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- Image of Retro R8 Mouse, Courtesy of 8BitDo

A Cool Retro Gaming Mouse That’s Straight From The ’80s

Originally posted on Total Apex Gaming
By Gabriel Montenegro | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 11:54 AM ET

I remember the days when PC devices and peripherals actually had personality. You remember those iconic ‘90s iMacs, right? I may not be an Apple fan personally, but you can’t deny they looked rad as hell. Well, 8BitDo apparently feels the same, and they’re doing something about it with their new gaming mouse. Introducing the Retro R8 Mouse – N Edition, rolling out now on Amazon! Finally, a gaming mouse for the nostalgic ones out there.

Why Everyone’s Going Crazy for Retro Gaming Gear

Let’s be honest here – we’re all just trying to recapture that magic feeling of being a kid and discovering our first gaming console. The retro aesthetic isn’t just trendy; it’s practically therapeutic at this point. From dozens of typewriter-style keyboards to retro beige PC sleeper builds with a hulking RTX 4090 under the hood, it seems like half the tech industry has collectively decided that the modern sleekness of current design philosophy just doesn’t cut it. It’s just too boring sometimes!

8BitDo has been riding this nostalgia wave pretty successfully, and honestly, who can blame them? When modern gaming gear is more about how many cool RGB features they can implement rather than designing something both functional and aesthetically pleasing, a little retro charm goes a long way. And the love for this gaming mouse proves it.

Form Or Function? Why not both?

The Retro R8 Mouse isn’t just another pretty face trying to coast on nostalgia points. This little guy, a grey beauty with a scheme that pairs perfectly with Nintendo’s legendary NES, comes packed with features that would make mice twice its price jealous.

First off, that charging dock isn’t just satisfyingly retro for its own sake. Sure, it looks cool sitting there at an angle like some museum display about retro tech (though, that would be cool!), but it’s actually functional. The dock charges your mouse and can double as an extender for the 2.4 GHz wireless dongle, which is genuinely clever engineering disguised as retro eye candy.

Performance That Won’t Leave You Cursing at Your Screen

Image of Retro R8 Mouse, Courtesy of 8BitDo

The polling rate customization is where this mouse starts flexing on the competition. You can crank it up for those sweaty competitive gaming sessions where every millisecond matters, or dial it back to save battery when you’re just browsing Reddit and pretending to work. Battery life ranges from 26 to 105 hours, depending on your settings, which means you’re not constantly hunting for a charging cable like some kind of peripheral peasant.

When you do need to charge, it only takes 2.5 hours to get back to full power. That’s enough time to make a sandwich and contemplate your life choices.

Connectivity Options That Actually Make Sense

The R8 gives you three connection options: 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth, or good old-fashioned wired. Plus, there’s a storage compartment inside the mouse for the dongle when you’re traveling. As someone who’s misplaced those little hooligans approximately a million times, this feature alone makes me want to weep. They thought of me!

Ambidextrous Design Done Right

Both lefties and righties get programmable buttons on their respective sides, which is refreshing in a world where left-handed gamers, like me, are often treated like mythical creatures. The software lets you customize DPI, sensitivity, macros, and probably your coffee preferences if you dig deep enough into the menus.

That’s not even mentioning the fact that gaming mice like this offer more buttons! So even if you’re a righty, you get two additional buttons! How’s that for bang for your buck?

The Price Point That Makes Everything Else Look Overpriced

At $60 (€50 or £55), this mouse is basically stealing candy from babies when you compare it to what other companies charge for similar features. 8BitDo has built a reputation for cramming ridiculous amounts of value into their products, and even going as far as to ensure the build quality matches the passion behind it. The R8 continues that tradition with aplomb.

My only real complaint? They have a beautiful Xbox-themed green version, which is gorgeous, but no PlayStation version? I’m waiting, 88BitDo!

This article first appeared on Total Apex Gaming and was syndicated with permission.

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