Not sure which keyboard to choose? Try the Keyboard Finder now!

Head to head · Prices checked Oct 31, 2026

8BitDo Retro87 vs Royal Kludge RK61

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

KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

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

Royal Kludge RK61

Build quality in the bottom 15% of 60% boards under $50.

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

Royal Kludge RK61

  • Layout size

    80%

    60%

  • Battery

    4,000 mAh

    1,450 mAh

    A larger battery means fewer cables during the day

  • Switch options

    Clicky

    Clicky, Linear, Tactile

  • Knob

    Yes

    No

  • Weight

    1,100 g

    500 g

    Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • 8BitDo Retro87
  • Royal Kludge RK61
Performance
63
56
Build quality
53
51
Productivity
73
69
Customizability
68
58
Portability
77
88

What they share

  • Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
  • Hot-swappable
See every spec side by side

Full specs

8BitDo Retro87 vs Royal Kludge RK61 specs

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

10 of 23 specs differ

8BitDo Retro87

Royal Kludge RK61

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Top Mount
—

Layout

Layout size

80%
60%

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
—

Battery

4,000 mAhBetter
1,450 mAh

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum, Plastic
—

Plate material

Aluminum
—

Keycaps

ABS
ABS, PBT

Weight

1,100 g
500 g

Dimensions

46 x 169 x 376 mm
39 x 292 x 101 mm

Typing angle

—
8°

Backlight

RGB
None

Firmware & software

N-key rollover

Yes
Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2024
2021

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.

Still torn?

Answer a few quick questions and the keyboard finder ranks 2,000+ boards by how you will actually use yours.