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Head to head · Prices checked Oct 30, 2026

8BitDo Retro87 vs Keychron R5

Get the 8BitDo Retro87 for knob.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

8BitDo Retro87

Knob

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

Rules this board out

  • No numpad.

Get the

Keychron R5

Build quality in the top 50% of 96% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.

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

Keychron R5

  • Layout size

    80%

    96%

  • Case material

    Aluminum, Plastic

    ABS

  • Switch options

    Clicky

    Linear, Tactile

  • Mount style

    Top Mount

    Plate Mount

  • Knob

    Yes

    No

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • 8BitDo Retro87
  • Keychron R5
Performance
63
79
Build quality
53
63
Productivity
73
84
Customizability
68
78
Portability
77
54

What they share

  • Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
  • Hot-swappable
  • Battery: 4,000 mAh
  • Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
See every spec side by side

Full specs

8BitDo Retro87 vs Keychron R5 specs

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

12 of 24 specs differ

8BitDo Retro87

Keychron R5

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky
Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Top Mount
Plate Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

80%
96%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

Yes
No

Display

None
None

Media keys

No
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

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

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

Battery

4,000 mAh
4,000 mAh

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum, Plastic
ABS

Plate material

Aluminum
Plastic

Keycaps

ABS
PBT

Weight

1,100 g
—

Dimensions

46 x 169 x 376 mm
—

Backlight

RGB
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

No
Yes

N-key rollover

Yes
Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2024
2026

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.

Keychron R52 stores

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