8BitDo S Edition Mechanical Keyboard Review – A Stunning Peripheral Celebrating 30 Years Of The Sega Saturn

As someone who uses a keyboard every day for work when writing articles and books, I need something that can withstand some furious typing sessions. Some of you might be thinking ‘A keyboard is a keyboard,’ but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Plastic type, keycap shape, typing sound, connectivity, battery life, design – there are so many factors to consider, and of course, does it fit into the theme of my nerdy office and look ultimately retro?

We use 8BitDo keyboards for everything we write here at Retro Dodo Towers not only because of how customisable they are and easy to use for long writing sessions but because of how much thought goes into the design process for each piece. The S Edition Sega Saturn 30th anniversary keyboard has been designed with every nuance of the Sega Saturn in mind, creating the ultimate tribute piece to one of Sega’s most exciting consoles. It comes with a tonne of extras perfect for every Sega fan to spruce up their workspace and some neat features that pay homage to the Saturn Controller too.

Thanks to 8BitDo for sending this mechanical keyboard for us to review. As always, we never charge for reviews and all opinions are my own.

• Price: $109.99 RRP
• What’s In The Box – 8BitDo S Edtion Keyboard, 8BitDo Dual Super Buttons, Sega Saturn Themed Wrist Rest, Sega Saturn Keycaps, Keycap Puller, 2.4G Adapter, USB Cable, Collector’s Card, Instruction Manual, Super Button Stickers.
• Keyboard Dimensions: 376.6mm wide x 169.6mm high x 46.8mm deep
• Weight: 1050g
• Connection Type: Wireless 2.4G, Bluetooth, Wired USB
• Compatabilty: Windows 10 and above, Android 9.0 and above (also works with Mac but not full compatability)
• Available From: 8BitDo

Getting To Grips With The 8BitDo S Edition Keyboard

8BitDo knows how to make stunning peripherals. Everything about this keyboard and indeed the other editions in their retro range manage to take you on a trip down memory lane with every tap of the space bar or turn of the volume dial. They’ve chosen to celebrate 30 years of the Sega Saturn with a keyboard that can take you back to the days of Sonic R, Panzer Dragoon Saga, and VR Virtua Racing.

Open the cardboard parcel and you’re met with a box with the 30th Anniversary logo on it, with some extra keycaps, a wrist rest, and a keycap puller inside. It’s all perfectly packaged and secure, with the Saturn controller button keycaps coming in their own little pouch nestled within foam inlays. I’ll get onto these in a minute because I want to talk about the keyboard itself first.

You know you’re holding a premium product from the moment you take it out of the box. It has a nice weight to it without it being super heavy – I can lift it up with one hand to move around the office, but this isn’t designed to be something that you sling in your backpack and take with you on the train or to a friend’s house. It’s a Limited Edition piece, after all, so it’s designed to stay in your office or games room to give the place an extra nostalgic boost.

Dialing Into The Design Choices

Let’s talk about the dials and features on the S Edition. Instead of having buttons for Power or Volume, 8BitDo use dials for that extra retro feel. There’s something inherently nostalgic about actually grabbing a dial and turning it to crank up the volume of your background music – it feels like I’m back in the music studios at university analysing old Led Zeppelin songs. Users can turn the Power knob left to turn on Bluetooth which is by far the easiest way of connecting your keyboard to your computer, or you can use the included USB stick in the back for a wireless 2.4G connection.

You can see from the picture above that there are 3 coloured buttons in the colours of the Sega Saturn gamepad, the first of many little details that 8BitDo has implemented to create a feeling of sitting in front of the Saturn. There’s the green pairing button for hooking up via Bluetooth, a yellow Fast Mapping button for setting up your Super Buttons with one-push commands, and a Profile button for using the PC software for mapping your keyboard. I’ll touch more on how to set up Fast Mapping in a second.

Note – I use my 8BitDo keyboards with a Mac, and as 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software is incompatible with Mac, I have been unable to test the Profile button. In all honesty, it’s not something I need in my line of work and hasn’t impacted my use of the keyboard whatsoever, but the software is free to download from the 8BitDo website for anyone wanting to get intricate with their button mapping.

Take a look at that Power Indicator because it’s something you’re going to see a lot of – this keyboard lasts 200 hours off a 4-hour charge which is absolutely amazing. In all the time I’ve been using my C64 Mechanical Keyboard, I’ve only ever charged it once, so it’s certainly not the kind of power-hungry device that’s going to eat away at your electricity bills or suddenly run out on you halfway through an important article or chapter submission. You can always connect up to your computer via the included USB cable if that does happen, however, relying on good old-fashioned cables instead of all this new-age wireless business we retro gamers don’t understand.

I love the blue indicator as opposed to the typical red indicator as it’s a little less harsh and more akin to the buttons used on the dark grey Sega Saturn. If I’m going to be super critical, it should probably be green to fit in with the Power Indicator on the original variant of the console on which the keyboard is based, but I’m splitting hairs here. If anything, it’s a neutral, calming colour that doesn’t keep catching my eye and causes me to procrastinate (which is all too easy to do these days…).

A Keyboard That’s Well Connected

It can’t pull out its phone and call Riley Testut up to chat about whether Sega Saturn is coming to Delta, but you certainly won’t get stuck when it comes to connecting this thing up to your laptop or computer. Flip the keyboard over and you’ll see a little slide-out block that’s actually a USB wireless 2.4G dongle. It looks a little like one of those blocks Mario smashes, but as this is a Sega-themed console we’ll say that it’s been dug up from Green Hill Zone instead. If you do choose to use a 2.4G connection instead of Bluetooth, then just flip the Power dial from ‘BT’ to ‘2.4’ after plugging in the USB stick.

You can see the dongle slotted neatly away in the back of the keyboard there above the 30th Anniversay symbol and the important fine print about the keyboard’s voltage and country of origin. One thing I will say while you’re looking at the back of the keyboard is that I wish those rubber feet were adjustable ones. I have to use a little folded paper receipt under the top-right corner to level it out on my desk. Arguably that’s a desk problem and not the keyboard, but it would make life easier if I didn’t have to keep searching around for the piece of paper whenever I move things around on my desk.

The Key(s) To Success

I never thought that I would get this into keycaps when I was a kid, but I’ve got to say that the S Edition is a joy to type on. I’ve used lots of flat keyboards in my time being an Apple user, but they don’t offer the same typing experience or the same ASMR feels that using a mechanical keyboard does. When I start typing fast on these 8BitDo keyboards it sounds a little like a horse galloping over gravel. It’s the closest I’ll probably get to sounding like I’m typing on a typewriter in an old movie too, but I’m ok with that.

So, let’s talk keycaps. The S Edition keyboard uses 87 Dye-sublimation PBT keycaps with MDA-like height. It’s not a sentence that you use in everyday life, that’s for sure, but when it comes to keyboards, it’s all very important. PBT is an abbreviation of Polybutylene Terephthalate; it’s a durable plastic and one that is more expensive than its commonly used counterpart ABS, or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene if you want to call it by its proper name (I’m really fun at parties…).

Having used ABS keycaps for a while now, I’m really enjoying the feel of the PBT caps; they feel more matt to the touch and less shiny, and the clunk that they make when typing is somewhat softer than other keyboards that use ABS keycaps. The difference to most people who might use a keyboard now and again is arguably minimal, but I’ve got to say, I think I’ll stick with PBT from now on.

Now let’s talk about the MDA-like height part, because again, if you’re at your keyboard all day, this is the writer’s equivalent of a footballer wearing different shoes or a cyclist using specific frames. Lots of keyboards use an SA profile to the keycaps – they’re quite high and have a spherical depression in them. I like the style and you feel like your finger is really hitting home with them, especially with the satisfying ‘thadunk’ they make when typing, but MDA-like height keycaps offer a more streamlined typing session. Their height is less staggered, the depression in the top less pronounced, and I feel like I can type faster with this setup. Again, these are small things that won’t really affect the life of a casual keyboard user who is just after aesthetics, but if you do type a lot, then it’s worth paying attention to.

One thing we would like to see in the future is the ability to swap out the keycaps for different languages so that users from all over the globe can enjoy 8BitDo products. I know that it would make a lot of our readers who are not native English speakers happy, so hopefully that’s an option that 8BitDo could provide for future models. I know a lot of people would like to have a Numpad attached to the keypad too; 8BitDo has opened up orders for their full-size 108 keyboard with a Numpad attached, but I don’t tend to use the Numpad much for my work so it’s not something I’m currently missing, and I like the shorter scale of this keyboard as it fits nicely next to my Apple Magic Mouse. Having said that, having a Numpad that doubles up as a calculator is a nice idea, so if 8BitDo release a Saturn Numpad to go with this thing, I’ll probably end up buying it… I have no self-control when it comes to nerdy stuff.

Adding The Saturn Controller KeyCaps

One of the things I love the most about this keyboard is the coloured keycaps that mimic the original Sega Saturn controller’s buttons, and the red space bar that perfectly points my mind towards the ‘open’ button that was front and center on the console. With grey XYZ buttons and colored ABC caps, it adds some extra interest to the keyboard and makes me smile when I’m using it. It’s just cool; it serves no other purpose than to be nostalgic and fun, and that’s why I’m such a big fan of it. I sometimes catch myself pressing the grey Y or the green A (which let’s face it, there’s a lot of in my name) and it takes me back to being a kid playing the Saturn. So in short, this keyboard is 100% doing its job.

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This keyboard uses something called a hot-swappable PCB which means that the keycaps can be easily removed and swapped out as opposed to being soldered to the plate in the keyboard; you can see how easy it was for me to change the keys in the Instagram video above. The keyboard comes with a keycap puller that you essentially just put over a keycap, twist a little so the corners of the tool are underneath the plastic, and then pull. All you need to do then is push the new keycap into place afterward, and you’re done.

It’s worth noting that if you want to keep your space bar with the model number of your limited edition keyboard on safe and in pristine condition, then you can swap it by taking out both of the Alt buttons on either side and then gently lifting the space bar off with your fingers. I’ve kept mine on for the time being because it’s a novelty, but it could be something I do in the future. The A, B, & C buttons do stand a little taller than the other keys on the board too but nothing that means your fingers will smack into them while typing. It’s a small difference and one that I find helps me know where I am when I lose my place while touch typing.

Assigning Commands With The Super Buttons

Let’s talk about the super buttons because they are (surprisingly) super useful at increasing productivity when you’re working. Even just setting them up as ‘copy’ and ‘paste’ buttons makes life much easier, or having one as an ‘undo’ button instead of hitting Ctrl-Z (or Win-Z in my case as I’m using a Macbook) makes you feel much better about rectifying your mistakes. I have one set up to bring up the screenshot-taking window as it’s a fiddly combination compared to just pressing one massive red button.

Setting up commands is easy – all you need to do is press the yellow star button at the top of the keyboard and the light will start to flash. Then just hold down the command you want to assign to one of your super buttons and press the button. That’s it – you’ve programmed your Super Button and, as long as it’s plugged into the port on the back, you can use it whenever you please! I now have two sets of these buttons from my keyboard reviews and am living a button-mashing life in my office, a skill I’ve honed through years of playing Super Smash. Bros games. You can have up to four sets plugged into the ports shown above, so get creative with your commands!

Say Goodbye To RSI

I never thought a wrist rest would become one of my favorite office items either, but here we are. As the casing of the keyboards is higher than an Apple Magic Keyboard, for example, it does mean that you tend to have your wrists at more of an angle when trying which, when held for prolonged periods, can lead to repetitive strain syndrome or ‘RSI’. The wrist rest raises your hands and provides a soft surface for you to… well, rest your wrists on. I guess the clue is in the name.

Designed in the same colour scheme as the keyboard itself, it has the number 19941122 on it, which when split up gives the year, month, and day that the console was launched in the American date format – 1994, 11, 22, which is the 22nd of November 1994. Pretty clever, right? The symbols on the D-pad also make up the bulk of the Konami code too, a cheat code that was pretty much a first port of call for any games we got stuck on back in the 90s. This thing is full of Easter eggs, huh?

How Does It Compare To The C64 Edition?

As many of you will know, I’ve been using the C64 Edition keyboard that 8BitDo released earlier this year, and I say that ‘many of you will know’ because I try to get it in every picture that I take because it looks awesome. Both keyboards have very similar features like N-key rollover (the keyboard registering every button in a sequence separately as opposed to one big jumbled mess), volume dals, Super Button ports, and the 87-key layout. Where they differ is in the keycaps themselves.

The C64 keyboard uses ABS keycaps with SA height. They feel ever-so-slightly greasy to the touch after a while, and I can definitely tell that the S Edition has gone for a more premium feel with the PBT caps. That being said, ABS was very popular back at the time when the C64 released, so as a design choice it fits perfectly and makes total sense. It’s era-appropriate, and I can’t argue with that. As I said previously, I like the MDA-like height as opposed to the SA style as my spidery fingers can move across the board quicker, but it works for the C64 as, twinned with the color scheme, it gives the Retro Commodore 64 aesthetic users will undoubtedly are buying it for.

In terms of shape and weight, the keyboards are identical. The main difference as you can see from the picture above is the designs, and that’s purely because of the subject matter. The Original XBOX keyboard 8BitDo is releasing has the same bare bones but is completely different again in terms of looks, and that’s why I’ll keep collecting 8BitDo keyboards until I have no room left in my office.

Final Thoughts

If it isn’t apparent that I love this keyboard, then I’m not sure what else I can say. It’s designed perfectly, pays homage to an iconic retro console, and has some great productivity features in the Super Buttons. It sounds like I’m hacking into a mainframe in a James Bond movie whenever I use it, and despite me using a Mac instead of a PC, I can still use it without any hiccups. It’s a great addition to my office, and the wrist rest should hopefully keep my wrists nimble for many years to come (something I seriously didn’t think I would ever say when I was a kid).

The fact that it comes with coloured buttons that mimic the Sega Saturn’s controller is brilliant, and with the keycap puller in the box, you’ve got everything you need to swap in the included keys or even add your own. All in all it’s a great unit that, if it had adjustable feet on it so I didn’t have to rely on my folded-up receipt to level it on my wonky desk, would have got a full 10 across the board! I don’t think we’ll see a version with a Numpad as it’s a limited edition set, and the fact that there’s a 108 keycap model in the Retro NES design will undoubtedly please most people. All in all, the 8BitDo S Edition mechanical keyboard is a great addition to any office, and I hope this review has helped you to decide whether it’s the right keyboard for you!