8BitDo’s Xbox Edition mechanical keyboard

On By Pranco

It’s officially licensed and all!

8BitDo first made a splash on the scene with its retro controllers. Taking the size and style of classic controllers and adding modern touches. Bluetooth, vibration, analog sticks and extra shoulder buttons. Over time, 8BitDo has expanded its offering to include keyboards. First with the Retro Mechanical Keyboard inspired by the NES and Famicom systems and now with a transparent Xbox-inspired keyboard.

As announced on 8BitDo’s websitethe new Xbox Edition keyboard takes its design cues from the original transparent Xbox.

For those of you who haven’t fallen down the mechanical keyboard rabbit hole yet… A mechanical keyboard uses mechanical switches with moving parts that make physical contact within the switch. This is in contrast to the typical membrane keyboard. Which uses a contact pad and two contacts to complete a circuit. Why? Well, because the mechanical switches offer better tactile feedback, improved modularity, longer lifespan and greater adaptability. Mechanical switches are easy to replace and allow users to change the feel of the keyboard or replace broken or unresponsive keys.

The Xbox edition offers several features: including an Xbox button to display the game bar, RGB backlighting, multiple connection modes (wired, 2.4Ghz, Bluetooth), an aluminum plate, N-Key rollover, dual-layer ABS keycaps and a hot-swappable PCB (meaning you can easily swap out your switches).

This keyboard fits very well with the transparent 8BitDo Retro R8 Mouse Xbox Edition. With a cool charging dock, programmable buttons, three connection modes and DPI adjustment. 8BitDo releases custom software that allows users to customize keyboard and mouse functions. This allows users to set custom macros and change key functions or RGB behavior.

The 8BitDo keyboards have been the subject of rave reviews and are definitely worth checking out. It is now available for pre-order. More information about the Xbox edition can be found here here. If you’re looking for a new PC controller, check it out no further.