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Head to head · Prices checked Oct 28, 2026

8BitDo Retro87 vs PBTfans Agar Mini

Get the 8BitDo Retro87 for the 4,000 mAh battery.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

8BitDo Retro87

Battery

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

Rules this board out

  • No numpad.

Get the

PBTfans Agar Mini

Build quality in the bottom 45% of 40% boards under $300.

Rules this board out

  • Compact layout only. No function row, dedicated arrow keys, or 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

PBTfans Agar Mini

  • Layout size

    80%

    40%

  • Connection

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Bluetooth

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Battery

    4,000 mAh

    300 mAh

    A larger battery means fewer cables during the day

  • Case material

    Aluminum, Plastic

    Aluminum, Polycarbonate

  • Mount style

    Top Mount

    Gasket Mount

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • 8BitDo Retro87
  • PBTfans Agar Mini
Performance
63
43
Build quality
53
70
Productivity
73
60
Customizability
68
52
Portability
77
81

What they share

  • Hot-swappable
See every spec side by side

Full specs

8BitDo Retro87 vs PBTfans Agar Mini specs

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

15 of 24 specs differ

8BitDo Retro87

PBTfans Agar Mini

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky
—

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Top Mount
Gasket Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

80%
40%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

Yes
No

Display

None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Bluetooth

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
—

Battery

4,000 mAhBetter
300 mAh

USB-C

Yes
No

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum, Plastic
Aluminum, Polycarbonate

Plate material

Aluminum
Aluminum, CarbonFiber, FR4, Polycarbonate

Keycaps

ABS
PBT

Weight

1,100 g
—

Dimensions

46 x 169 x 376 mm
—

Typing angle

—
9°

Backlight

RGB
None

Firmware & software

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
No

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.

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