The new ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme gaming mouse lives up to its name, because everything here really is extreme: it weighs just 46 grams, has an elegant carbon fiber look and comes with a polling rate of 8,000 hertz. But the price is also quite something. You can read more about this in our test.
Technical data
| The product | Harpe Ace Extreme |
| Ergonomics | Symmetrical (for right-handers) |
| Sensor | ROG AimPoint Pro |
| Sensor type | Optical |
| DPI | 100 – 42.000 |
| IPS | 750 |
| Acceleration | 70G |
| Polling rate | 8,000 Hz (via cable); 8,000 Hz (wireless) |
| Hardware acceleration | None |
| Number of buttons | 7 (6 programmable) |
| Key material | Carbon fiber |
| Switch | ROG 100M Optical Micro Switch |
| Switch weight | 46 grams |
| Dimension | 127.5 mm x 63.7 mm x 39.6 mm |
| Cable length / material | 2 meters / fabric sheathing |
| Connection | USB type A to USB type C |
| Connectivity | Wireless (2.4 GHz receiver); wired; Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Battery life | Up to 65 hours (wireless); up to 91 hours (Bluetooth) |
| Price | € 279.90 * |
ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme review: Carbon look meets new lightness
- incredibly low weight of only 46g
- elegant carbon look
- excellent workmanship
I’m sure that every PC gamer has held an “ultra-light” gaming mouse in their hands. Sometimes they weigh 70 grams, sometimes 56 grams or sometimes 52 grams. However, the new ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme goes one step further and weighs just 46 grams.
The rodent feels correspondingly light in the hand. The slightly smaller ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Mini, on the other hand, is almost heavy at 50 grams, not to mention the 56g Keychron M3 Mini (our test).
And this despite the fact that the Harpe Ace Extreme is around 10 millimeters longer, slightly wider and higher than the Mini from our own company. How is this possible? Well, the Extreme model uses a housing made of carbon fiber – the ultra-light and robust material that is also used in racing cars and in the aerospace industry.
Accordingly, the gaming mouse has an iconic black and gray carbon look with a braided pattern and looks great. At least, if you can get something out of its appearance.
In contrast to the Keris II Ace (our test), the Harpe Ace Extreme has a symmetrical design and can therefore be used comfortably by both right-handed and left-handed users. Although the two additional keys can only be found on the left-hand side.
Of course, the Ace Extreme is also equipped with RGB lighting. However, this only extends to the semi-transparent scroll wheel, which can be illuminated in different colors.
Performance and sensor test
- Precise sensor with 42,000 DPI
- Bluetooth, wireless and cable mode
- powerful scope of delivery
The ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme inherits the optical AimPoint Pro sensor from the Keris II Ace, which achieves a resolution of 42,000 DPI at 750 IPS speed and 50G acceleration. We were already impressed by the sensor’s excellent precision and high speed when we tested its sibling around four months ago – and this is once again the case with the Extreme mouse.
Adjustments can be made precisely in 50 DPI steps, with four presets already stored on the mouse, which can be customized using the accompanying software. ASUS has installed the DPI switch on the underside of the rodent, where you can also switch between the three operating modes 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth (5.1) and wired.
But it’s not just the sensor that does a great job. The keys, especially the two primary keys, are also excellently crafted and trigger precisely. The main keys use optical ROG micro-switches, which are designed for 100 million clicks. The clicking noise is not necessarily ultra-quiet, but it is very pleasant. And the two side keys are also pleasantly tactile and precise.
The scroll wheel is pleasantly smooth-running without being too easy to turn and has a pleasantly precise rasterization. The ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme absolutely lives up to its high price.
The standard sampling rate is 1,000 Hz, although this can be increased to up to 8,000 Hz in wireless mode using the included rolling rate booster – although this has a noticeable impact on battery life, it converts clicks in fractions of a millisecond.
If you want to pimp the mouse even further, you will find the necessary accessories directly in the scope of delivery. ASUS not only provides the rodent with a practical hard case for transportation, but also includes additional, extra-wide PTFE glide feet, Corning Gorilla Glass mouse feet, grip tape and even cleaning cloths to keep the sensitive surface clean.
Battery life and practical test
- Up to 65 hours of wireless runtime
- sits comfortably in the hand
- for most people, a cheaper version will also do
Despite the extremely high sampling rate, the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme offers very good battery life. Up to 65 hours with deactivated lighting and 53 hours with RGB lighting are possible via wireless, and the gaming mouse even lasts up to 91 hours via Bluetooth.
We can also confirm these values in the practical test. Despite wireless use and 8,000 Hz, the battery drains quite slowly. When not in use, the rodent automatically switches to energy-saving mode and warns you via the lighting when the battery is at 20 percent that it will soon be time to plug in the cable. Alternatively, these values can also be adjusted in the accompanying software.
In practice, the Harpe Ace Extreme doesn’t do much differently to the previous versions of the model series, namely the Aim Lab Edition and Mini, but offers that little bit more of everything. Or less, if you take the weight as a yardstick.
The ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition was already an excellent gaming mouse for competitive gamers – but the Extreme version offers even higher resolution, speed and sampling rate as well as more customizable buttons.
Whether you need this depends on your own preferences, of course. The Harpe Ace Extreme is undoubtedly not a mouse that every gamer needs. For most, a lower resolution is enough and an extra 5-6 grams won’t make a difference – but those who appreciate the inner values of the mouse will undoubtedly find one of the best, if not the best rodent currently on the market. Whether this is worth the enormous (extra) price is up to you to decide.
Software connection: Armoury Crate Gear
A bit stupid… or unnecessarily complicated, I find the software connection of the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme. This is because Armoury Crate is not used here as standard. Although the mouse is recognized and installed in Armoury Crate, the app then refers to the download of Armoury Crate Gear – a separate software that is apparently available individually for almost every newer ASUS peripheral device.
The download link in Armoury Crate leads nowhere, but I did find the correct version via the ASUS homepage. Only to find that the design and range of functions are very similar to the normal software. Is that necessary, ASUS?
Be that as it may. The typical settings can be made in the software. You can freely assign the buttons – with the exception of the left primary button -, adjust sensitivity, sampling rate and angle detection or set the lighting and power options.
ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme review: Conclusion
No question: The ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme is an excellent gaming mouse. It is extremely light, extremely robust, offers an extremely high-resolution sensor and… is extremely expensive. Very few people will really need all the features that this rodent has to offer.
Very few will have a real advantage in gaming due to the sensor or the carbon fiber housing. And very few will be prepared to spend around 300 euros on a mouse. And yet the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme is a truly unique peripheral device with which the manufacturer wants to appeal primarily to professionals. And it succeeds brilliantly.
If you want most of the features at a much lower price, you should go for the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Aim Labs or Mini – both of which are also extremely good. But not as sexy as the carbon model.
ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme
Workmanship
Features
Ergonomics
Software
Value For Money
89/100
Extremely high-quality and unique gaming mouse with a great sensor and convincing features, but also a price that is quite something.
