8BitDo Teases Gears of War: E-Day Keyboard and Mouse for Windows PC

Right now this is a teaser, not a product launch. Here is what is confirmed, what is guesswork, and what 8BitDo's existing hardware says about what might show up.

What 8BitDo actually teased​

Notebookcheck reports that 8BitDo has revealed its plan to announce two new products based on the upcoming game, Gears of War: E-Day, and that it will be partnering with Xbox for the announcement, which seems to be special editions of its mechanical keyboard and retro mouse.

The teaser runs 16 seconds. It opens on a ruined city shown with a diorama effect, then cuts to the dark outlines of two objects. According to Notebookcheck, while it is keeping the products under wraps until the announcement, the silhouettes visible in the video already gave their identities away. The outlines match 8BitDo's Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard and Retro R8 Mouse.

The date matters most. The new products will be announced on September 29 at 8 AM PT. Until then, there's no official name, price, spec sheet, release date or finished design.

Confirmed vs. unconfirmed:

• Confirmed: there's a teaser, it's Gears of War: E-Day themed, Xbox is a partner, and the reveal is on September 29 at 8 a.m. PT.
• Strongly implied: the products are a keyboard and a mouse, identified from their silhouettes.
• Speculation: exact edition names, custom switches, themed Super Buttons, pricing and ship dates.

Reading the tea leaves (carefully)​

Notebookcheck thinks the new devices are Gears versions of the Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard Xbox Edition and the Retro R8 Mouse Xbox Edition. It also offers a guess: while the mouse will probably just feature a color-scheme that is inspired by Gears of War: E-Day, the keyboard seems likely to be where 8BitDo will go all out. Pointing to recent models such as the Forest Wonder keyboard, the outlet expects the Gears of War edition to feature custom Kailh switches and super buttons that are based on the game.

That's a reasonable guess from a reporter who follows 8BitDo, but it's still a guess. 8BitDo has put out plenty of themed special editions of this keyboard, so the pattern is real. What it hasn't done is confirm anything about these two.

There's also a precedent. Back in 2024, Notebookcheck reported a similar silhouette-style tease in which increasing the brightness on both suggests that 8BitDo has created an Xbox-themed keyboard and mouse set. That hunch was right: those products became the Xbox Edition keyboard and mouse, and the keyboard launched in 2024. Reading 8BitDo's shadows has worked before.

What the current Retro 87 and R8 bring to a Windows desk​

The best guide to the Gears editions is the hardware they're probably based on. The specs below are for 8BitDo's Forest Wonder edition, a recent Xbox-licensed version of the same keyboard and mouse. Treat them as a baseline for the product family. Nothing here is confirmed for the Gears models.

Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard (Forest Wonder spec sheet)​

• 87-key layout with n-key rollover and dye-sublimation PBT keycaps
• 8BitDo Core Green Tactile switches, co-developed with Kailh, on a hot-swappable PCB
• Two large, programmable "Super Buttons" that can be mapped without software
• A built-in Xbox button that opens Game Bar on Windows
• Bluetooth LE 5.3, 2.4 GHz wireless and wired USB
• 4,000 mAh battery rated for 280 hours on 2.4 GHz and 300 hours on Bluetooth (manufacturer figures)
• Supports Windows 10 version 1903 or later and Android 9.0 or later

The Xbox button is the most Windows-relevant piece. It makes Game Bar a one-press shortcut, which is handy for captures, performance overlays and party chat. Older Xbox Edition models used different switches: Notebookcheck described the original Xbox Edition keyboard as having Kailh Jellyfish X switches, RGB backlight, and a battery that can provide up to 300 hours of use in Bluetooth mode. Which switch a Gears edition gets is anyone's guess until the reveal.

Retro R8 Mouse (Forest Wonder spec sheet)​

• PixArt PAW 3395 sensor, six DPI levels
• Four programmable side buttons; left- and right-hand mode switching
• Bluetooth LE 5.3, 2.4 GHz wireless and wired USB
• The charging dock also extends the signal and stores the wireless adapter
• Polling rate set in 8BitDo Ultimate Software: 250 Hz to 8,000 Hz wired, 250 Hz to 4,000 Hz over 2.4 GHz, 125 Hz only on Bluetooth
• 450 mAh battery: up to 100 hours on Bluetooth, 26 to 105 hours on 2.4 GHz depending on polling rate
• 77 g mouse weight

A practical note for PC buyers: if the Gears mouse follows the R8 design, the polling rate is the setting that eats battery. At 4,000 Hz over the dongle you're near the 26-hour end of that range. Dropping the rate stretches it a long way. The mouse sits on its dock when you're not using it, so this matters less than on most wireless mice, but it's worth knowing before you blame the battery.

Don't confuse it with the Gears charging dock​

This isn't 8BitDo's first E-Day product. In mid-August, 8BitDo announced a Gears of War-themed wireless charging dock for Xbox wireless controllers. That dock is a separate product and isn't one of the two silhouettes.

8BitDo says the Ultimate Charging Dock for Xbox Controllers – Gears of War: E-Day was designed to pair with Gears of War: E-Day Limited Edition XBOX Controller. It works with Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One wireless controllers. It charges by dropping the controller onto the dock using a bundled 1,000 mAh semi-solid-state lithium battery pack, and you keep the controller's original battery door. Cooling is passive, with no fan, and 8BitDo quotes roughly 3.5 hours to charge. A USB cable is included, but a power adapter isn't, so check your drawer for a spare USB brick.

On timing, Notebookcheck said the dock wouldn't be released until October. 8BitDo's own store now gives a specific date, listing the dock as Ships on Oct 9. 2026.

Why this matters beyond fan service​

Put the dock, the limited-edition controller and a probable keyboard and mouse together, and E-Day looks like it's getting a full set of licensed desk gear, not a single collectible. For Microsoft that makes sense: a Gears launch that covers both Xbox and PC benefits from accessories aimed at both. For 8BitDo, it fits a steady run of Xbox-licensed special editions.

There's a sensible counterpoint. Licensed themes usually add cost without changing how a product performs. If the Gears editions reuse the Forest Wonder internals under a new skin, you're paying for the look. That's fine if you care about the look, but check the spec sheet on reveal day before assuming anything beyond the paint has changed.

Bottom line​

• What's official: a Gears of War: E-Day themed 8BitDo reveal with Xbox, set for September 29 at 8 a.m. PT.
• What's likely: Gears editions of the Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard and Retro R8 Mouse.
• What's unknown: price, switch type, design details, availability and any changes to the internals.
• What's already on the way: the separate Gears E-Day charging dock for Xbox controllers, which 8BitDo lists as shipping on October 9.

If you're already putting together a Gears setup, wait for the full announcement before you spend anything. Once the teaser is over, it's the spec sheet that tells you what you're buying.

Update: Gears of War keyboard and mouse revealed, with October release (September 29, 2026)​

The silhouettes are no longer a mystery. According to Pure Xbox, 8BitDo has unveiled the Gears of War: E-Day Limited Edition Retro 87 Keyboard and Retro R8 Mouse. Pre-orders are reportedly open, with both peripherals set for release on October 30, 2026. Pure Xbox lists the keyboard at $119.99 and the mouse at $59.99.

The keyboard’s announced specifications also settle one of the earlier guesses: it uses 8BitDo Cloud Gray tactile switches co-developed with HUANO, not the custom Kailh switches the teaser prompted speculation about. It has a hot-swappable PCB, RGB backlighting, n-key rollover and two Super Buttons that can be mapped without software. Its listed compatibility is Windows 10 version 1903 or later and Android 9.0 or later.

Pure Xbox reports that the mouse uses a PAW 3395 sensor, offers six DPI levels and includes a charging dock that doubles as a wireless signal extender. Both devices list Bluetooth LE 5.3, 2.4 GHz wireless and wired USB connections. Although Pure Xbox describes its own experience using an 8BitDo keyboard with Xbox Series X, the published compatibility details for this Gears keyboard do not officially list Xbox console support. Console buyers should not treat that anecdote as a compatibility guarantee.