8BitDo Retro 87 Keyboard (Clear Blue): Specs, Features, Pros & Cons
Most of the decision here comes down to whether you want the oversized macro buttons. 8BitDo ships a separate module carrying two of them to sit beside the board, assignable without opening any software. If you stream, edit, or play something where a large physical button is genuinely useful, that is a real feature at this price. If not, it is desk space and a look that will not suit every office.
The board itself is more serious than the styling suggests — hot-swappable, on an aluminium plate, with three ways to connect.
Category strengths
Where the 8BitDo Retro 87 Keyboard (Clear Blue) beats the average
- More connection options ?
- Has hot-swappable switches ?
- Has rotary knob ?
- Has n-key rollover ?
- Has configuration software ?
- Has media controls ?
- Has programmable keys ?
Where the 8BitDo Retro 87 Keyboard (Clear Blue) trails the average
- Much shorter battery life ?200 h vs 1,517.29 h (avg)
- No rapid trigger ?
- No adjustable actuation ?
- A smaller battery ?2,000 mAh vs 3,406.43 mAh (avg)
- No analog input ?
- No USB passthrough ?
Editor’s note
Most of the decision here comes down to whether you want the Dual Super Buttons. 8BitDo ships this keyboard with a separate module carrying two oversized programmable buttons that sit beside the board, and you can assign macros to them without opening any software. If you stream, edit, or play something where a large physical button is genuinely useful, that is a real feature at this price. If you do not, it is a chunk of desk space and a look that will not suit every office.
The board itself is more serious than the styling suggests. It is a hot-swappable 87-key TKL on an aluminum plate with a top-mount structure, running 8BitDo's own Cloud Gray linear switches co-developed with HUANO, with n-key rollover and RGB in eight modes shining through double-layered keycaps. Hot-swap is the part I would weigh most heavily: if you do not get on with the Cloud Gray linears, you change the switches rather than the keyboard. Connectivity covers Bluetooth, 2.4GHz and USB-C, and the chassis carries a volume knob and a second control dial.
The limitation that would stop me is platform support. 8BitDo lists Windows and Android, and Ultimate Software V2 is Windows-only, so a Mac user buying this for the looks is buying a keyboard they cannot fully configure. There is also no published polling rate or latency figure, which matters if you are cross-shopping against boards advertising 8000Hz. And 8BitDo does not list gasket mounting, case foam or any sound dampening, so do not assume the muted typing sound that a top-mount aluminum build sometimes implies.
At the official $99.99 it is fair value for a hot-swappable wireless TKL with real character. Buy it for the switches and the Super Buttons, not on the assumption that it behaves like a modern gasket-mounted enthusiast board.
Specifications
Quality bars are generated automatically against 95 other keyboards.
Switches & typing
The key switch technology; later types are generally more responsive.
The specific switch used (e.g. Cherry MX Red).
The force needed to register a key; lower is lighter to type on.
Swap switches without soldering.
Registers every simultaneous keypress.
Set the actuation point per key (analog / Hall-effect boards).
Keys report their travel depth for variable gamepad-style input and multi-stage actions.
Performance
How often the keyboard reports input; higher can reduce latency.
End-to-end keypress latency over a wired connection; lower is better.
End-to-end keypress latency over the fastest wireless mode; lower is better.
Resets a key dynamically as it moves, enabling faster repeated inputs.
Layout & size
The keyboard size and layout.
The number of keys.
The overall width.
The overall depth.
The front case height without keycaps; lower boards can reduce wrist extension.
The keyboard's weight.
Connectivity
The supported connection types.
How many paired devices it can switch between.
Battery life for wireless models.
The rated capacity of the internal battery.
A built-in USB port for other devices.
Build & sound
Keycap plastic; PBT resists shine and wear better than ABS.
The case material (e.g. aluminium, ABS plastic).
The switch plate material, which influences stiffness and typing sound.
How larger keys are stabilised (e.g. screw-in PCB or plate-mounted).
The plate / PCB mounting style (e.g. gasket mount).
Internal foam or dampening for a quieter, fuller sound.
The per-key lighting.
Features
Remap keys and record macros.
Dedicated volume and playback controls.
A control knob for volume or custom actions.
Stores layouts on the board itself.
Companion configuration software (e.g. VIA / QMK).
Specs last verified August 21, 202623 of 34 specs verified (68%)Unverified specs show as Unknown — never estimated, never scored
Keyboards with similar specs to the 8BitDo Retro 87 Keyboard (Clear Blue)
Ratings & reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.
The bottom line
The 8BitDo Retro 87 Keyboard (Clear Blue) earns a VS Score of 41, trailing most of the 96 keyboards we compare here, at least on the spec sheet.
- Who it’s for
- Windows and Android users who want a characterful, hot-swappable wireless TKL under $100 and who will genuinely use two oversized programmable macro buttons.
- Who should look elsewhere
- Mac users. 8BitDo lists Windows and Android only, and Ultimate Software V2 is Windows-only, so you could not remap the programmable keys. Also not for anyone who needs a numpad, or who wants published latency and polling figures before buying.
- The trade-off that matters
- Character and hot-swap against polish and disclosure: an aluminum plate, top-mount build and swappable Cloud Gray linears at $99.99, but no stated polling rate or latency, no listed gasket mount or sound dampening, and a Super Buttons module that takes real desk space.
- The main alternative
- Keychron V3 Ultra 8K – the same hot-swappable triple-mode TKL formula from a keyboard-first brand, with an 8000Hz polling rate published and full macOS support. It costs more and has none of the 8BitDo styling.
The VS Score is calculated from the weighted specifications above, measured against every other keyboards we track — a shortlisting guide, not a substitute for your own priorities. See how we score.
