8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard Review - Party Like It's 1982

Summary

• Fantastically quirky aesthetic with retro design inspired by classic consoles like the NES and Famicom.
• Great typing feel with Kailh Box White switches providing a loud and clicky experience for focus.
• Additional accessories for better accessibility, such as a joystick and macro buttons, add value and customization options.

Gaming peripherals can be pretty boring. Big slabs of black plastic with RGB lights have been the norm for years now, and one keyboard often looks like the next.

Fortunately, 8BitDo is trying something different with its Retro Mechanical Keyboard range. Inspired by retro consoles, these might not have the same versatility as a more standard piece of kit, but good lord do they look stylish.

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The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is available in three flavours: N (NES), Fami (Super Famicom), and C64 (Commodore 64). I received the C64 model, and immediately fell in love with the aesthetic. With those early ‘80s browns and blacks, a glowing power light, and tactile knobs for the volume and turning it on and off, it has a gorgeous analogue design to it.

Even the keys feel like the genuine article, with a much higher profile than the stubby little tabs we’re used to these days. Under the caps are Kailh Box White switches, which are loud and clicky, just as you’d expect from a piece of retro tech. This definitely isn’t one to take to the office or type on in a work call, but if you’re like me and find the clacking helps you focus on your writing, it won’t disappoint.

It can connect either through the wireless dongle, a USB-C cable, or Bluetooth.

The commitment to retro does come at the cost of build quality, though, as there is an overall plasticky feel to the typing, and the whole thing is pretty light despite its size. Sometimes it even feels like you’re typing on a toy, which, while keeping with the theme, does give it a slightly inferior typing experience to more modern-minded keyboards.

The battery life, on the other hand, is incredible. Having been using it almost all day, every day for a week, I’ve not had to plug it in once after my initial configurations, and the battery is still going strong. 8BitDo says it can last 200 hours on a single four-hour charge, and considering things I’ll get to shortly, that’s impressive.

Despite being priced on par with other entry-to-mid-level mechanical keyboards, 8BitDo offers something that no other keyboard I’ve seen does: two extra peripherals that plug directly into the keyboard. The first is a full joystick, and the second are two extra-large macro buttons; both plug directly into the back of the keyboard, and can be programmed through the configuration suite to do pretty much anything the regular board can.

I’ve been using the buttons as my screenshot and video hotkeys. I can just slam my hand down when I need an image with no faffing with holding down multiple buttons at the same time.

Not only does this help boost the 8BitDo’s value for money – what other keyboard comes with a joystick? – it’s also a big win for accessibility. With some clever configuration, these can serve a somewhat similar function to the Xbox Adaptive Controller, as the big, chunky buttons are perfect for anyone with motor or coordination difficulties. You can fit up to four of these peripherals into the keyboard at once, which could be a total game-changer for people who need it.

Unfortunately, for something that has its entire functionality depend on proper configuration, the software you use to modify the 8BitDo Retro sure does leave a lot to be desired. With frequent crashes, a wonky UI, and lacking a lot of the functionality of other keyboard software like iCUE or Razer Synapse, you’ll often find yourself settling for good enough so that you can close the suite and never have to think about it again.

Despite that, I can’t help but adore the 8BitDo Retro. It’s nice to see a peripheral producer having fun and trying something different, instead of just being another slab of black plastic blaring RGB lights out at you like it’s Boomtown festival. The few problems I have with it, like the plastic feel and the configuration suite don’t put a dent in the tactile typing experience, the flexibility the extra buttons provide, and, of course, that sublime retro look.

8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard

8bitdo's retro mechanical keyboard is available in various designs, some of which are inspired by classic consoles including the NES and the Famicom. It connects to PCs using Windows 10 and above via Bluetooth and the two big buttons it comes with can be programmed to mimic the key of your choice.

• Fantastically quirky aesthetic.
• Great typing feel.
• Additional accessories for better accessibility are a nice touch.

• Rough configuration software.
• A bit plasticky-feeling.