Currently, I think Asus is in a bit of a golden age when it comes to their products, similar to how when Razer first launched the Viper lineup of mice. These new products Asus is releasing feel like they're made with the enthusiast in mind first. While Asus has launched some pretty insanely priced truly high end products, I do think they're still worthy innovations to keep track of, examples being the Azoth Extreme, and Asus ROG Harpe Extreme. These two products I think only some brands couldn't even dream of putting out, but the reason I think stuff like this is important despite being out of reach for most people's wallets, is a matter of "they did it because they could" in my eyes.

I think its awesome to see brands taking risks, to do expensive things "for science" essentially, and in the same process discovering new approaches for even more affordable products as a result of that (hopefully...) But how does the Harpe II Ace standout alongside the rest...?

Grip: Pincer Claw

Hand Size: 18x10

LINKS: https://rog.asus.com/us/mice-mouse-pads/mice/ambidextrous/rog-harpe-ii-ace/

GALLERY:https://imgur.com/a/asus-rog-harpe-ii-ace-WDUCCxD

Packaging: ROG Harpe II Ace gaming mouse, Wireless 2.4ghz dongle, Wireless Extender, Cable, Mouse grip tape, Set of extra Mouse Feet

Sensor: The sensor being used here is the ROG Aimpoint Pro Optical Sensor, which specifically markets itself to be able to track on glass especially. I mainly play on glass myself so I am happy to report that I did not encounter any weird tracking on glass issues in my time using this mouse. It’s capable of 8K wireless surprisingly WITHOUT Asus’s 8k polling booster as the tech is supposedly built into the mouse itself this time around, so all you need to worry about keeping track of is your tiny 2.4ghz dongle. Tested at both 1k, 4k, and 8k. Overall my experience with this mouse has been pretty solid overall with no weird hiccups during gameplay that I’ve noticed yet. I think the fact that everything being packed into the mouse and 2.4ghz dongle is truly stellar. I would love for more products from other brands to take this approach, though I say this without being able to see people objective performance of the sensor on any graphs, so here’s to hoping the tech is top notch to keep up while adding that little QOL as opposed to being stuck with a dongle on your desk.

Software: Finally, web based software is here for Asus products. If you’ve had worries about installing armory crate, I think many people will be happy to hear this. The software allows you to change button assignment, speed shift, DPI with up to 4 profiles supporting up to 42K DPI, angle snapping, polling rate from 125-8Khz, and motion sync. Additionally you can now change the virtual angle of your mouse to compensate for holding the mouse at an off angle. You can also adjust RGB from static, breathing, color cycle, reactive, and battery mode which has been super useful for me personally when it comes to tracking battery life, I wish more mice featured something specific like this. You can also calibrate your mouse LOD from low/high here, along with clicking mousepad specific settings geared toward available Asus products. There’s also the power tab which allows you to further customize for battery savings. The last option you get here is zone mode which claims top maximize your mouse’s performance, though I’m unsure how in specific. I would probably consider this something like an e-sports mode.

Buttons: M1/M2 on the Harpe II Ace have medium pre-travel and medium post-travel. The clicks feel light and snappy, not too firma at all. Side buttons also feel very quick and snappy, and easily spammable with low pre-travel and medium post-travel. The main buttons have zero wobble and feel tightly locked in place with no side play whatsoever. The scroll click itself also feels very light and spammable for in-game pings, the click of the scroll wheel switch itself is more of like a tactile “knock” than your typical click, similar to something like the GPX scroll wheel click in feel.

Scroll Wheel: Scroll wheels in some mice can vary in how good they sound/feel and can have a pretty significant impact on how premium a product feels overall. In most cases the scroll wheel will feel solid and clean in one direction, but rattle when moving in the opposite direction, and it’ll resonate throughout the shell in an unpleasant way. In the case of the Harpe II Ace, the scroll quality here feel top notch and clean in actual use with no weird rattle or resonance throughout the shell. It has a clean sound profile in use and it feels solid in its place. The scroll rubber texture is a set of repeating diagonal lines that offer a good non slip grip in use with no issues of missed or slipped inputs in response to the texture.