Ducky has been doing its annual Chinese Zodiac keyboard reveal at Computex for years now, and the Year of the Horse edition just landed on the show floor. This one is limited to just 999 units, comes with blank keycaps, and looks like someone set a horse on fire in the best possible way.
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A bold design that earns its fire
The keyboard makes an immediate impression. Black base, a large red horse illustration in the center, and gold, red, and orange accents across the board. Light catches the corner accents well, which you can appreciate even when it's sitting behind glass on a show floor. This is not a subtle peripheral.
Here's the thing: the complete lack of legends on any of the 100 keycaps is a design choice that actually works in its favor. No lettering means no constraints on the colorwork, and Ducky took full advantage of that freedom. The result is a keyboard that reads more like a collector's art piece than a standard gaming peripheral.
Ducky's Chinese Zodiac keyboards are intentionally ornamental releases, produced in limited quantities each year at Computex. They are not part of the brand's regular gaming lineup.
How it stacks up against past zodiac releases
Ducky's previous Year of the Horse attempt dates back to 2014, and the comparison is not close. That older model featured a simple white base with black keys and a small horse etched onto the spacebar. The RGB shinethrough did highlight that horse decently, but the design was restrained to the point of being forgettable.
The 2026 version is a completely different animal (sorry). The fire-themed palette and oversized horse artwork give it an energy the 2014 edition never had. It is objectively the better-looking keyboard, even if it leans hard into spectacle over subtlety.
Last year's Year of the Snake keyboard remains the personal favorite for some, with its reds and pinks making for a warmer, more cohesive look. The Snake edition did include keycap legends, though legibility was questionable. The Horse edition skips them entirely, which sidesteps that problem altogether.
What most players miss about zodiac keyboard pricing
Pricing has not been confirmed for the Horse edition yet. The 2025 Year of the Snake keyboard sold for around $200 and was limited to 2025 units. This year's production run is tighter at 999 units, which suggests the price could land at a similar or slightly higher point.
The key here is understanding what you are actually buying. These are not daily-driver keyboards for most people. They are collector pieces with real mechanical keyboard DNA underneath the artwork. If you are in the market for something functional and flashy, they work. If you want a conversation piece for your desk, they really work.
For context on how this fits into the broader peripheral market, our latest reviews cover the full range of gaming keyboards worth considering right now.
Ducky's zodiac run keeps getting more ambitious
Looking back across the zodiac series, the progression is clear. The Year of the Rat in 2020 leaned into a busier, cartoon-like aesthetic. The Year of the Pig went mostly pink with a black base. Each year the designs have pushed further from restrained to expressive.
The Horse edition sits near the top of that progression. Whether it overtakes the Snake edition as a fan favorite will depend on how the final production unit looks outside of a glass display case. Show floor lighting tends to be flattering.
Pro tip: if you are seriously considering picking one up, move fast when it goes on sale. The 999-unit cap means stock will not last, and the zodiac keyboards have historically sold out quickly given the collector appeal.
If you want to stay sharp on the best gaming peripherals and setups heading into the rest of 2026, the gaming guides hub has you covered with everything from keyboard picks to full PC build breakdowns.
