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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 9, 2026

Ducky Cushion 98 vs Pulsar Xboard MS

Get the Pulsar Xboard MS for the 8,000 Hz polling rate.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Ducky Cushion 98

Build quality in the top 35% of 98% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.

Get the

Pulsar Xboard MS

polling rate

Build quality in the top 35% of 80% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • No numpad.

What actually differs

The differences that matter

Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.

Ducky Cushion 98

Pulsar Xboard MS

  • Layout size

    98%

    80%

  • Connection

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Max polling rate

    1,000 Hz

    8,000 Hz

    Higher polling helps competitive FPS and does nothing for typing

  • Case material

    ABS, Aluminum

    ABS

  • Mount style

    Plate Mount

    Gasket Mount

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Ducky Cushion 98
  • Pulsar Xboard MS
Performance
78
85
Build quality
68
63
Productivity
59
85
Customizability
68
69
Portability
52
61

What they share

  • Hot-swappable
  • Plate material: Aluminum
  • Keycaps: PBT
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Ducky Cushion 98 vs Pulsar Xboard MS specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

11 of 21 specs differ

Ducky Cushion 98

Pulsar Xboard MS

Typing & switches

Switch options

Linear, Tactile
—

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Plate Mount
Gasket Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

98%
80%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

No
Yes

Display

None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
8,000 HzBetter

Battery

4,200 mAh
Wired only

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

ABS, Aluminum
ABS

Plate material

Aluminum
Aluminum

Keycaps

PBT
PBT

Backlight

RGB, south-facing
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

VIA

Yes
No

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

No
Yes

Extras

Released

2026
2025

Where to buy

Compare prices

Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.

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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

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