All of the articles I write for Retro Dodo are written using the 87-key 8BitDo Retro Keyboard based on the C64. It’s the very same keyboard you can see in my review of the unit I did earlier this year and both looks and sounds incredible. Yes, I did write ‘sounds’, because typing on this thing is like a writer’s ASMR paradise!
For people like me who just use it for typing and some Retro Gaming, it’s perfect, though I can imagine office workers looking to add some Retro feels to their setup would need the additional Numpad to sit on the side, a unit that doubles up as a Numpad and a calculator for all those important sums and figures that people in business need to keep on top of (did I sound like I know what business people do there? Good, let’s move on).
Instead of messing around with a Numpad to make the 87-key keyboard seem full-size, 8BitDo are releasing their new Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard in January, and it’s available to pre-order on Amazon now. As you might guess from the name, it’s built with 108 keys instead of 87 and based on the NES/Famicom theme of the keyboard which Brandon uses on a daily basis (we’re team 8BitDo here at Retro Dodo Towers!).
Just like the 87-key variant, the new wider keyboard uses PBT keycaps that can be switched out as well as swappable PCBs to create a different sound when tapping away. Expect N-key rollover, which as you’ll know from my review of the 87-key variant means that the keyboard registers each button pressed rather than just a disordered mess of commands, great for complicated gaming sequences or cheats. It also has Kailh box switches to make sure your keycaps fit snugly and don’t wobble like cheaper keyboards.
You’ll find all the same toggles and switches from the previous shorter keyboard as well as new features such as mute and a screen lock. Honestly, the volume dial makes me feel like I’m working with an old-school recording desk, which is coincidentally what I went to university to do! This model also has magnetic foldable feet which I seriously wish mine had! It’s worth noting that it’s set up for PC but will also work on a Mac – you’ll just need to remember that the ‘Win’ button is the ‘Command’ button and not all the buttons on the top of the keyboard will correspond with the correct actions.
So how much does this keyboard cost? Well, it’s currently on Amazon for $119.99/£99.99 and comes with programmable hotkey buttons which are great if you use shortcuts a lot on creative programs. These keyboards look the bees-knees next to an old CRT and a SNES, creating the perfect Retro Gaming office set up for you to work in. Yes, they’re more expensive than bog-standard keyboards, but the quality is superb, and again, they make you sound like Bob Cratchit writing on a typewriter – what’s not to love?
