Over the years I’ve been doing this job, I’ve had a lot of mechanical keyboards grace my desk. Most of the time, though, there’s one thing about them that I don’t like for personal use; The layout.
Because the U.S. is by far the dominant market (and the biggest target for our content) almost every time one of these hot new keyboards comes in for review it has a U.S. layout.
That might sound like a nothingburger, and I’d say I agree about 80% of the way. But there are quirks with the U.S. layout that I just don’t like, so when the review is over, I’ll often switch back to something else with a U.K. layout.
8BitDo has come in clutch, though, finally offering its retro-inspired mechanical keyboards with other localized layouts that are more fitting for those of us in Europe, including, yes, a proper U.K. layout.
That means I have my beloved giant Enter key back, everything is in the place my fingers expect it to be, and thank goodness, a £ key as well. Like the good lord of keyboards intended.
What this means is that I can finally fully dive into using one and properly appreciate it as my everyday keyboard, which is what it became within about 35 seconds of using it. It’s not perfect, and it certainly isn’t for everyone, but for what it is, I think it’s absolutely superb. It’s going to take something special to stop me using this thing.
Stunning retro design, layouts to suit all
When you’ve been typing as long as I have, your fingers have a mind of their own. I never look at the keyboard when I’m typing, and switching to a U.S. layout does interfere with this at times. Some of the symbols aren’t in the same place, the Enter key is way too small (seriously, who thought that was a good thing) and I make more mistakes.
The UK layout of the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard has fixed all of that. Nothing else about the keyboard has changed, it just means that I’m enjoying it a lot more than if I’d caved and got one in with the U.S. layout.
The design isn’t just about how it looks, either. While the C64-inspired design of the version I have is deliciously old-school brown, the size is perfect, too. There’s no numberpad to get in the way (I get it, some people LOVE numberpads) and there are some handy buttons and dials on the top.
One is for volume, one is to quickly toggle between Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless, and three buttons to interact with the keyboard’s other features, admittedly, none that I’ll be using on a day-to-day basis.
The retro feel goes beyond just the look, too. Like old school keyboards, there are no height adjustable feet on this, it’s fixed the whole time, but the keys are aligned in a curved layout, so it’s always comfortable to type on.
The keys slope upwards from the Spacebar, not severely, but just enough to give it some good ergonomics. The switches underneath are Kailh White, which is something I haven’t tested before, but I like them.
Keyboard makers were onto something back in the day. The sound of the keys is also retro-esque. I’m not suggesting it’s exactly the same sound as you’d have heard decades ago, but it has that tone, particularly from the Spacebar and Backspace. There’s a nice thunk, you don’t have to press particularly hard, but it’s a satisfying typing experience for sure.
I will point out that while it does have some weight to it, it does have that hollow feeling, and the plastics may not be to everyone’s liking. They’re fine, it’s not as if it feels cheap, but if you’re used to the most premium of keyboards, you may be disappointed. Then again, at this price point, there’s nothing really to complain about.
Interesting and innovative accessory package
As with the U.S. layout version of the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard you get some additional goodies included. These are a little old-school joystick, which, again, I’m not really the target audience for, and two big red buttons. Oh, and some stickers to put on the buttons if you wish.
The buttons in particular caught my eye, because they’re potentially great news for accessibility. They connect to one of the ports on the back of the keyboard, and with the companion app you’re able to program the keyboard operation they fulfill.
They’re called “Super Buttons,” and while I haven’t personally found a glaring use case for them, that they exist at all is nothing to snigger at.
The software allows you to map simple functions to the buttons, or if you’re in need of something more detailed, you can set up your own macros, too.
Additionally, it has a hot-swappable PCB, and while the promotional material does show the Doubleshot ABS keycaps removed from the keyboard, I haven’t actually been able to pull them off. And I’m not trying any harder.
It’s not as though you’d buy a keyboard like this, though, and slap on some custom keycaps. If you’re buying one, it’s surely to embrace the brown.
The Xbox version is quite similar to this
Also of note is that there is, in the U.S. at least, a version of this keyboard dressed up in an official Xbox paint job. That version isn’t exactly the same as the C64-inspired design I have, but it’s close. The Xbox version uses different switches, and has RGB backlighting.
The C64 did not have backlit keys, therefore, neither does this version of the keyboard. That could be a dealbreaker for you, but I find it refreshing to just have a good-looking keyboard that isn’t blinking at me.
The Xbox version also has the Super Buttons, but no joystick, and additionally has an Xbox button that can be used to quickly open the Game Bar on Windows 11.
Whether you buy the Xbox version, this C64 version, the NES-inspired design or the one based on a very famous old IBM keyboard, you’re getting something special. If you don’t like Tenkeyless keyboards, there are some versions with an integrated numberpad, but 8BitDo also sells a separate one, should you decide down the line you need it.
It’s a nice little lineup they’ve got here, made all the better by having a wider range of localized layouts. I always wanted one of these, and I’m so glad that it lived up to expectations.
