8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard, Bluetooth/2.4G/USB-C Hot Swappable Gaming Keyboard with 87 Keys, Dual Super Buttons and Super Stick for Windows and Android – C64 Edition

Great first attempt at a mechanical keyboard by 8bitdo
8bitdo is known for their wireless controllers and it seems like they’ve decided to expand into mechanical keyboards. This is a great first attempt by them! I have a couple mechanical keyboards so I’m not an expert by any means, but I’ll try to make it make sense for newbies.I have a Redragon K556 Pro that I used to type on before I got this and 8bitdo’s has blown that out of the water.Battery life:The battery life is fantastic. I can’t get my redragon to last more than a couple days even with turning off the keyboard at the end of the day. I haven’t had to charge the battery yet for 8bitdo’s and I started using it around early November 2023. Can’t remember if it was bluetooth or 2.4 so I’ll update when I check next time I’m in the office.The switches:I swapped out the switches in my Redragon for speed silvers which I do love, but I also love the switches on the 8bitdo keyboard. If you’re a newbie to mechanical keyboards, the switches they use on 8bitdo’s are the Kailh White switches which aren’t super noisy, but aren’t linear either. They’re tactile. They’re louder than speed silvers but still type nicely and aren’t as loud as cherry blue switches. The clickiness volume sounds like a normal keyboard so your coworkers won’t be super unhappy with you unless you’re an angry typer like I am, lol. They sold me on the Kailh switches so if I ever decide to switch, that’s what I’m using.The keycaps:I swapped out my keycaps on my Redragon which have a KCA profile. I wasn’t super happy with them because I kept mistyping. I’m more of a Cherry girl. If I had to guess which keycap profile these were, these look a lot like DSA or XDA which are probably more my speed. They remind me of the XVX XDA profile keycaps actually (also sold on amazon), which are about same height as a normal keyboard’s keycaps. That was smart because that makes this as close to a normal keyboard with the benefits of a mechanical keyboard. It’s great for those who are thinking about swapping to a mechanical keyboard but also don’t want to sink $$$ into one or wasting money trying to find the right keycap profiles for their typing style.The big red buttons:These are just so fun to use! It took me a second to figure out how to program them, but the instructions included were very helpful so I figured it out. They also weren’t on fragile paper and I have it hiding under the buttons. It came with stickers too. I programmed my two to be Ctrl+C & Ctrl+V because they are my most used buttons and they work great when I remember to use them. My coworkers love to come over and mess with me by clicking them. These are wired, but the wire is long enough and unobtrusive.Was this worth it?:Absolutely 100% worth it. Mechanical keyboards get so costly. The fact that they made this keyboard $99.99 is extremely accessible when you consider that mechanical keyboards can cost hundreds. I hope to see a full sized version someday. No lie, I also wish they sold the keycaps because I absolutely love the retro aesthetic of this keyboard. It feels good and looks good so I would recommend this.

An incredibly solid keyboard at a reasonable price.
I purchased this keyboard for two main reasons: the unique look and the Kailh Box V2 White switches.In the looks department, this thing delivers. It’s the most aesthetically pleasing keyboard I’ve ever owned. I don’t even see it as a Famicom-themed keyboard. I just like the color scheme regardless of what it represents. And the slightly bulky retro look is a nice throwback to the computer keyboards I used 20+ years ago.The Kailh Box V2 White switches are a joy to type on. I already know that I don’t want to type on anything else, and this is coming from someone whose last keyboard had the excellent Cherry MX Red switches. The keycaps on this keyboard feel premium and the switches are clicky but not obnoxiously so. To me, the feel of the switches is somewhere in between linear and what I imagine super-clicky would be, offering a great balance between smooth typing and tactile feedback.It’s a small thing, but I like the fact that there’s a volume knob in the upper left corner. It works perfectly.I don’t know if I’ll ever use the Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz functionality on this keyboard, but it’s good to have the options. I’m using it strictly wired, and I’m happy to report that it was working seconds after I plugged it into my Windows 10 PC.I don’t know if I’ll ever use the included super buttons, but I can tell you that they feel as high in quality as the keyboard.If you’re wondering about the wrist rest in the photo, it’s the Glorious TKL Wrist Rest. It’s wooden, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you prefer something soft.

The look is spot on for a Commodore 64 inspired throwback keyboard. Very solidly built. Three connection types and a volume knob make this keyboard super convenient. The keycaps have a concave top that cups your finger when striking the each key and feels very comfortable. The box white switches are lightly clicky and feel amazing. Was planning on switching to linear switches for gaming, but this keyboard feels so good as is so it will be left as is as my primary typing keyboard. This is an recommendation 5/5.

Keyboard is great for those who likes clicky switches.I returned it though because if you are typing fast there is too much noise due to this double click each time.