8BitDo’s retro Nintendo keyboards are big, bold fun

Although its official product description doesn’t dare mention the word, there’s no denying that 8Bitdo’s latest retro peripheral is very much ‘The Nintendo Keyboard’.

The brand’s latest love letter to the classic days of gaming, the Retro Mechanical Keyboard, combines the 80s design elements of the Nintendo Entertainment System (or, if you’d prefer, there’s a second version based on Japan’s Family Computer) with the features of a modern PC peripheral.

The keyboard is compatible with both PC and Android devices, and features a variety of connectivity options including Bluetooth, Wireless 2.4GHz (via an included USB dongle) and wired USB, as well a programmable buttons. Completing the retro-meets-modern asphetic are its pleasingly ‘clicky’ mechanical keys, which utilise Kailh Box switches, with dye-sublimation PBT keycaps.

It’s a bold, sturdy design, with keys that feel both satisfying to touch, but at the same time aren’t as noisy or wobbly as other mechanical keyboards we’ve tried, thanks to those firm switches (though for anyone looking for the quiet option, mechanical keys are not going to offer that). For gaming, we found the keys less responsive than modern Razer offerings, but for slower-paced games they do the job just fine.

For its price ($100 / £90), it’s a surprisingly high-quality, well-featured device. However, anyone considering this keyboard is almost certainly doing so for its aesthetic. And in that department, the Retro Mechanical Keyboard is a delight to look at. The attention to detail is great, from the ‘A’ and ‘B’ buttons (replacing Fn and Menu keys), to the Japanese characters included on the Famicom version.

At 87 keys, the Retro Keyboard is slightly smaller than a full-size layout keyboard, missing only the numpad of a full-size peripheral. At the top of the device are its own function keys, including a power button, wireless mode, and a command bind key, which make it easy and convenient to pull out and use as a secondary keyboard, perhaps for an entertainment setup.

By far the Retro Keyboard’s most unique feature, however, is its included Dual Super Button Unit. This iPhone-sized peripheral is comprised of two oversized action buttons – again, cutely labelled ‘A’ and ‘B’, in tribute to Nintendo’s 80s console – which can be programmed either with a button on the keyboard, or with 8Bitdo’s included software.

These can be used to activate various commands or shortcuts, similar to a Stream Deck. However, in true Nintendo spirit, their real appeal is in the tangible fun they bring to otherwise simple software interaction.

For example, we use them for copy-and-paste functions, allowing us to propel otherwise mundane PR statements into our Word docs with a tremendous slap of their oversized housing. It genuinely makes our day better.

The Super Button Unit comes in both NES and Famicom varieties and is attached via an included 3.5mm cable jack. There’s even the ability to attach up to three additional Units, so in theory, you could have a total of eight giant buttons. However, beyond upping your Guitar Hero emulation performance, we can’t think of how you’d realistically use all of them.

Ultimately, the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is a nostalgia item, albeit one of surprisingly high quality, especially for its price. Those looking for a serious gaming peripheral might want to look higher up the price scale, but as an extra wireless keyboard for your entertainment setup, or used for light work, this would make a fun addition to any Nintendo enthusiast’s setup.

8BitDo supplied a Retro Mechanical Keyboard for this review.