The accessory maker 8BitDo isn't a stranger to releasing products inspired by the NES.

In the past, for instance, it notably released an NES-inspired design for its Retro Mechanical Keyboard — one that we ended up reviewing rather favorably back in 2023, calling it "one of the more pleasant mechanical keyboards we've used" and "a solid recommendation".

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Yesterday, we reported on speculation that new US tariffs on imported goods could cause the price of retro gaming handhelds from China to rise in price.

We're now seeing various US-based manufacturers report that they may have to increase the cost of their own items for the same reason, as China is where they source their components and parts.

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8BitDo has recently announced the Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller — the next evolution of its popular third-party controller (thanks RetroDodo for the spot!).

The brand-new device was revealed yesterday and is already available to order on 8BitDo's store and Amazon. It will cost $59.99 and is compatible with Windows 10 (or above) devices via 2.4GHz or a USB-C cable, as well as Android 9.0 (or above) devices through a BlueTooth LE connection. Unlike its predecessor, the Nintendo Switch sadly doesn't seem to be among its list of supported platforms, with some online speculating this could potentially be due to the impending arrival of the Switch 2.

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A talented 3D designer and YouTuber has created an amazing new case for the Logitech K380 wireless keyboard that turns the existing device into a Game Boy-style keyboard complete with DMG-style buttons.

'The Lesser The Besser' first started documenting his process of building the case back in December of last year and has since uploaded the third and final video in the series, showing off how he turned the "CAD model into a 3d printed reality" (as spotted by Retro Dodo!).

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New European layouts are now being sold for 8BitDo's Retro Mechanical Keyboards, the company has revealed.

8BitDo's range of Retro Mechanical Keyboards first launched back in 2023 with the NES/Famicom edition and has since come to include other variants modelled after the Commodore 64 and Sega Saturn. It features Bluetooth, 2.4G wireless, and USB wired options, as well as a lot of potential for further customization, containing reprogrammable keys and a hot-swappable PCB.

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The next-gen XR glasses maker Viture has recently taken to social media to tease a new collaboration with the well-known accessory manufacturer 8BitDo (as spotted by the website Notebook Check).

According to Viture, this brand new product will be a new "one-of-a-kind" accessory for mobile gaming, which the company claims will be packed with tons of new functionalities that combine the "reliability and precision" of 8BitDo's products with its own "sleek and modern design".

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Accessory maker Genki recently launched the Save Point, a modern-day take on the memory card which allows you to add oodles of storage to your Steam Deck, smartphone or computer. The company clearly isn't content to take its foot off the gas, however, as it has just launched another crowdfunding campaign – this time for the Moonbase.

Described as "more than just a power strip", Moonbase is "a futuristic command center for your gaming setup, creative workspace, or office on the moon."

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The indie hardware developer Genki has announced a new collaboration with the technology company 8BitDo to release an SNES-inspired wireless controller, called the Genki PocketPro.

The new controller is a modified version of 8BitDo's SN30 Pro, which was inspired by the SNES gamepad and the classic PlayStation DualShock, and comes in a white translucent design with buttons modelled after the colours featured in Genki's logo.

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Accessory maker Genki has just announced its next project, and it's likely to be of interest to Steam Deck and ROG Ally owners, as well as iPhone videographers looking for more storage.

The SavePoint is a "gaming SSD" that offers up to 2TB of storage and is compatible with a wide range of devices. "Imagine carrying up to 2TB of your favourite games wherever you go," says Genki. "We’ve come a long way since Steve Jobs famously introduced '1,000 songs in your pocket.' With SavePoint, you can store 400,000 songs in a device the size of a Gameboy cartridge. With 10Gbps bandwidth, you can run AAA games directly from the drive and even boot external operating systems."

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Accessory maker 8BitDo just turned 11 – and it is marking the occasion with gold and silver SN30 Pro controllers.

Made from "zinc-alloy material" and compatible with both Switch and Windows PCs, the limited edition pads cost $99 each and are strictly limited edition.

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Accessory maker 8BitDo has just launched a series of new accessories to compliment its mechanical keyboard range, which has features NES and C64-style keyboards thus far.

The headline announcement is the Retro 18 Mechanical Numpad – "a 2-in-1 PC numpad and calculator" that works with Windows and Android, and will be available in "N, Fami, C64, and M editions."

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If you're a fan of Mobile Suit Gundam – or any mecha series in which humans pilot massive, hulking super-robots – then you're almost certainly going to want to pop the MoveMaster RSG on your Christmas list.

Described as a "hybrid joystick", the RSG (Rapid Steering Gear) works with Windows and Linux and boasts a wide selection of inputs, all of which are customizable.

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A new aftermarket USB adapter is available which allows you to use pads, keyboards and mice with your Dreamcast console.

The USB4MAPLE adapter by megavolt85 plugs into your Dreamcast's controller port and lets you use wired and wireless interface options with the console. For example, you can use an Xbox 360 wireless pad by twinning the USB4MAPLE with a PC wireless adapter.

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TR Fight Stick has confirmed that its IndieGoGo campaign for the Octopus Arcade Stick has been fully funded, hitting its top goal of $150,000 with the support of 539 backers.

With this announcement comes confirmation that the stick will also support Genesis/Mega Drive and SuperGun, bringing the total number of compatible platforms to more than 20.

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Accessory maker 8BitDo is releasing another mechanical keyboard, this time based on the iconic C64.

The second in the company's Retro Mechanical Keyboard series, which includes a NES / Famicom version, which we reviewed not so long ago. It's essentially the same deal here, just with design flourishes which mimic Commodore's popular 8-bit home computer.

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Tanita, the company behind the $460 Virtual-On Twin Stick controller for PS4, has opened pre-orders for a pedometer based on the Sega mech combat series.

Designed by Yasuhiro Mori, the graphic artist of the Virtual-On franchise, the pedometer will be available to pre-order until March 11th. It's only confirmed for Japan.

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The humble memory card occupied a vital but brief position in gaming history.

Prior to the arrival of CDs, game data was stored directly on the cartridge – The Legend of Zelda being one of the earliest examples of 'battery back-up' for games that required many hours of play before they could be completed.

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We reviewed the superb 8BitDo 2.4G Ultimate Controller a while back and found it to be one of the best options on the market if you're looking for a low-latency pad for your gaming systems (which includes Switch, although 8BitDo doesn't do a good job of advertising that fact).

The company has now announced that it has made this pad even better by including drift-free Hall Effect sticks – and it has also released a new colour option, purple. As Prince fans, this is excellent news for us.

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We all love console gaming – it’s probably the reason why you’re here reading this. Like us, you've probably spent a disproportionate amount of time fiddling with controllers and accessories over the years, many of which were swiftly adopted (and many just as quickly forgotten).

The NES Zapper, the absolutely mad analogue TV aerial for the Game Gear, the near-mythical Power Glove – we could go on. But as video games have risen to become the dominant home entertainment juggernaut that they are today, it feels like some of that uniqueness has been squeezed out to make room for consistent, mainstream functionality.

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We recently went hands-on with the Octopus Arcade Stick, a controller which aims to be the only arcade stick you'll ever need.

While the unit we demoed only worked on the Dreamcast, the team behind it is looking to make it compatible with as many systems as possible – assuming its crowdfunding stretch goals are met.

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Turkish company TR has announced it is launching an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign for its new Octopus Fight Stick controller.

This bespoke stick will work with Dreamcast, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC, MiSTer and more, and uses a wired connection to keep input latency as low as possible.

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If you've ever wanted to hook up a NES controller to your PC Engine, then you're in luck.

Todd Gill (the owner/designer at Retro Frog) has just announced a new ultra-low latency adapter for the NES controller that works with the PC Engine, CoreGrafx, SuperGrafx, and Duo Consoles. It will cost $34.99 and can even hook up to a TurboGrafx-16 (provided that you buy an additional $15 PCE2TG16 adapter).

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As well built as your typical console controller is, it's inevitable that it will eventually stop working or develop a fault. When you consider that consoles like the SNES and Mega Drive / Genesis are now well over 30 years old and arguably past their expected operational lifespans, it's remarkable that their respective pads still function at all.

With that in mind, you may find yourself in a situation where your beloved (and battered) controller has finally given up the ghost, and you're in the market for a replacement. We've already experienced the brilliance of 8BitDo's replacement SNES controllers, and Retro-Bit also has a solid option on the market in the form of its Legacy16 pad. However, there's always room for more choice – especially when you consider how much affection there continues to be for Nintendo's 16-bit console – so we were keen to check out RetroSix's offering, the Super GamePad.

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If you've any experience of collecting for the Vectrex, then you'll know that getting spare controllers in good working order is an expensive business.

On the secondary market, the controller – which bolts onto the front of the console itself – can sell for several hundred dollars if in decent condition.

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Accessory maker 8BitDo has created a new keyboard which takes inspiration from Nintendo's world-beating NES console.

The Retro Mechanical Keyboard features Bluetooth, 2.4G and wired USB modes, as well as a hot-swappable PCB and mappable keys via 8BitDo's powerful Ultimate Software application.

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