The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is a tenkeyless (80%) wireless keyboard. Its design is heavily influenced by retro game consoles, particularly the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Famicom systems, on which its two available colorways take their inspiration. You can connect this keyboard wirelessly via Bluetooth or with its included 2.4 Ghz USB receiver. Its keycaps are made of dye-sublimated PBT plastic, and it uses clicky Kailh Box White V2 mechanical switches, which are fairly lightweight clicky switches with a satisfying sound profile reminiscent of retro keyboards.
Additionally, this keyboard comes with a separate gamepad module with two large, circular buttons called the 8BitDo Dual Super Buttons. This module uses heavier, Gateron clicky Green switches and plugs into a 3.5 mm jack at the back of the keyboard. There are four 3.5mm jacks if you want to connect additional 8BitDo Dual Super Button modules that 8BitDo sells separately.
Our Verdict
The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is decent for all-around gaming and well-suited for retro gaming. It has great build quality and impressive latency performance. It connects wirelessly with its USB receiver or via Bluetooth, and it includes a separate 8BitDo Dual Super Button gamepad module for added inputs. You can also remap buttons directly on the keyboard or using the configuration software. Unfortunately, this keyboard lacks backlighting, and while the stock clicky switches are very stable and satisfying to game on, they make higher-pitched clicking noises that can disrupt those around you.
- Great build quality.
- Impressive all-around latency performance.
- Available in two retro-inspired colorways.
- Fairly loud; may disrupt those around you in closed spaces.
- Latency performance is somewhat inconsistent compared to many dedicated gaming keyboards.
The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is passable for office use. It has impressive build quality and connects wirelessly with a USB receiver or Bluetooth. Unfortunately, it doesn't support multi-device pairing, and the stock clicky switches make high-pitched clicking noises and are very likely to disrupt those around you in an open office setting.
- Great build quality.
- Connects wirelessly via USB receiver or Bluetooth.
- Available in two retro-inspired colorways.
- Fairly loud; may disrupt those around you in closed spaces.
- The Box White V2 switches are fairly lightweight compared to other clicky switches but on the heavier side for long typing sessions.
- Doesn't support multi-device pairing.
The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is sub-par for mobile and tablet use overall. It's considerably heavier and more bulky than most dedicated mobile keyboards. Additionally, its stock switches are quite loud and make higher-pitched clicking noises that can disrupt those around you in closed spaces. It has impressive build quality and connects wirelessly via Bluetooth or a USB receiver.
- Great build quality.
- Doesn't support multi-device pairing.
- Not very portable as it's quite large, bulky, and somewhat heavy.
The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is adequate for programming use. It has impressive build quality, and you can record simple macros directly on the board itself or using the configuration software. It doesn't have backlighting, so you may have difficulty reading key legends in darker rooms. It also lacks multi-device pairing, and while the stock clicky switches are satisfying to type on and very stable, the high-pitched clicking noises they make will likely disrupt people working around you.
- Great build quality.
- Connects wirelessly via USB receiver or Bluetooth.
- Available in two retro-inspired colorways.
- Fairly loud; may disrupt those around you in closed spaces.
- The Box White V2 switches are fairly lightweight compared to other clicky switches but on the heavier side for long typing sessions.
- Doesn't support multi-device pairing.
- No backlighting.
The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard performs poorly in an entertainment or home theater setup. It connects wirelessly via a USB receiver or Bluetooth but doesn't support multi-device pairing. It's also quite bulky and somewhat heavy, and it lacks any backlighting, so you can't read the key legends in a darker room. Lastly, while it has a dedicated volume knob, it lacks any dedicated media keys out of the box.
- Great build quality.
- Doesn't support multi-device pairing.
- Not very portable as it's quite large, bulky, and somewhat heavy.
- No backlighting.
The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard offers excellent raw performance with impressively low single-key and multi-key latency. However, this latency performance is also somewhat inconsistent compared to most other dedicated gaming models. It also supports full N-key rollover and has remarkably good chord-split performance. This makes it an outstanding candidate for playing rhythm games, games with two players on the same keyboard, or games requiring many simultaneous inputs.
- Impressive all-around latency performance.
- Remarkably good chord split performance.
- Latency performance is somewhat inconsistent compared to many dedicated gaming keyboards.
Changelog
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Updated May 13, 2025:
We've reworked the Differences Between Variants section of this review to include new variants of this keyboard.
- Updated Dec 08, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3.1, which adds a new estimated PCB latency test to the Single-Key Latency section and a new Analog test to the Switches section of this review. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Nov 30, 2023: Review published.
- Updated Nov 02, 2023: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is available in several different editions. See the table below for their differences.
We bought and tested the N Edition, and you can see the label for our unit here.
| Variant | Colorway | Switches | Additional Modules | RGB Backlighting | Battery Size | Keycaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C64 Edition | Beige/brown/red | Kailh Box White V2 | 8BitDo Dual Super Buttons, 8BitDo Super Stick | No | 2000mAh | Double-shot ABS, SA profile |
| N Edition | White/gray/red | Kailh Box White V2 | 8BitDo Dual Super Buttons | No | 2000mAh | Dye-sub PBT, MDA profile |
| Fami Edition | White/red/black | Kailh Box White V2 | 8BitDo Dual Super Buttons | No | 2000mAh | Dye-sub PBT, MDA profile |
| M Edition | White/gray/blue | Kailh Box White V2 | 8BitDo Dual Super Buttons | No | 2000mAh | Dye-sub PBT, MDA profile |
| Xbox Edition | Translucent green | Kailh Jellyfish X | 8BitDo Dual Super Buttons | Yes | 4000mAh | Double-layered ABS with matte UV coating |
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is a tenkeyless wireless gaming keyboard. It's different from most dedicated gaming keyboards in several ways. Most obviously, this keyboard comes in two different early console-inspired colorways. This keyboard also comes stock with clicky switches, which are a bit heavier-feeling than the lightweight, linear options commonly found on many gaming models—but they provide a clacky mechanical sound and feel reminiscent of retro, 1980s keyboards. There's also a separate gamepad module included that has two large circular buttons and connects to the back of the keyboard with a 3.5mm plug. This keyboard also lacks backlighting, which is somewhat uncommon compared to most other dedicated gaming models.
Altogether, this keyboard isn't just designed to look the part: it delivers impressive all-around wireless latency performance, making it more than capable of playing recent titles and retro games. It also supports full-n-key and provides remarkably good chord-split performance, so it's particularly well-suited for playing titles in any genre that require lots of simultaneous inputs and can even register inputs from two people using the keyboard simultaneously without issue.
For more recommendations, see our picks for the best keyboards, the best wireless keyboards, and the best mechanical keyboards.
The Obinslab Anne Pro 2 and the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard are both wireless mechanical keyboards. The Obinslab is smaller, with a compact (60%) layout. It has a more conventional, straightforward look, and it's available in a range of mechanical switches, including Cherry MX, Kailh, and Gateron options. It also has backlighting, which the 8BitDo lacks. On the other hand, the 8BitDo has a larger, tenkeyless layout and a more distinct, retro-inspired look. It only comes with clicky Kailh switches, but it has a hot-swappable PCB that allows you to change out the stock switches without soldering, a feature the Obinslab lacks. The 8BitDo also comes with a separate two-button gamepad module.
The SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL and the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard are gaming keyboards with tenkeyless layouts. The SteelSeries is a wired-only model with a more conventional look and full RGB backlighting. It comes with your choice of linear, tactile, or clicky mechanical switches. The 8BitDo is a wireless model that connects with a USB receiver or via Bluetooth. It has a retro-inspired look with higher-quality PBT keycaps and a hot-swappable PCB that allows you to change out the stock clicky switches if you want. It also has a separate two-button gamepad module but doesn't have backlighting.
The Logitech G PRO X Keyboard and the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard are both wireless gaming keyboards with tenkeyless layouts and hot-swappable PCBs. The Logitech has better overall gaming performance. It comes in linear, clicky, or tactile mechanical switch options. It also has backlighting, which the 8BitDo lacks. The 8BitDo has a more retro look and comes with clicky switches. It also includes a separate two-button gamepad module and supports Bluetooth connectivity, while the Logitech doesn't.
The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023) and the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard are gaming keyboards with tenkeyless layouts but are otherwise very different. The SteelSeries has better overall performance and uses hall-effect switches that allow you to adjust individual keys' actuation and reset distance. The 8BitDo has a much more retro-inspired look and feel and uses clicky mechanical switches. It also includes a separate two-button gamepad module. The SteelSeries also has full RGB backlighting, which the 8BitDo lacks.
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