8BitDo is known for making retro gaming-themed peripherals, and it's now expanded that line-up with two more products in a transparent green color way reminiscent of the original Microsoft Xbox gaming console. The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard has received a refresh in classic transparent Xbox colors, and 8BitDo has launched its first gaming mouse, the Retro R8 Mouse in the same color way. The new colorway incorporates the expected transparent green plastic enclosures for the mouse and keyboard and also features bright red, yellow, blue, and green accent colors that, following the traditional ABXY button colors. Both the new Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard ($199.99) and Retro R8 Mouse ($59.99) are available for pre-order on Amazon, although it looks like the initial batches on the mouse have sold out for now.

While 8BitDo has opted for Kailh Jellyfish X switches, likely for their transparent appearance, the hardware changes to the Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard are mostly limited to the transparent green case, keycaps, and extra macro buttons. The mouse, on the other hand, bears further inspection, since it's a new product category for 8BitDo. On a surface level, the 8BitDo Retro R8 Mouse looks like a typical ambidextrous gaming mouse, with a claimed eight programmable buttons, USB-C, 2.4 GHz, and Bluetooth LE connectivity, and up to 26,000 DPI resolution. While it's not advertised as a lightweight mouse, it's certainly not heavy for a wireless mouse, coming in at 77 g. The Retro R8 Mouse also comes with a matching charging dock, which 8BitDo says will charge the mouse to 100% in 2.5 hours and acts as a signal extender. 8BitDo claims that the mouse can achieve between 26 and 105 hours of use from its 450 mAh Li-ion battery in wireless mode, depending on the polling rate and connectivity mode.As for the rest of the Retro R8 Mouse's technical specifications, 8BitDo is using Kailh Sword GM X Micro switches, which have an actuation force of around 60 gf, a release force of 25 gf, and a 100,000,000-click quoted lifespan. It also uses the PAW 3395 optical sensor, and users can use the DPI button on the top of the mouse to switch between six DPI settings. Like many other modern gaming mice, the 8BitDo Retro R8 has an 8 kHz polling rate in wired mode, with 2.4 GHz dropping that down to up to 4 kHz, and Bluetooth dropping that further to 125 Hz. The Retro R8 mouse uses a USB type-A 2.4 GHz receiver, which can be stowed in the bottom of the mouse when not in use.

Unlike previous 8BitDo keyboards, the Xbox Retro 87 actually has per-key RGB backlighting, with 8 RGB modes, to accent the transparent keycaps. It also retains the mode selector knob and volume knob in the top left corner of the keyboard, and the keyboard's lighting, key maps, profiles, macros, and lighting can be configured in the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2, which is exclusive to Windows.