I remember being a child, being full of envy of others at school who had access to cool state-of-the-art gaming hardware. I recall this one student who had a Gameboy Color, one other with the DS and his Pokemon Diamond, and this one classmate who had a PC that could run Need For Speed: Most Wanted. I, on the other hand, never had access to such hardware. My first game was Metal Gear Solid Snake, that too the demo version, which I played relentlessly on my Pentium 4 and my CRT monitor. Fast forward a decade or so, and times have changed. A few weeks ago, I started using what I would call the most pleasant experience I have ever had using a PC. No, there wasn’t a new processor involved. However, I did replace my entire PC ecosystem with products from Asus ROG.
I must say that the entire experience was better than I had anticipated. With seamless connectivity, top-notch quality, and of course, performance that upholds the ROG tag, the ecosystem that I am about write about is by far the best I have used.
What Did I Use?
- ROG Strix 4K OLED gaming monitor
- ROG Peltas gaming headset
- ROG Keris II Ace gaming mouse
- ROG Azoth wireless keyboard
- Bonus: Xbox ROG Ally X
- For some games, I also used an Xbox controller (doesn’t constitute as part of the ecosystem, but it works just fine)
Asus ROG Strix 4K OLED Gaming Monitor
Let’s get one thing straight. This is not a new release. This has been around for some time. The Strix OLED offers 2560 x 1440 (2K) resolution, a 360Hz refresh rate, claims a 0.03ms response time, high dynamic range, HDMI 2.1, supports USB Type C, and has a 26.5-inch display.
The setup is as easy as it can get. The monitor has a few components that you need to put together to make the monitor work. You have the base plate, the pillar that attaches itself to the monitor, and you get a bunch of cables like USB Type C, HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB Type A cables out of the box. The pillar has a cable management solution too, allowing better placement of the connectivity cables and the power cord.
The monitor has a well-built exterior and a design language that stays on brand. There is ROG RGB lighting at the rear-end on the top right corner and an ROG insignia at the front and centre of the monitor that lights up in red colour when the monitor is turned on. The base plate has professional-grade markings at the bottom, allowing pro gamers to adjust their monitors as per their liking and remember that position in case they travel for esports.
The screen looks like any other glossy display in the market, but if you look closely, you will find that there is a blackish tint on it. This tint makes the screen less prone to reflecting unnecessary light and keeps it pleasant for users. The awesome thing is that you will not notice this feature unless you really want to. It just works without letting its presence be felt, and it is what makes it so good.
The 360Hz refresh rate truly takes form when it comes to fast-paced esports titles such as Valorant, which also happens to be the only esports title I have ever played. Valorant was extremely enjoyable on this monitor, and apart from my lack of skill in a first-person shooter such as this, the overall experience was just fabulous.
I had the option to pick and choose the best picture setting. The monitor offers built-in features such as
Mind you, the Strix OLED is a QD OLED display, unlike the WOLED display found in the earlier ROG XG27AQDMG. WOLEDs are relatively older technology compared to QD OLEDs. Let’s get nerdy. WOLED have the ‘W’ for white light. This white light is passed through red, green and blue filters to then produce the three primary lights that make up all the colours. WOLEDs also have a fourth, unfiltered white filter (pixel) that is used to increase the brightness. Then, in 2022, Sony and Samsung introduced TVs using a QD OLED panel, and everything changed.
The goal of QD-OLED was to improve the purity of colours. Instead of white light passing through coloured pixels, QD-OLEDs start with blue light that passes through layers of a special material called quantum dots. This is where it gets interesting. This material has an interesting property. When light hits it, it is then emitted at a lower frequency than the original one. The wavelength of the emitted light depends on the size of the quantum dot. Now that manufacturers are able to precisely control the size of each quantum dot, this results in extremely precise colours and colour saturation.
The Strix OLED’s 2K resolution, 360Hz refresh rate, Adaptive-Sync, HDR400, and its wide colour gamut make it one of the best in the game and one that checks multiple boxes, not just the one for which it is marketed. Along with gaming, it also appealed to the video editor and content consumer in me. Would I get this for full-time video projects, though? That is a question for another time. For gaming, however, this is a perfect tool from the house of one of the only remaining brands out there that still serves the user and not its bottom line, but that is just my opinion.
Asus ROG Azoth Wireless Keyboard
When it comes to wireless keyboards, there are a lot of them in the market, and every one of them has something to offer. It gets difficult to differentiate among them after a while. It was the same with the ROG Azoth in the initial days. However, then something changed. The keyboard grows on you and gradually becomes an integral part of your ecosystem, a part that then becomes difficult to part ways with.
Inside the box, you get –
- USB Receiver
- Receiver Extender
- 3 extra ROG NX switches
- Keycap puller
- Switch puller
- Switch opener
- Lube station
- Lube brush
- Lube
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- ROG stickers
- Travel bag
- User documentation
The Azoth keyboard came across as an extremely well-built product from the get-go. From the moment I took it out of the box, to me, it was straightaway the best mechanical keyboard I have put my hands on. A few things made it stand apart. For starters, the keyboard is extremely heavy, and the bottom surface has some very good gripping. It stays put regardless of the surface you put it on. The keys have so much travel and feedback that it is almost unreal.
Do note that this is not the latest ROG Azoth X keyboard. This is a standard Azoth keyboard. The keyboard comes with linear ROG NX Red, tactile ROG NX Brown, or clicky ROG NX Blue switches. My review unit came with clicky ROG NX Blue switches. Trust me, they were clicky. Unlike the ROG NX Red switches, Blue switches are considerably louder and definitely going to be a bother for people around you, especially those who have misophonia. God save them. On the contrary, they might even like it. To me, the clicks of the keys on this keyboard were melodious.
This keyboard provides an excellent typing experience, and that is what makes it stand out. The keycaps are made of doubleshot PBT plastic and have a slightly textured feel, which makes the overall grip better. Apart from the minor wobbling in both smaller and larger keys, which I feel is by design, there’s nothing in the keyboard that sticks out as abnormal. ROG says that the keyboard has switch stabilisers, which make the larger keys feel stable. Furthermore, both the switches and stabilisers come pre-lubed from the factory. This makes the overall experience even smoother. You also get a DIY lube kit out of the box for maintaining that level of performance. This truly is a performance gaming keyboard meant for those who need to beat the top of their game. That said, someone like me, who does not have anything to do with competitive esports and who only plays for leisure and recreation, this keyboard still works. The question is whether I would shell out this kind of money or not.
Asus ROG Keris II Ace
The ROG Keris II Ace deserves praise for many reasons. However, it turned out to be way lighter than what I am used to when it comes to mice. I personally prefer heavier ones. The recently launched Logitech MX Master 4 productivity mouse is a prime example of this. That thing is hefty; it lets everyone feel its presence.
The ROG Keris II Ace is the exact opposite. The wireless gaming mouse is built for performance, and it means business. The mouse is extremely light, weighing just over 50 grams. It weighs close to nothing, making it hard to believe that it is a top-level gaming mouse. There are two additional buttons on the side. For what it is worth, the mouse does NOT come with silent clicks. It makes a very prominent sound with each click, and I am thankful for it. Together with the Azoth keyboard’s blue keys, the pair makes for a very noisy work setup. The 2.4GHz dongle is stashed in the mouse itself. You will find it at the bottom, placed at a 45-degree angle.
The mouse overall has a very clean look. There is a kind of dual tone texture going on where the majority of the mouse body has a very fine matte type finish, while the clickers have a slightly more textured look. The wheel is white in colour and has RGB lighting. At the bottom, the mouse does come with pre-fitted feet, but you do have an option to customise them with the ones provided in the box. I had no reason to change them.
In terms of gaming performance, this is an excellent mouse. It is lightweight, high-performance and wireless. Like most mice, it is made for right-handed users and is shaped ergonomically. If you have medium-sized hands, performance-wise, you will be impressed by the Keris II Ace. The click latency is good, and so is the manoeuvrability.
The mouse can be used wirelessly as well as with a wire, making it extremely utilitarian.
Some additional information on this mouse - The Keris II Ace’s maximum wired polling rate is 8000Hz, while its maximum wireless polling rate is 4000Hz. For a wireless mouse, the best results in wireless mode always come via the 2.4GHz dongle. This is also true for latency.
This is a near-perfect product that honestly does not have anything material to complain about. It is quick, snappy, doesn’t lag, has almost non-existent latency and can connect to multiple devices simultaneously wirelessly. It also supports wired usage.
ROG Pelta Wireless Gaming Headphones
The Peltas had a step hill to climb. I have been using a pair of Sennheiser headphones that have been able to take care of all my audio needs. Starting from video editing, content streaming, and gaming. That thing is sturdy and gets the job done. The ROG Pelta wireless headset came across as a really cool addition to my ecosystem. It has a plastic build, it is light in weight, offers Bluetooth as well as 2.4GHz connectivity (ROG SpeedNova, as they call it), and supports USB Type-C.
The headphones weigh merely 309 grams, house 50mm titanium-plated drivers, and come with a 10mm Super-Wideband mic. Asus claims a 70-hour battery life, and I am inclined to believe that. The headset does not run out of juice, no matter how hard you try. The RGB on the sides is a very cool touch and scores a 10/10 in style quotient.
It is also compatible with PC, PlayStation, and Switch. Sadly, there is no Xbox support.
The ROG Pelta gaming headset is extremely comfortable, has a feather-light fit, has one of the better directional audio among the competition, a very good microphone, and I mean very good, a marathon battery life, and last but definitely not the least, multiple connectivity options. My experience was largely with my gaming PC and my work PC, and I must say that The Pelta does connect quickly to PCs once the pairing is done. There were a few hiccups while pairing, but that is a Windows issue, not a Pelta issue.
My gripes with the headset are that there is no ANC and no support for 3.5mm. There have been complaints about the grip, and while I understand that, I have had no issue with the grip on my head. The higher price tag also poses a challenge for buyers. Gamers who prioritise comfort, cross-device compatibility, and long battery life over noise cancellation or heavy bass will definitely like this product.
That said, this is not for those who enjoy noise cancellation. You will hear everything if you are outside wearing these.
ROG Xbox Ally X
This one was a wildcard out of the lot. The full review is already out here, and you can read all about it if you want to. The ROG Xbox Ally X deserved a mention here, and that is because the handheld form factor sort of completes the gaming-centric ecosystem. The Xbox Ally X comes with a powerful AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset, which, believe you me, is capable of handling AAA titles on this tiny device. The controls layout does its best to give the Xbox experience, and the new Xbox interface offers a console-like environment to gamers.
Of course, you can use the Windows interface as well and carry out daily tasks like checking emails and browsing the internet on the device like any other portable computer, but the additions made to the ‘new Xbox console’ try to make it as seamless for users as possible. You can connect all the above-mentioned ROG products to the Xbox Ally X via Bluetooth. You can also connect the Ally X to the Strix OLED monitor, giving it the proper PC/console treatment depending on which interface you use on the device. The Xbox Ally X is currently retailing for Rs 1,14,990.
All of the above products came together in fine unison to make a grown-up adult reminisce about what he had missed all those years as a child. What I am trying to express here is that what this ecosystem did is make gaming effortless and fun. Apart from gaming, this ensemble of products also added value to my professional life since my work involves spending a huge part of the day in front of a PC. This includes activities such as editing videos, writing stories, researching, listening to music every now and then, and of course, testing out gadgets. This experience made me realise that paying for a premium for quality products has its own merits. That said, would you go for a full-fledged ROG ecosystem if you had the budget? |
