This week has been choc-a-bloc with anniversaries and memorable dates; 30 years of Donkey Kong Country, 25 years of Pokémon Gold & Silver, and 20 Years of the Wii. 8BitDo know how important it is to celebrate the iconic machines that have helped to shape the future of gaming and the game series that we still play on a regular basis today, and they’ve chosen to honour the 30th anniversary of the Sega Saturn with a brand-new mechanical keyboard design and a Retro Receiver for wireless Sega Saturn play.
Before I go on, I want to let you all know that we have both of these products heading to Retro Dodo Towers as we speak and will be providing in-depth reviews for them both, so keep your eyes peeled over the next week or so for those dropping on the website!
The S Edition Keyboard comes with the same core features as the other 8BitDo keyboard range, including the C64 Edition that I’m writing this article on now – PBT keycaps (interchangeable), Kailh Box White Switches V2, Hot-swappable PCB, retro knobs for power/connection & volume, a neat slide-out USB stick for wireless connection, and much more. The main differences to my keyboard are how colourful the Saturn-inspired edition looks, with vibrant buttons on the top of the unit adding extra interest, and the extra keycaps for ABCXYZ giving you a custom feel that takes you straight back to holding the Saturn controller back 1994.
Speaking of 1994, there are only 1994 of these keyboards available to buy, another nice factor that pays homage to the birth of the Sega Saturn. Each keyboard comes with a unique serial number too for you to see which unit you have, as well as a keycap puller to swap out your caps, a wrist rest, and an official certificate. There’s also the Dual Super Buttons for programming actions – nothing makes you feel better than undoing something you’ve done wrong on Photoshop like smacking a big red button! 8BitDo also provides software to program other keyboard features for Windows users – this keyboard is the gift that keeps on giving!
While the keyboard pays homage to the Saturn in its design, the Retro Receiver actually works with your console itself and allows you to play all your favourite games wirelessly. Connect up with the new 8BitDo M30 or any other 8BitDo controller or existing remote that you already own and experience Sega Saturn games untethered. No more cables, no more dog knocking your controller out of your hand on the way to bark at the postman – it’s a new age of gameplay 30 years on!
The S Edition Keyboard costs $109.99 and is available to pre-order from the 8BitDo Website with worldwide shipping. Shipments will start on December 20th, so there’s a chance you could be tip-tapping away on your new keyboard before Christmas. The Retro Receiver costs $24.99 and is available to order straight away from Amazon. As I mentioned above, I’ll be putting them through their paces as soon as they arrive in the office, so keep an eye out for my review on the website and on our socials!
