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Something to look forward to: Accessory company 8BitDo has built its positive reputation almost exclusively on its third-party controllers. As the company launches its first keyboard, it marks a shift toward products specifically for the PC market. However, 8BitDo’s signature retro-console nostalgia remains ever-present.
Pre-orders are now open for 8BitDo’s first mechanical keyboard. The 87-key device ships on September 20 in two color schemes evoking the Famicom and its American counterpart, the Nintendo Entertainment System. The retro-styled keyboard supports Windows and Android 9 or newer, with connectivity through USB, Bluetooth, and an included 2.4 GHz dongle. A nice touch originally found on 8BitDo’s arcade sticks are two potentiometers for controlling volume and switching between wireless protocols.
As a nod to Nintendo’s seminal 80s home consoles, the keyboard includes two extra A and B keys between the right-side Ctrl and Alt keys in case users want to play an NES game without connecting a controller. Each keyboard has a 160.2 x 74.6 x 32.3 mm, 270g set of two massive A and B “super buttons” that users can map to any input or macro. Customers can order additional packs for $20 each and connect up to four per keyboard.
Users can quickly customize the super buttons, key mappings, and macros using 8BitDo’s included-but-optional Ultimate Software V2. Additionally, the tool enables different settings for individual programs.
The top-mount keyboard uses Kalih Box switches and hot-swappable dye-sublimation PBT keycaps and supports n-key rollover. Its 2000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery should provide around 200 hours of use with a roughly four-hour recharge time. The keyboard weighs 1050g and measures 376.6 x 169.6 x 46.8mm.
The 8BitDo retro keyboard isn’t its first product for NES-styled PC-specific input. A wireless N30 mouse with NES buttons and a control pad that the company released in 2019 would make for a good companion. However, customers should note that it supports Windows and macOS but not Android.
Keyboards from other vendors have previously tried to celebrate other Nintendo hardware. Megalodon’s $200 Console 64 mimics the Nintendo Switch, including a few controller inputs on the sides of the keyboard. Hyperkin’s Hyper Clack is a full-size mechanical keyboard sporting Super NES colors. Nostalgic users who don’t care about Nintendo consoles can order and customize highly-accurate retro IBM keyboard replicas from a restoration project.
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