10 Retro-Inspired Gadgets On Amazon That Scream 1980s

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

The 1980s was a period of rapid development across so many industries, with technology at the forefront of almost all of them. While earlier decades had also seen huge strides, the countless different products released in the '80s fill it with so much nostalgia 40 years down the line. This was the first time that high-end tech was readily available for the general public, spearheading the world we live in today.

It's not only the product capability that makes the 1980s so nostalgic; the bold, vibrant design that that swept over the time period made everything feel even more cutting-edge and simply cooler. You don't even have to experience it to feel it thanks to how distinct the aesthetic was. Whether it's PCs or video game consoles, things have progressed quite a lot since the '80s. Thankfully, though, there are so many different modern gadgets that capture the spirit of the decade, alongside some iconic products still in production today. Here's a closer look at 10 of these gadgets that are available on Amazon that just scream 1980s vibes.

The games released on the Atari 2600 laid the foundations for the games that we play today, whether that's on handheld devices, major consoles, or PCs. By today's standards, though, the Atari 2600 games feel quite old. That's not necessarily a bad thing; there's a unique charm about them that can't be matched, and you can experience that once more without needing the real thing with My Arcade's Pocket Player Pro. Although, if you do want more of a bona-fide classic analog experience, the recently-released Atari 2600 Plus is your answer.

Boasting a portable form factor that's reminiscent of handheld consoles like the Nintendo Game Boy in the 90s and then the DS in the late 2000s, the Pocket Player Pro is an ideal way to play the arcade-action games of the '80s. Taking on board the practicality of this console, My Arcade hosts a full 100 of the Atari 2600's most iconic games, ranging from Missile Command to Asteroids to Yar's Revenge. The gadget is incredibly simple, with two buttons and a D-pad flanking either side of the 2.75-inch display. As standard, the Atari version is priced at $44.99 on Amazon, but can be picked up for $39.99 at time of writing.

One of the most popular and essential gadgets for so many of us these days is the keyboard. And it wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s that they became mainstream, so to speak, along with the concept of a PC being made widely available. While the fundamentals of a computer keyboard haven't changed and probably won't for a long time, huge strides have been taken over the years to create an incredibly competitive market today. There are endless choices for aesthetics and ergonomics with modern keyboards, and if you want to capture the simplicity of the early days with modern mechanics, this retro-inspired Womier M87 keyboard should tick all the boxes.

Priced at $75.99 as standard on Amazon, it remains competitive compared to other established brands within the 75% size keyboard sector. Alongside the classic mute gray color scheme with a few highlights; this is a mechanical keyboard that has RGB backlighting and features three absorption layers, aimed at reducing stiffness and boosting rebound speed. It'll also help keep things quiet, which you can take further advantage of thanks to its hot-swappable Outemu white switches fitted as standard. For some more retro nostalgia combined with modern practicality, you also get a small, customizable LCD in the top-right corner and a tactile knob to control things like RGB settings, volume, and connection type and a handful of colored keycaps to further customize your look.

While most entries on this list are just modern iterations of classic tech, this next gadget looks like something pulled straight out of the 1980s. That's because it is; Koss is still producing one of its most iconic headphones. Released in 1984, the Koss Porta Pro became an instant hit for remaining small, similar to the market-dominating Sony Walkman's standard headphones, but offered a much more layered, bass-heavy sound signature that hasn't really been changed throughout its production.

2026 marks 42 years since Koss released the Porta Pro, a huge testament to how ahead of its time the company was. Using 60 Ohm dynamic drivers, the sound quality is one of the major selling points for these headphones, as they're capable of delivering audio reproduction ranges from 15 to 25,000 Hz. Alongside the core sound signature remaining the same, the design philosophy has also been left untouched. To get the full '80s effect, you can still use a brand-new pair with most cassette players thanks to its 3.5mm jack. They'll also work with modern phones, but you'll most likely need an adapter. Pricing for the Porta Pro is $49.99 as standard, but it's discounted to $39.99 at time of writing.

Music was, of course, a huge part of 1980s pop culture. Technological advancements in the industry, along with the means to distribute that music far more easily, gave the world what are still some of the most iconic sounds today. This next product is also unique in the sense that it was already a little nostalgic by the '80s, but was still new and enough to still be a staple gadget from the period. The Stylophone was introduced in 1968 with no real intention for it to be used in professional recording. After household names started to use it, though, it grew to be incredibly popular in a very short time.

Synthesizers became more refined by the 1980s, but the Original Pocket Electronic Synthesizer from Stylophone is still a great way to recapture the electronic sounds of the decade. It's also a very easy gadget to use; after all, it was initially designed as a children's toy. Portability is at the forefront of the stylophone, measuring less than 3.5 inches. The stripped-back sound remains unchanged, which makes it another gadget on this list to carry the authenticity into the present day. Amazon has it listed for $39.95 available in both classic black or hot pink.

Back to the gadgets available on Amazon that take direct design inspiration from the 1980s to create modern products. Divoom's MiniToo Retro Computer Speaker is one of the simplest yet most clever products on this list. We've already mentioned how the 1980s saw the widespread adoption of PCs, with the original, boxy design now being one of the most iconic pieces of tech history. If you're looking for small but useful gadgets that can also act as a décor accessory, this is a perfect way to honor that heritage.

This Divoom speaker can do just about everything most modern speakers can do. You can connect to it wired or wirelessly using Bluetooth and it features a 40mm driver with a 5W max output. The brand says that it's great for near-field listening for podcasts as well as music, and you can also play white noise through the speaker or use it as an alarm clock. For extra visual interest, the pixel display has over 70 different graphics to choose from, and you can even design your own in the accompanying mobile app. Pricing sits at $59.99 at the time of writing.

After you've got your keyboard, you'll also need a mouse. There's no shortage of options for retro-inspired mice on Amazon at the moment, but the product that we went with evokes another one of the decade's most iconic game consoles: the Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in the middle of the decade, the NES was essentially the next step for gaming after the disastrous market crash in 1983 that caused the downfall of Atari. Instead of using a joystick, Nintendo opted for what's now seen as a revolutionary controller design that is still being put to use today.

The controller was incredibly simple, with two action buttons on the right, a D-pad on the left, and a pair of menu buttons in the center. 8Bitdo's N30 Wireless Mouse doesn't try to change that design philosophy. This might make it one of the plainest-looking mice out there, but that's exactly what makes it so effective. You once again get two circular action buttons with a D-pad on the side, along with modern concepts such as a 3D touch panel to replace the scroll wheel. The 1,000 DPI rating means it'll be able to handle the majority of tasks on your computer, all for $29.99 as standard on Amazon.

While consoles like the Atari 2600 effectively transformed the industry by bringing gaming into the home permanently, very few things scream 1980s as much as a classic arcade machine. This wasn't just for the variety of games available during the decade, but also for the unbeatable atmosphere that drives most of the nostalgia. Brands like My Arcade put classic games into more modern consoles, but ThumbsUp!'s offering literally takes an arcade machine and makes it into a compact, portable gadget at an affordable price.

The ThumbsUp! Mini Arcade Machine follows the same direction as a lot of other retro-focused game platforms, as it has hundreds of classics available to play at any time. Two action buttons also feature, but the eight-way joystick combined with the 2.5-inch LCD in the cabinet makes for what looks like a mini time machine. As for the pricing, you can pick this up for at least $26.99 for the model with 240 pre-installed games, with the 300-game version costing a slightly higher $29.99. Overall value-for-money is a strong point for this gadget, as is its portability — it's a lightweight 0.31 lbs, making it easy to hold for long periods of time.

Moving back to the Atari 2600, a dedicated modern iteration of the console isn't the only way you can capture the nostalgia. Outside of the games themselves, the brand image and aesthetics are perhaps equally iconic, with Atari's 8-bit color palette used in the games being so easily recognizable. If these colors take you back 40 years, then My Play Watch's Atari 2600 Smart Watch is the perfect accessory for you.

This watch doesn't have quite as many features as the leaders in the smartwatch market, instead offering more of a stripped-down experience. Still, it has fitness tracking capabilities, and can do things that the said leaders can't — like play classic Atari games. The selection is much more limited compared to the likes of My Arcade's lineup on the Pocket Player Pro, but titles such as Centipede, Pong, and Missile Command can all be enjoyed on the watch's 2.02-inch screen. Further hints of the 2600 can be found on the crown, mimicking the console's joystick, as well as supporting interchangeable retro-styled watchbands to match what you remember most about the 2600. Pricing comes in at $79.99 on Amazon, notably below other smart watches on the market today.

8Bitdo produces quite a few retro-inspired gadgets based on the 1980s style, making it one of the go-to brands in this specific market. This next product is just as, if not more, practical than the mouse we covered earlier, depending on what you do for work or school, all while being a perfect addition to your retro setup if you've gone for a 75% keyboard or below. The 8Bitdo Mechanical Numpad's two-in-one design has the ability to connect to your PC or Android device as well as be used as a standard portable calculator, complete with modern features embedded into the retro design.

Features like the switches being hot-swappable are usually reserved for purpose-built keyboards, but this numpad comes standard with Kailh Box White switches, which help to recreate the feel and sound of the actual keyboards from the '80s. If you want a quieter, less clacky calculator, you may want to change these out. You can connect the numpad wirelessly using Bluetooth or 2.4G, or plug it in directly if you prefer. On Amazon, it costs $44.99 as standard, but is discounted to $38.24 at the time of writing. Looking for a different aesthetic? It also comes in other color schemes, including one that matches the Commodore 64, one of the most iconic early home computers from the 1980s.

Another gadget that's focused on music, the MOOER Prime S1 Multi-Effects Processor is one of the best ways to recreate the sound of the 1980s, specifically through your guitar. This processor is different from the other gadgets on this list in the sense that it's not directly inspired by the 1980s, but comes with such a large effects library that it covers all bases in achieving the shiny, multi-layered tone so many iconic riffs use.

Alongside the effects library, this processor also comes with an 80-second looper, helping out massively to create the digital delays that were also so popular at the time. Convenience features include 10 metronome patterns and 40 drum kit effects. With four foot pedals to control the sound and effects on the fly, the S1 processor also uses an app to give you full control over your guitar's sound, giving you the freedom to tweak your settings further and achieve the retro tone you're looking for. It's a little more expensive than other devices on this list at $129.99, but it looks to be well worth the money thanks to its impressive functionality.

After finding products readily available on Amazon that make us reminisce on the 1980s, we made sure that each of the products here came well-recommended by users. Each gadget we've listed has at least 100 user reviews averaging a score of at least 4 out of 5 stars. We also made sure that the products were relatively affordable and that they either differ from one another with as much variety as possible or work well when combined with other devices on the list.