Gray plastic, bold red accents, and rounded lettering sit on the desk like a piece of hardware that somehow escaped the late 1980s. 8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard N Edition, priced at $50.99 (was $100), takes the exact color scheme and visual language of the original American NES and turns it into a full working tenkeyless board. The result feels less like a modern accessory and more like something Nintendo might have sold alongside the console itself.
Every surface reflects the classic console style. The shell is finished in the same soft gray and white tones that made the NES so recognizable, you know, the classic look. The keycaps mimic the rounded font style used on the NES logo. Directional keys feature the appropriate big arrow indicators. Those bright red A and B keys lie perfectly between the left Alt and Ctrl keys, calling for custom assignments. You even get a little control panel along the top edge that maintains things period-correct, with a simple power LED and those hefty dials we all remember from back in the day. Those dials take care of the practical stuff. One switches between Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz wireless, and off. The other is a separate volume knob that you may spin. Next to them are a few buttons for pairing, rapid mapping, and profile modifications. The layout remains simple, with no distracting function menus getting in the way of basic controls.
- Inspired by the classics. Compatible with Windows 10(1903) or above, and Android 9.0 or above.
- 87-key layout. Kailh Box Switch V2 White. Dye-sub PBT keycaps.
- Top mount style. Hot-swappable PCB. Support n-key rollover.
The Kailh Box White V2 switches make typing a breeze. They click and snap, delivering a sharp reaction every time, with a 45g actuation weight and only 3.6 to 3.9 mm of travel. The sound is spot on; you’d guess it’s an old-school mechanical board from decades ago, as opposed to the muted ones you see nowadays. Dye-sublimated PBT keycaps with an MDA-style profile finish it off. Legends withstand wear, and the shape of the higher keys ensures a solid, consistent push every time. The entire assembly is top-mounted on an aluminum plate, which keeps it stiff without being too harsh.
Each key has a hot-swap socket underneath, so switching switches requires no soldering. Full n-key rollover registers all simultaneous presses. The board itself measures approximately 14.8 by 6.7 by 1.8 inches and weighs little more than two pounds, which is sufficient to keep it in place for extended typing sessions. Bluetooth connects to phones and tablets, while the 2.4 GHz dongle is designed for low-latency desktop use. There is also a USB-C cable for charging and wired connectivity. A 2,000 mAh battery can power it all for up to 200 hours on a full charge, which takes approximately 4 hours. The lack of a backlight is beneficial because it allows you to work for weeks without having to plug in.
The Dual Super Buttons complete the package, and boy do they look amazing. A large rectangular module arrives in the box, along with two enormous circle buttons that feel just like those on a NES controller. These just plug into one of the four 3.5mm ports on the back of the keyboard. You can connect up to four modules at once, resulting in a total of eight huge programmable buttons. Each uses a different switch from the main board, resulting in a distinct sound and sensation. You can map them using their software or simply by holding a button on the keyboard itself. The software itself remains lightweight and does not consume excessive system resources.
