8Bitdo Retro Mechanical Keyboard Review: So Much More Than Just Nostalgia!
A few years ago, I reviewed a mouse from 8Bitdo called the N30 that had the look of a Nintendo Entertainment System controller. It looked cool and had one interesting feature, but ultimately it was a product that was solely made to capitalize on nostalgia. Fast forward a few years and the gaming accessory maker has expanded on that concept, but this time around it’s in the form of an 87-key Bluetooth mechanical keyboard. Unlike that gimmicky mouse, I am flabbergasted at just how great of a functional keyboard this is.
Purchase Price: $99.99
The Fami Edition has Katakana on the keycaps
For The Fami
8Bitdo offers the Retro keyboard in two styles, one to match that N30 mouse with a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) color scheme, while the other honors the Japanese Family Computer Disk System (Famicom) counterpart of that console generation. I purchased the Famicom color scheme, and to be honest, I actually think the NES design looks cooler on this keyboard layout. The added contrast in shades makes that color scheme pop a little more than the red/white/black combination on my board.
However, this Fami Edition board, as 8Bitdo calls it, has Japanese Katakana as the secondary language input on the keycaps. Only the Fami Edition has this, so that is a bonus feature that I find actually does honor the source material and makes it a unique product. The Katakana layout is accurate and is what a Japanese keyboard with a Kana layout would have on it.
8BitDo includes a programmable button pad with the keyboard
Programmable Gamepad
The fine details continue as the direction keys have a bolded icon that resembles the Famicom’s controller directional pad. There’s also a dedicated B and an A button next to the CTRL key that you won’t see on other Windows or MacOS keyboards. These are programmable keys usable for a variety of features like keystrokes and function combinations. 8Bitdo also includes a separate B and A pad that connects into the keyboard for two additional programmable keys. This is directly syncing with the keyboard and not the computer. The gamepad B and A buttons are not the same as the keyboard ones. That means you have a total of 4 programmable buttons available to you to use however you want straight out of the box. There are 4 plugs for these pads, so you could theoretically buy three more of these B and A pads for a total of 8 programmable buttons in addition to the two on the keyboard.
Since launch day, I’ve had the pad buttons set to be a shortcut for copy and paste, thus replacing CNTRL + C and CNTRL + V. You can actually do the programming straight from the board without the need for additional software (although 8Bitdo now supports macro programming through the software). On the top left corner of the keyboard, press the star button. It will begin flashing. Hold the key combination for the function you’re looking to program and press the button you want to program that function onto. It’s so simple to do. It did take me a few days to get accustomed to hitting a button instead of a combination of keys, but I love how there’s this added benefit for the keyboard that actually matches the theme. It’s a gaming console with the wired keyboard attached to it like what it would have been on the Famicom in 1990. This is a design cue that makes sense and wasn’t tossed on for the sake of having a gimmick.
A Surprisingly Great Keyboard
If you set aside the connection to the Nintendo system, this 8Bitdo product is a surprisingly solid keyboard in its own right. Made out of plastic, the board is built with a level of quality that I don’t see a lot nowadays. It reminds me of a toy made in the 80’s and 90’s. The plastic builds just felt more solid than they do now. I instantly felt that way about this 8Bitdo after my fingers got a few strokes in on the keys. They threw in Kailh Box Switch V2 Whites as the included switch type and I love the sound it makes. It’s a thick click that reminds me of what I imagine IBM computers littered across desks in offices during the time period of the Famicom. I don’t know if 8Bitdo had intended for that sound, but I definitely correlated it and I’m sticking with it.
Of course, this has a hot-swappable PCB with the Kailh switches being 5-pin. You can change the switches to make it sound however you want it to sound. To live up to the gaming heritage it sports after, 8Bitdo has sported a keyboard with n-key rollover which is quite important to some gamers. However, like the product it was based on back in the day, there are no RGB’s whatsoever, nor is there backlighting on this board.
Battery life
I’ve also been very impressed with the longevity of the battery life on the 8Btido. I’ve gone past a month without needing to worry about plugging the keyboard in to charge. This is one terrific typing experience that also looks good and has added benefits. It's a high-end offering with three paths of connection to a PC through Bluetooth, a 2.4Ghz receiver, and USB-C. I appreciated just how instant the board wakes upon input of a key. It never misses a beat when I come back from a break. Next to the USB-C port, 8Bitdo has an in-body housing for the USB receiver, which has a brick texture as a tribute to everyone’s favorite plumber. I love all the little details on the board! Even the power status LED, volume knob, and connection switch all aesthetically feel like a throwback to something that could exist during the time period of the Famicom.
final thoughts . . .
I find it undervalued for the retail price they’re asking for which makes this ironically one of the few products out there that I initially misjudged when pre-ordering.
It is very obvious to me that 8Bitdo put a lot of thought into this keyboard and it is way more than a nostalgia money grab. This Retro Keyboard is legitimately a great mechanical keyboard that is better than many competitors out there. I find it undervalued for the retail price they’re asking for which makes this ironically one of the few products out there that I initially misjudged when pre-ordering. I didn’t expect to take this board too seriously as the N30 left me with little expectations. I can go as far as to make the claim that the 8Bitdo Retro was one of my favorite keyboards that I’ve reviewed in 2023.
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