Asus gaming brand ROG presented its latest range of gaming peripherals today at the CES 2020. Among them a mechanical keyboard and three wireless gaming mice. What the devices can do, we explain here.
ROG Strix Scope TKL Deluxe Keyboard
The ROG Strix Scope TKL Deluxe is a mechanical keyboard in “Tenkeyless” design. Of course, it offers all necessary keys and at the same time saves space to have more room for mouse movements, because the device has no numeric keypad. For optimal comfort a padded palm rest is included, which is simply attached to the keyboard with the integrated magnets.
The user can adapt the keyboard to his wishes, as he can use the switches Cherry MX RGB Red, Blue, Brown and Speed Silver, which are manufactured in Germany. This means that everyone can live out their preferences in terms of actuation force, actuation distance and tactile feedback. The removable, sheathed USB Type-C cable makes the keyboard perfect for on the go. The ROG Strix Scope TKL Deluxe of course supports n-key rollover as well as a 1.000Hz polling rate for an ideal reaction speed.
Although the keyboard itself is compact, the Strix Scope TKL Deluxe uses a much larger control key on the left side. There’s a quick costar stabilizer underneath, as well as under all the other larger keys to ensure low resistance and a smooth typing feel. In addition, a quick toggle switch turns F5 through F12 into media keys, eliminating the need for combos to adjust volume or skip tracks in a playlist. In Media mode, pressing the F12 key puts the PC into Stealth mode, hiding all open applications and muting the sound.
Customizable and with Aura Sync
A further feature is the freely customisable lighting of the Scope TKL Deluxe. This is because each button and the Lock displays have their own RGB LED, and the ROG logo is illuminated by an additional set of LEDs. There is also a light bar under the front edge of the keyboard, which is equipped with 26 RGB LEDs. This allows up to eleven different effects (10 standard effects, one customizable effect) and a whole spectrum of color variations to be reproduced.
Thanks to the support of ROG Aura Sync, the user can synchronize Scope TKL Deluxe with other Aura Sync-capable components. The integrated memory is sufficient for one standard profile and five user-defined profiles that can be linked to specific programs or games. They can be toggled using the Fn key or the Armoury II software utility. Macros can be recorded during operation and almost every key is programmable.
Wireless ROG Pugio II mouse
The new ROG Pugio II wireless mouse, suitable for both right- and left-handed users, has a 16,000 DPI sensor built in. According to the manufacturer, it should retain its focus even at movement speeds of up to 400 inches per second. Thanks to the unique “DPI On The Scroll” function, the sampling rate can be adjusted quickly and easily at any time. In addition, the new ROG mouse also offers numerous possibilities for individualisation. Users can customize the side buttons, swap the main switches and, of course, configure the RGB lighting to suit their needs. Even the illuminated logo can be customized.
Further customization is provided by the Armoury II software, which allows users to configure the surface calibration settings of the Pugio II, assign the buttons and switch between the three built-in profiles. In addition, the three available lighting zones can be customized to adjust the color of the scroll wheel, logo and underbody lighting independently. Thanks to AURA-Sync, the lighting can be synchronised with other compatible products such as keyboards, monitors, mainboards or graphics cards.
With interchangeable switches
The ROG Pugio II can be used both wirelessly and wired. The included 2.4 GHz RF dongle and a two meter long cable can be used. With this you can recharge the batteries of the mouse in less than two hours. Alternatively, the Bluetooth mode is available without the corresponding dongle. Overall, the battery life should amount to about 69 hours (over 2.4 GHZ) or about 100 hours (via Bluetooth LE) of gaming time. By the way, the Pugio II’s “Smart Hop” radio technology identifies and avoids overloads and interference of the 2.4 GHz band in real time.
There are additional buttons on both sides of the mouse – if you don’t need all of them, you can simply cover them with the supplied caps. These hold magnetically. With the push-fit switch base design, users can even customize the click behavior of the mouse buttons. The Pugio II comes standard with Omron’s D2FC-F-K switches, designed for 50 million clicks, and an additional pair of Japanese Omron D2F-01F switches, which are included. For additional customisation, you can use the design of the push-fit sockets for each Omron D2F or D2FC series switch to adjust the click behaviour or to breathe new life into a button that feels worn.
Wireless ROG Strix Impact II gaming mouse
The Strix Impact II also features a 16,000 DPI sensor with an accuracy of 400 inches per second. Via the 2.4 GHz wireless connection, the mouse should be playable with as little latency as possible. According to the manufacturer, the range of the connection is also as long as possible and a long battery life is also on board. In order to use the mouse during the charging process, there is always the possibility to connect the USB-C cable to a free port.
The Impact II has the same dimensions as its predecessor and is still equally suitable for left and right-handed users. Two buttons on the left side can be assigned to the usual hotkeys, and a dedicated button allows you to cycle through four sensitivity settings. Each setting corresponds to a different colour, indicating the current configuration.
The left and right buttons are separated – typical for gaming mice because the design is more click-accurate. Each main button on the Impact II also features a swivel mechanism with a spring that gently eliminates the play between the button and the switch. The exclusive push-fit switch base design of the Impact II Wireless also supports the replacement of Omron’s D2F and D2FC series.
The mouse has two zones of RGB lighting – one under the logo and the other under the scroll wheel. They allow independent control of colours and effects. In addition, there is support for Aura Sync compatible components. There are also settings in Armoury Crate to adjust the performance of the Impact II, configure its surface calibration settings, change button assignments and create profiles.
In addition to the new wireless version there is also a new wired ROG Strix Impact II. This offers the same features as the ROG Strix Impact II Wireless, but has a different optical sensor with 6200 DPI and 220 IPS.
Prices and availability
The mechanical keyboard ROG Strix Scope TKL Deluxe and the wireless gaming mouse ROG Strix Impact II are now available in Germany and Austria. The recommended retail prices are 159.99 Euro and 49.99 Euro. The also wireless ROG Pugio II will follow in February 2020; the price is not yet fixed.
