8BitDo's Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard and Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller get N64-themed colors

8BitDo is known to announce special editions of its gaming and PC accessories. Some of these special edition products are sometimes based on games, while others are based on retro consoles and computers. However, its latest special edition products are based on the Nintendo N64 console which was released exactly 30 years ago.

The new products are new colors for the Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard and the Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller both of which have been announced first in China. Both products are available in a translucent blue color called Clear Blue which is one of the colors the Nintendo 64 console was released in.

According to 8BitDo, the new products have been released in celebration of the Nintendo 64's 30th anniversary, so for the sake of clarity, we will refer to them as the Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard N64 Edition and the Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller N64 Edition.

The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard N64 Edition features so many nods to the retro console. Apart from the translucent blue color, the keyboard has yellow arrow keys similar to the C-buttons on the gray original N64 controller and the Classic Grey 8BitDo 64 Bluetooth Controller.

The keyboard also has two keys marked A and B which are in the same blue and green colors as the ones on the N64 controller while the left Ctrl key is red like the start button on the controller. The rest of the keys are clear blue like the keyboard while the knobs and buttons at the top are gray.

The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard N64 Edition comes with two Super Buttons in a matching color, however, unlike the wireless Super Buttons of the 8BitDo Retro 68 Keyboard AP50th Limited Edition, these are not wireless. The keyboard has an aluminum plate, hot-swappable PCB, and features 8BitDo Cloud Gray Linear Mechanical Switches that were co-developed with HUANO. It also has a dedicated button at the top right corner for calling up the Xbox Game Bar.

Other features of the keyboard are support for N-key rollover; Bluetooth, wired, and 2.4GHz wireless connectivity; customization (mapping and macro) using the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2; and compatibility with Windows and Android. The keyboard is available to buy in China for ¥529 (~$78/€69) and $99.99 in the US. 8BitDo says buyers can pre-order the keyboard on its eshop ahead of its release on August 14. A listing has also appeared on Amazon, although it is currently said to be unavailable.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless has been announced in multiple colors and editions based on video games such as the Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and the Honkai: Star Rail editions. However, this is the first version that is based on a game console.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller N64 Edition features a translucent blue top shell, colored ABXY buttons, a translucent white D-pad, and grey thumbsticks. On the other hand, the bottom shell is a translucent white like the shoulder and trigger buttons, while the two back buttons are blue. The controller comes with a gray charging dock.

Like the other versions of the Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller, this too has the same features such as TMR thumbsticks, RGB rings, six-axis motion sensor, a 1000hz polling rate (wired and 2.4GHz modes), and support for Windows, Android, SteamOS, and Apple devices.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller N64 Edition is priced at ¥269 (~$40/€35) in China and $59.99 in the US. It is available to order from the 8BitDo website and from Amazon. Unlike the keyboard, it is available now.