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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

8BitDo Retro18 Numpad vs LUMINKEY Nova Kine

Get the LUMINKEY Nova Kine for the 3,000 mAh battery and via.

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What actually differs

The differences that matter

Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.

8BitDo Retro18 Numpad

LUMINKEY Nova Kine

  • Battery

    1,000 mAh

    3,000 mAh

    A larger battery means fewer cables during the day

  • Case material

    Aluminum, Plastic

    Aluminum

  • Display

    Yes

    None

    A case display rather than a typing feature

  • VIA

    No

    Yes

    GUI remapping without compiling firmware

  • Keycaps

    ABS, PBT

    PBT

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • 8BitDo Retro18 Numpad
  • LUMINKEY Nova Kine
Performance
53
46
Build quality
69
70
Productivity
49
53
Customizability
50
56
Portability
83
86

What they share

  • Layout size: Numpad
  • Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
  • Hot-swappable
  • Mount style: Top Mount
See every spec side by side

Full specs

8BitDo Retro18 Numpad vs LUMINKEY Nova Kine specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

7 of 17 specs differ

8BitDo Retro18 Numpad

LUMINKEY Nova Kine

Typing & switches

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Top Mount
Top Mount

Layout

Layout size

Numpad
Numpad

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Display

Yes
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Battery

1,000 mAh
3,000 mAhBetter

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum, Plastic
Aluminum

Keycaps

ABS, PBT
PBT

Weight

300 g
—

Dimensions

46 x 104 x 170 mm
—

Backlight

None
None

Firmware & software

VIA

No
Yes

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Extras

Released

2024
2026

Where to buy

Compare prices

Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.

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