Durgod HK Venus Review: The Ideal Typing Experience


Today we’ll be reviewing the Durgod HK Venus, a 60% keyboard that is sure to impress.

The keyboard has some amazing features and an awesome typing experience, so I’m ready to jump into the review and explain all that this keyboard has to offer.

If you want to see how the Durgod Venus stacks up with the competition, check out our list of favorite 60% keyboards.

The Verdict

Durgod HK Venus Top View

The Durgod HK Venus is quite surprising as this keyboard has a lot to offer and is one of the best 60% keyboards we’ve ever reviewed.

The keyboard comes in a tight 60% layout with an sturdy aluminum build that feels very rigid and secure.

You don’t need to worry about accidentally breaking this keyboard because this thing is a brick.

The typing on this keyboard is next to none, the stabilizers are built perfectly with no rattle and they are fun to type on.

The keycaps come in a nice Cherry profile made from PBT plastic which is the best way to design keycaps (in my opinion).

You also get to choose between Cherry MX or Gateron switches depending on how much you’re willing to spend.

The only part we didn’t like about this keyboard was the short forehead that is kind of useless. I would’ve like Durgod to chop this section off as it doesn’t do much except take up valuable desk space.

Overall, the Durgod HK Venus is an excellent keyboard and I can’t recommend it enough. You can find the HK Venus on Amazon for a really good price.


In The Box

The Durgod HK Venus has a ton of add-ins that you don’t usually see with a keyboard. All of the extras make it a lot of fun to pull open the box and check out what’s inside.

On top of getting the usual cable and keycap puller, Durgod goes the extra mile and adds additional items to spruce things up a bit.

Let’s go over each of the items in the box:

  • USB-C to USB-A cable: The standard cable used to plug your keyboard into a USB port on your computer. The cable is white and made of rubber.
  • USB-C to USB-C cable: Durgod also included another power cable for those that don’t have the standard USB-A port on their computer. This is super helpful, especially for people with laptops or the Mac computers.
  • Dust cover: Included is a dust cover to protect your keyboard from debris when not in use. Just slap the dust cover on when away from your keyboard and you should have a dust-free keyboard.
  • Velcro cable tie: The cable tie also helps a lot for those who struggle with cable management and routings. Simply tie up your cables to clean up your setup a bit. Pretty cool that this is included.
  • Keycap puller: A wire keycap puller is thrown in the box as well. The wire puller is perfect for removing keycaps without damaging them and is superior to a plastic keycap puller. Plastic keycap pullers have the issue where they can damage the sides of the keycaps.
  • Durgod coaster: A truly unique add-in is the Durgod coaster. The coaster is black with an orange Durgod logo. I’ll be sure to get some use out of it. Pretty cool.
  • Durgod sticker: I love stickers. Durgod did not disappoint by including a sticker in the box.

Build Quality

Durgod HK Venus Angled View

I have to say, the build quality of the Durgod Venus is second to none. The keyboard comes with a thick aluminum case and integrated metal plate to hold the switches in place.

This keyboard is solid.

There is a slight typing angle which makes this keyboard feel comfortable and ergonomic to use. And did I mention this keyboard is solid?

The build quality is supreme level. As a mechanical engineer, I have to stop and truly appreciate the keyboard.

The only downside to the build is the USB-C power port is recessed so you may run into some issues if you want to use a custom USB-C cable.

Also, there is no kickstand adjustment, so if you enjoy an aggressive typing angle you’re out of luck. You’re stuck with the standard angle (which is fine for most).

Another small gripe is the forehead. The forehead adds to the bulkiness and takes up extra space. It seemed a bit unnecessary, but I can see why Durgod wanted to add it so it would look different than other 60% boards.

Overall, the build quality is super impressive. I did have a few nitpicks, but you can’t expect everything to be perfect.

The Keycaps

Another impressive aspect of the Durgod HK Venus is the keycaps.

Coming in Cherry profile made from double-shot PBT plastic, these keycaps aren’t messing around.

The profile (which refers to the shape of the keycap) is the best in terms of ergonomics and feel. The keycaps are sculpted so you don’t need to reach as far when typing or gaming for the ultimate comfort.

When compared to the normal OEM profile, Cherry profile keycaps are shorter so you don’t need to bend your wrists as much when typing. You can read more about the differences here.

The material is really good.

The keycaps are made from double-shot PBT plastic. PBT plastic is superior to the standard ABS as it does not wear down as fast and get a greasy look to it.

The double-shot design also allows the RGB to shine through the keycaps and illuminate the keys so you can see the legends better when typing.

I don’t want to nerd out too much about the keycaps, but you just need to know they are basically perfect.

The Stabilizers

I don’t want to get too excited about this keyboard, but man, the stabilizers are smooth as butter.

We’ve looked at other Durgod keyboards in the past and they never fail to impress in the stabilizer department.

You will not find another keyboard with stabilizers this good out of the box.

The stabilizers have zero rattle and produce a super satisfying *thocc* sound on impact. Pretty impressive stuff.

The stabilizers combined with the keycaps really set this keyboard apart and make for an amazing typing experience.

The Switches

Durgod HK Venus Switches

The switches have a ton of different options and the price changes depending on the switch you pick.

You get to pick between Cherry MX, Gateron, and Kailh switches.

Here is a full list of the switches available:

  • Cherry MX Black, Blue, Brown, Red, Silent Red: You essentially have access to the entire Cherry MX lineup. The only thing that’s missing is the Speed switch. Cherry MX switches have a super long lifespan (100 million keystrokes) and are some of the highest quality switches available.
  • Gateron Blue, Brown, Red, Silent Brown, Yellow: Gateron switches are my personal favorite switch manufacturer. They ahve some of the smoothest switches out there. We went with the Gateron Reds because it makes the keyboard easier to compare with others.
  • Kailh Box Jade: The Box Jades are super clicky. They click in both directions (upwards and downwards) so they make an excellent option if you want a noisy keyboard.

Overall, the number of switches available is really impressive. You can pick between higher-end switches such as Cherry MX or go with cheaper options such as Gateron.

Not to mention there are silent options as well if you want to type in stealth-mode.

Other Features

The Durgod HK Venus is pretty lean. There aren’t too many features packed into this keyboard, but that’s part of what makes it unique.

What the keyboard does, it does really well.

The only other feature I haven’t really talked about is the RGB lighting. The lighting looks quite impressive with the white case and white shine through keycaps.

There is a nice fuzzy glow that emanates from the keyboard when the RGB is turned on that is really satisfying to look at.

The only other feature that I would have really liked to see is hot-swappable sockets.

Hot-swappable sockets would make it easy to remove the switches without desoldering so I could lubricate them and make the keyboard the ultimate typing machine.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really make sense to pull this keyboard apart, desolder the switches, and lube everything. But if it was hot-swappable, I would consider it.


Conclusion

Durgod HK Venus Top View


Boy, this keyboard was a fun one to review. With the smooth stabilizers, durable keycaps, and excellent build quality, the Durgod HK Venus blew my socks off.

The Durgod Venus is a keyboard that rivals other popular 60% keyboards such as the Ducky One 2 Mini and delivers an unparalleled typing experience.

We did find a few small downsides to the keyboard such as the unnecessary forehead, recessed power port, and no adjustable feet, but we still really enjoyed all this keyboard has to offer.

If you need a compact keyboard that’s fun to type on with RGB lighting, PBT keycaps, and a metal case, you can’t go wrong with the Durgod HK Venus.

You can find the keyboard on Amazon coming with a ton of different switch options.

Happy Typing!

Jake Harrington

Jake has been an avid mechanical keyboard user for the past six years. He has a background in Mechanical Engineering and wants to apply his expertise to break down how mechanical keyboards and other tech work to show the world all of the cool aspects of the hobby.

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