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I’m attempting to navigate my way to the heart of the Computex show floor, but there’s a crush of people all heading in the same direction. I can see the enormous ASUS booths somewhere ahead; they dominate the center of this exhibit hall.
The crowd is much larger than usual, and as I’m attempting to swim downstream, I hear murmurs of “Jensen” and “ASUS” from others heading in the same direction. Well, that explains the swelling crowd; NVIDIA’s CEO must be planning to visit the ASUS booth, where new ProArt laptops with the RTX Spark chip are on display.
I reach the ROG exhibit just as the crowd closes in. This booth, too, is crammed with interested attendees and ASUS personnel offering formal and semi-formal tours of the gaming products.
“We’re in a bit of a holding pattern,” I’m told. “Jensen is making an appearance any time now.” No problem. I’m here to check out all of ASUS ROG’s new releases.
The first stop around the ASUS ROG exhibit is to check out the new Strix OLED XG259QWPG ACE esports gaming monitor, the world's first of its kind. What makes it so special?
Well, it boasts a 540Hz refresh rate at 1080p for its gorgeous tandem OLED panel, something unseen anywhere else in tournament-grade displays. It's also sized at 24.5 inches, which is a sweet spot for many pros.
It was tough to get near them, popular as they were, but I eventually managed to see the new ASUS ROG Strix gaming laptops — including the ROG Strix Scar 18, ROG Strix G18, and ROG Strix G16 — just announced this week.
The biggest attraction here, in my opinion, is the Strix Scar 18's 4K Mini LED display with ROG Nebula Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB). Set at a 4K resolution with a 240Hz refresh rate, this screen looked incredibly smooth.
ASUS ROG is celebrating 20 years in style
I left the laptops behind and made a move to check out more of the ASUS ROG 20th anniversary gear.
Yes, the global gaming brand has been around for two decades; I still remember its first-ever Crosshair motherboard and G-series gaming laptops that launched the year I graduated.
As a lifelong PC gamer, I was eager to check out the new ROG Ally X20 special edition bundle, featuring the gaming handheld with a transparent shell and brighter OLED display, as well as ROG XREAL R1 Edition 20 smart glasses.
Believe it or not, this was the first time I've ever tried smart glasses, and I fear I've ruined myself for anything else. I have a 14-hour flight home, and there's nothing I'd like more than to sit back with a 117-inch screen with a 240Hz refresh rate in front of me. Alas, maybe next time.
The new ROG Edition 20 mouse and keyboard stole the show
Sitting in the center of the ASUS ROG booth on its own pedestal, gathering most of the attention (there was a small line of people waiting to take photos and video), were the new Edition 20 versions of the ROG Azoth Extreme keyboard, ROG keycap mystery box, and ROG Harpe II Extreme mouse.
I'm especially glad now that ASUS sent me this trio to test out before I headed to Computex; I wouldn't have had enough time with them at the show, popular as they were.
If the names sound familiar, it's because they're iterations of flagship ROG gaming peripherals. The ROG Azoth Extreme Edition 20 is an updated version of the 2024 keyboard with the same name, now featuring gold accents, a 24K gold backplate, and stylized keycaps with new ROG branding.
In my ROG Azoth Extreme Edition 20 review, I called it "the best gaming keyboard I've ever used," and I stick by that statement. Adding to the fun is the keycap mystery box, featuring six limited-edition, hand-painted keycaps.
Although I'm most in love with the keyboard, the ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 mouse is no slouch, either. In fact, I think it might have been more popular with the other booth attendees.
It's a take on the celebrated ROG Harpe II Ace gaming mouse, albeit with new colors, gold internal plating, and a new, superior sensor better cut out for competitive play. It's undeniably gorgeous, and I noted that it "has practically every high-performance feature I can think of" in my ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 review.
If you're interested, the ROG Edition 20 keyboard, mouse, and keycap mystery box are all available to preorder now.
ASUS and ROG are crazy popular in Taiwan
Remember the hubbub about Jensen Huang making an appearance? As I bid farewell to my ASUS guides, a roar went up through the crowd. NVIDIA's CEO had just appeared with his entourage, positioned between the ROG and ASUS exhibits.
With everyone's attention turned to the center of the hall, I took my chance to slip out. As I headed for the exit, alternating chants of "ASUS" and "Jensen" rocked the room.
It was a bit of a shock to see just how popular ASUS and its ROG gaming brand are here in Taiwan, but it makes sense. The company's laptops are the best they've ever been, its gaming hardware is a top choice for many (my RTX 5070 Ti is nodding its head), and its peripherals are used worldwide by pro and casual gamers alike.
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