8BitDo’s new keyboard is a blast from the past, but operates like a modern machine

Gaming accessory brand 8BitDo is going old school with its first-ever mechanical keyboard sporting a design reminiscent of past Nintendo consoles.

Aptly named the Retro Mechanical Keyboard, it comes in two distinct color schemes: one in black, gray, and red matches the NES, while the other is based on the Famicom – the Japanese rendition of the console. On the latter, the red will have a more rustic shade and white is replacing the gray for a brighter look. The Famicom version even has hiragana on most of the keys. So this particular model can potentially double as a Japanese tutor of sorts, helping students learning the language become more familiar with it. 

There is more to this device than simply being a pretty keyboard, and it does have some interesting hardware. Starting with the externals, the Retro Keyboard has a tenkeyless layout meaning there’s no number pad on the side. You’ll notice on the bottom are ‘B’ and ‘A’ buttons. These two are programmable, allowing owners to add whatever macro they want to them like Control-C on ‘B’ and Control-P on ‘A’. This can be done through 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software app. Other cool design flourishes include the Power LED light in the top right corner with the analog knobs on the left adding to the vintage 1980s look. 

Internal hardware