ASUS Republic of Gamers already introduced a gaming tower in the Strix GL 12 today, but if your preference is for gaming laptops, it has you covered there too. Today it introduced two new gaming laptops that will launch under the ROG branding. The first ties in with the League of Legends pro scene and is made with MOBA players in mind, while the second is packed to the brim with high end hardware.
While ASUS proper had plenty of reveals of its own throughout the day, its Republic of Gamers line is getting some love itself. First we told you about the Strix GL 12, a new desktop gaming PC that has the potential to boast some serious hardware depending on your configuration. ROG also had some PC gaming accessories on hand today, and though they all have a different function, most of them have one thing in common: RGB lighting.
ASUS has a pair of devices for the modern smart home: the ASUS Lyra Voice and Lyra Trio. These devices offer Amazon Alexa voice services and mesh networking, the combination of which ensure that one's whole home is blanketed with WiFi and that any connected (and supported) IoT gadgets can be controlled using voice commands. ASUS plans to launch both products in the first half of 2018.
In the market for a tiny-but-powerful PC, a small device for DIY project, or a new Chromebox? ASUS has you covered. The company has introduced all three varieties of computing products at CES 2018, including a couple of small-form-factor (SFF) desktop PCs perfect for compact spaces, home entertainment systems, and more. The Chromebox is back as well, this time packing an 8th-generation Intel Core processor and USB-C.
ASUS brought a ton of products to CES 2018, but to PC gamers, one of the coolest is probably the ROG Strix GL 12. In a world packed with pre-built gaming PCs, manufacturers have the task of figuring out how to make their product stand out from the rest. ASUS hopes that it's found the winning formula, which is a combination of hand-picked hardware and lights. Lots and lots of lights.
ASUS has taken the wraps off the ZenFone Max Plus (M1) smartphone for the North American market, saying this compact 5.7" handset will be available to purchase within the region starting next month for $229 USD. The phone will be offered in two color options: Deepsea Black and Azure Silver. The big selling point for this phone is its compact nature -- ASUS says it has squeezed a 5.7" display into a phone body the same size as typical 5.2" smartphones.
Joining ASUS's slew of new gaming products is its Windows Mixed Reality Headset, the company's headset for immersing users into various virtual worlds. The headset was announced amongst ASUS's CES 2018 wares, joining the mass of gaming laptops and other products. With the ASUS Windows Mixed Reality Headset comes a unique, angular 3D pattern and the promise of very simple setup.
ASUS is expanding its range of external graphics docks today with the announcement of the XG Station Pro. Perhaps meant to be the more subtle brother of the gaming-focused ROG XG Station 2, the XG Station Pro's purpose is to bring desktop-level graphics power to your more portable notebook. The design of the XG Station Pro is certainly more subdued than that of the ROG XG Station 2, but both of them share some non-aesthetic similarities nonetheless.
Mesh networking is becoming an increasingly popular solution to extending the range of home and business WiFi networks over a large area. Getting started with mesh networking, however, can be a bit on the expensive side. Getting up and running with a mesh network can mean having to replace your old router and purchase a bundle that comes with a new router and the nodes that will form your mesh network.
Welcome to the familiar: I've just spent some time with the first Windows 10 on Snapdragon devices, HP's ENVY x2 and ASUS's NovaGo, and they're both new and old in one. Unveiled today at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit, the two new ultraportables - one a 2-in-1, and the other a detachable tablet - promise a whole new way of working on the move. In your hands, though, they feel much like the Windows 10 machines we've already seen.
The Snapdragon 835 is moving onto its next target: always connected PCs, first with the $599 ASUS NovaGo. Having found its way into more than 120 mobile devices since it launched last year, Qualcomm's chipset is now looking to larger form-factors, along with a tight partnership with Microsoft. That means Windows 10 on laptops, 2-in-1s, and tablets that have significantly longer battery life than any Intel or AMD-powered machine.
Not enough ZenFones for you this year? Here’s one more and it’s a strange one at that. The 18:9 screen ratio is often used by smartphone makers to mark their high-end devices. ASUS, however, missed that boat when it put out the ZenFone 4 series a few months back. But instead of pushing out an even higher model, it has curiously slapped on 18:9 screens on mid-range models, like this mouthful of an ASUS ZenFone Max Plus.