our unit, the art that's etched into the spacebar represents the Year of the Pig in the Chinese calendar.

8.0
Design
Backlight Clarity
Design
Cable & Connector
Connectivity Wired
Detachable
Yes (Wired Only Keyboard)
Length 5.2 ft (1.6 m)
Connector (Keyboard side)
USB type-C

The keyboard comes with a rubberized USB-C cable, with cheap-looking printing on it. It's removable, though, so you can replace it with a higher quality one if you want. Unfortunately, Ducky doesn't sell replacement USB-C cables separately.

0
Design
Wireless Versatility
Bluetooth
No
Bluetooth Multi-Device Pairing
No
Proprietary Receiver
No
Battery Type
No Batteries

This is a wired-only keyboard and can't be used wirelessly.

1.5
Design
Macro Keys And Programming
Dedicated Macro Keys Count 0
Onboard Macro Programming
Yes
Macro Programming With Software
No
Design
Extra Features
Media Keys
Non-Dedicated
Trackpad / Trackball No
Scroll Wheel
No
Control Knob
No
USB Passthrough
No
Numpad Yes
Windows Key Lock
Yes
Lock Indicator Caps, Scroll & Num lock

The Ducky Shine 7 is a very customizable keyboard. All of the keyboard's settings can be accessed directly on the keyboard, as it has onboard software. There are switches on the underside of the keyboard, similar to the Ducky One 2 Mini V1, which lets you change the location of the Windows key, the FN key, caps lock, etc. You can also access media controls through a combination of the FN + Windows key + the corresponding alphanumeric key. All of the various settings and hotkeys are detailed in the user guide. Additionally, all the keys are macro programmable.

If you want to lock the Windows key to prevent accidentally minimizing a game, press and hold FN + Alt + Windows key simultaneously for 3 seconds.

If you want a keyboard with dedicated media controls, check out the Razer Huntsman Elite. If you want a keyboard with a USB passthrough, consider the Das Keyboard Model S Professional.

Design
In The Box

  • Ducky Shine 7 keyboard
  • USB-C to USB-A cable
  • Keycap remover
  • User guide
  • Extra keycaps

Typing Experience
9.0
Typing Experience
Typing Quality
Key Spacing
19.0 mm (0.748")

The typing experience on the Ducky Shine 7 is simply outstanding. The PBT keycaps feel great and the keys are extremely stable. The switches provide a good amount of feedback, and the keys are well-spaced, which helps with typing accuracy. Some people may find it fatiguing without a wrist rest, but the additional incline setting does help quite a bit. It's nearly identical to the Ducky One 2 Mini V1 but in a full-size form.

8.0
Typing Experience
Typing Noise
Average Loudness
50.1 dBA
High Pitch Clicks
No

Typing noise with the Cherry MX Brown switches is quiet and shouldn't bother others around you. However, it may be louder depending on the type of switches that you get.

Typing Experience
Switches
Switch Name
Cherry MX Brown
Switch Type
Mechanical
Feel
Tactile
Typing Experience
Keystrokes
Operating Force
55 gf
Actuation Force
43 gf
Pre-Travel
2.0 mm
Total Travel
4.0 mm

The Ducky Shine 7 can be purchased with your preferred type of switches. Our unit has standard Cherry MX Browns, but there are 6 other types, including Cherry MX Red, Blue, Black, Silver, Silent Red, and Nature White, which will all result in different typing experiences. The Brown switches have a satisfying tactile bump to indicate the actuation, and they don't require a lot of force to actuate. The pre-travel distance matches the 2mm advertised by Cherry almost perfectly. If you prefer having the freedom of easily swapping out your switches, check out the GLORIOUS GMMK instead.

Performance
8.3
Performance
Single-Key Latency
Best Connection
10.4 ms
Best Connection Std Dev ±0.7 ms
Wired
10.4 ms
Receiver
N/A
Bluetooth
N/A

This keyboard has impressive single-key latency performance, making it well-suited for playing games in various genres casually or competitively.

7.9
Performance
Multi-Key Latency
Connection Evaluated Wired
Key Press
10.9 ms
Key Release
13.9 ms

This keyboard has very good multi-key latency with fairly low key press and key release latency with multiple keys held.

8.3
Performance
Data Transmission
Connection Evaluated Wired
USB Polling Rate
1,000 Hz
Effective Update Rate
500 Hz
N-Key Rollover (NKRO)
Yes
Multiple Keys Per USB Report
Yes

This keyboard supports N-Key rollover and can report multiple keys per USB report. It also supports a maximum polling rate of 1000Hz but can only provide an effective update rate of 500Hz, which can act as a bottleneck. Note that this discrepancy doesn't significantly impact the overall raw performance, which remains impressive.

8.2
Performance
Chord Split
4 Chord Split Delay
5.1 ms
8 Chord Split Delay
9.9 ms

This keyboard has great chord split performance, with low 4-chord and 8-chord split delay.

Software and Operating System
Software and Operating System
Configuration Software
Software Name Ducky RGB
Software Windows Compatible
Yes
Software macOS Compatible
No
Onboard Memory
Yes
Profiles
6+

The Ducky Shine 7 uses the Ducky RGB software for customization. This is optional and only for customizing the RGB backlighting, as all customization options are accessible on the keyboard itself. Furthermore, all macro programming is done on the keyboard. If you want a keyboard with software that allows for macro programming, check out the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2.

Note that the given score only reflects the onboard software, as the Ducky RGB software only allows for customization of the RGB backlighting.

10
Software and Operating System
Computer Compatibility
Windows
Fully Compatible
macOS
Fully Compatible
Linux (Ubuntu 22)
Fully Compatible
Media Key Compatibility
Windows, MacOS & Linux

This keyboard has decent compatibility. It's fully functional on Windows, and while all keys work on Linux except for the calculator key, there's no software. On macOS, in addition to not having software support, the calculator button does nothing, the print screen acts as an F13 button, and the pause/break button adjusts your screen brightness.

0
Software and Operating System
Wireless Mobile Compatibility
Android
Not Compatible
iOS
Not Compatible
iPadOS
Not Compatible
Media Key Compatibility
Not Compatible