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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 7, 2026

8BitDo Retro87 vs AULA HERO84

Get the AULA HERO84 for hall effect and the 8,000 Hz polling rate.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

8BitDo Retro87

Build quality in the bottom 40% of 80% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • No numpad.

Get the

AULA HERO84

Hall effect

Build quality in the bottom 35% of 75% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • No numpad.

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 Retro87

AULA HERO84

  • Layout size

    80%

    75%

  • Hall effect (magnetic)

    No

    Yes

    Adjustable actuation helps in games and not in normal typing

  • Connection

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Max polling rate

    1,000 Hz

    8,000 Hz

    Higher polling helps competitive FPS and does nothing for typing

  • Case material

    Aluminum, Plastic

    ABS

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • 8BitDo Retro87
  • AULA HERO84
Performance
63
91
Build quality
53
57
Productivity
73
76
Customizability
68
58
Portability
77
63

What they share

  • Hot-swappable
See every spec side by side

Full specs

8BitDo Retro87 vs AULA HERO84 specs

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

14 of 23 specs differ

8BitDo Retro87

AULA HERO84

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky
Magnetic

Hall effect (magnetic)

No
Yes

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Top Mount
Tray Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

80%
75%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

Yes
No

Display

None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
8,000 HzBetter

Battery

4,000 mAh
Wired only

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum, Plastic
ABS

Plate material

Aluminum
Steel

Keycaps

ABS
—

Weight

1,100 g
910 g

Dimensions

46 x 169 x 376 mm
43 x 322 x 138 mm

Backlight

RGB
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

N-key rollover

Yes
Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2024
2025

Where to buy

Compare prices

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

Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

AULA HERO842 stores

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