8bitdo is best known for its extense range of controllers, most of which combine a retro aesthetic with modern connectivity and extensive device support. The company has built its reputation on its nostalgic looks, and it also happens to make other stuff that looks retro. You can now add mechanical keyboards to that list, as 8Bitdo’s first attempt might be close to what you would get if Nintendo had released a keyboard in the 80s.
Mechanical keyboards all look a lot like one another — either an industrial, no frills look that’s occasionally colorful, or a gamer-y design and feature set including things such as RGB lights. For that reason, then, something that breaks out of those two molds is remarkable on its own, and that’s exactly what 8bitdo has done. The Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1985, so it’s turning 40 years old in just a couple of years, yet it forever changed the console landscape — and its looks are as iconic as they get. The 8bitdo Retro Mechanical Keyboards is pretty much what you would get if the NES had come with a keyboard.
The keyboard itself comes in two colorways. There’s one that’s inspired by the western NES, and one that’s inspired on the Japanese Famicom. Both look as slick as they can get, though. They have a tenkeyless configuration and feature Kailh Box White V2 hot-swappable switches, and they also have a couple of “Super Buttons” with Gateron Green that look like the red buttons in the NES controller, except much bigger. These buttons are programmable, and the keyboard comes with a pair, giving you the option to hook up three more pairs of buttons.
Other features include a dedicated volume dial and Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity via a dongle — as well as the option to use it wired through a USB-C cable. 8bitdo is also offering 200 hours of battery life for every 4 hours of charge thanks to its 2,000 mAh battery.
The 8bitdo keyboard will retail for $99.99, while extra button pairs will cost an extra $19.99. The keyboard and the buttons are now available for purchase.
Source: The Verge
