ASUS Zephyrus Duo 15 price confirmed: Weird comes at a cost

The ASUS Republic of Gamers Zephyrus Duo 15 has two displays. There's the standard display in the lid of the laptop, then there's another display (another touchscreen display) just above the keyboard. Both displays work with the same operating system, and both operate together. This isn't the first time we've seen a similar sort of machine, but it is definitely the most elegant execution of a dual-screen laptop such as this.

At the head of the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 is a 15.6-inch PANTONE Validated non-touchscreen display panel. There are two options for this device: one, a 4K UHD IPS Adobe 100% panel with 60Hz image refresh rate. The other is a FHD IPS panel wit 300Hz sRGB 100% 3ms – also non-touch.

SEE TOO: ASUS new dual-screen laptop is pretty weird – and that's just what we need

It's the secondary display (called ScreenPad Plus, much like the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo) that's always a touchscreen. That's in place instead of your standard touchpad. If you're gaming, there's a good chance you're already using a USB or Bluetooth mouse to control what's on your screen, so ASUS (safely) assumes you'll be OK with your keyboard being in the lower half of the base of the laptop.

The part of the base that's closer to the main display has the secondary display. That section rises up out of the base of the laptop when the laptop's lid is opened. That secondary display is a touchscreen panel, and ASUS includes software that makes use of the panel in a number of unique ways.

- Processor: Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake i7-10875H OR Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake i9-10980HK

- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER or 2070 SUPER with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM

- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C™, DisplayPort 1.4, TBT, PD input 20 V/3A；output 5 V/3A

- 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (right)

- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (Bottom)

- 1 x HDMI (HDMI 2.0b support)

- 2 x audio jack: mic-in & headphone, plus mic-in

- 1 x RJ45 LAN

- 16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz onboard, plus 1 x SODIMM slot up to 32 GB (supports up to 48 GB total)

- Backlit chiclet keyboard, supports n-key, per-key with 1.4 mm key travel

- 2 x speakers, ESS + Hi-Res Audio (HRA) certification, supports smart amplifier, Nahimic Sonic Studio + ISST

- Microsoft Cortana (far-field mic array)

- Wi-Fi: 2x2 multi-atenna WiFi 6 (802.11ax)

- Size: 36 x 26.8 x 2.1 cm

- Weight: 5.29 lb

The secondary panel is the "largest second panel ever put in a production gaming laptop." This panel rises up to a 13-degree angle for "comfortable viewing and touchscreen interaction." This panel doesn't just POP up, it works with smooth motion. "The custom hinge staggers the rise of the display to prevent damage and incorporates curved sliders that delay the deployment of the secondary screen."

This panel rolls with IPS tech and 3840 x 1100 pixel resolution and 60Hz image refresh rate. This touchscreen also supports ASUS Pen active stylus. Users will find unique interaction with games like Dying Light 2 which "moves co-op chats to ScreenPad Plus for easy viewing, and adds touchscreen controls for easy switching between inventory items and quests."

This laptop is available in three configurations from Amazon, Newegg, ExcaliberPC, HID Evolution, Xoticpc, and the ASUS Store online. You'll find the least expensive version of the laptop with code GX550LWS-XS79 for approximately $3000. The version with code GX550LXS-XS96 will run closer to $3500, and the most high-end version GX550LXS-XS99 will cost you around $3700 USD.