8BitDo Retro Keyboard review: A thoroughly modern throwback
I should clarify to begin, I’m not a big keyboard nut. I see them as a practical tool for getting work done and mostly copy and pasting clips in Premiere Pro from one timeline to the other. So, to say that one keyboard may have turned me into a mechanical clickety-clack keyboard champion is a huge statement.
The first thing to point out about the 8BitDo Retro Keyboard is the design. There are two to choose from with colour palettes and graphics inspired by the western Nintendo Entertainment System and the Japanese version, the Nintendo Famicom. I am personally reviewing the NES-style console and using it has been a dream.
Let’s not beat around the bush: this thing is loud, and I find that incredibly satisfying. I’m used to the quiet, minimal travel keys from the MacBook Pro range, and the standard DELL keyboards every company bought en-masse and handed out during the pandemic. Typing on the 8BitDo feels decisive and responsive, like every key has a purpose being hit. Which ironic given how often I make typos.
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But that’s not the big selling point of this keyboard, for me it’s the big red buttons. Literally. It comes with two on-theme massive red buttons.
These can be tied to additional functionality and keybinds. I wasn’t able to review the keyboard using a Windows PC so never experienced the software for this, but using the built-in keybind system on the keyboard itself, I had no issue converting on the buttons to cmd+s and the other to cmd+option+esc.
I’ll be honest, the latter doesn’t get much use, but the former I crack out every few minutes while editing a heavy load project in Premiere Pro, like our recent hands-on preview with Star Wars Outlaws which you can watch below.
I know software like Premiere has its own built-in auto save, but for someone like me who panics at just the thought of losing the slightest bit of progress, the satisfaction of smacking the big red button also brings a sense of security that my project has safely been secured.
I’m obviously thinking from a work perspective here, but imagine having the big buttons on the floor by your feet, set to reload, jump or toggle weapons on an FPS – you would be able to fully concentrate on movement and strategy rather than moving your hand around the keyboard to find those keys.
The buttons are connected through a cable in the back of the keyboard, and weirdly enough there are three more inputs meaning you could surround your entire desk or floor with macro buttons to do all the shortcut dirty work for you. There are also two more assignable buttons on the bottom right between alt and ctrl, but as useful as they are – they’re just not as satisfying as a solid thwack on the big boy buttons.
The keyboard works with both Bluetooth and 2.4GHZ wireless (via a USB dongle) so like most keyboards I can’t see much of an issue making it work with most devices.
The retro design and loud clickety-clacks may not be to everyone’s taste, but for someone like me who grew up in the era of playing NES and SNES games, the aesthetic is just delightfully nostalgic.
It’s not perfect of course, no keyboard is, but if you’re not interested in RGB lights, and want something that feels both weighty and responsive you could do much worse. Plus, if you don’t like the keycaps, they’re entirely swappable too.