For several months now, the smartphone world has welcomed the arrival of a new category. These are devices created specifically for mobile gaming. Asus Rog Phone 5 is certainly among them. A real “beast” for gamers, where there are even rear LED lights, and a particularly aggressive design.
This year Asus has paid special attention to this product category, offering an entire family of ROG phones: Standard, Pro and Ultimate. The test model is the standard one, even if there is little to be fooled by this name. Just think that it is a device with 12 GB of RAM and a 144 Hz screen, among many.
Design
On an aesthetic level we have already mentioned the aggressive design, even if this manifests itself more in the rear, than in the front, where instead a particularly clean style stands out. On the front, in fact, only the large 6.78-inch screen stands out, while on the left side there is the classic volume rocker, in addition to the on / standby button.
The first real novelty is on the opposite frame, the left one, where there is a second USB-C input (in addition to the one on the lower part), so that you can recharge the device comfortably even horizontally, in case you were playing in landscape mode. Just below this second port there is also a magnetic connector, which will be used to attach exclusive accessories, to increase the gaming experience.
The back, on the other hand, has more angular patterns, both as regards the rear body and the bump camera. There is also the Republic Of Gamers logo, which moreover lights up when needed.
Beyond the aesthetics, ROG 5 is a large terminal, with a 6.78-inch display, OLED and 1080p resolution. It immediately appears as an excellent panel, quite clear, with excellent colors and a good level of brightness. The real strength of the display, which will make gamers happy, is the very high refresh rate, up to 144 Hz. It is possible to lock the device on this frequency, or choose whether to limit it to 60 or 120 Hz, or whether to set it automatically. This will allow you to use the display to the maximum, where the app or game in use supports this frequency, or to save battery, if you are using an application that is not able to take advantage of this update speed
It is clear that a high update transforms the interface of the device and makes it much more fluid, even simply by scrolling through the list of installed apps, or that of system settings.
Among the elements that make this terminal exclusive, there are also the two triggers on the opposite ends of the left frame. These are basically touch-based keys. This allows you to have control over the game action undoubtedly superior to that of any other smartphone. It's a bit like having a pad with backbones, especially useful in shooters, but also in other titles with more complex and deeper controls.
These keys also help keep the display clear at all times, so you can enjoy the gaming action more comfortably. Again, it's the placement of the speakers that makes this ROG 5 a perfect gaming machine: no matter how you hold the device, there's no way to obstruct the sound. This is thanks to the double front speaker, nestled in the upper and lower part of the display. There is also the notification LED at the top, so you can notice the presence of unread notifications, even without picking up the device.
To complement the additional specifications, ROG 5 offers an excellent in-screen fingerprint sensor, a 6,000 mAh battery, or rather two 3,000 mAh batteries each, with support for fast charging at 65 W with the charger included in the package.
One of the strengths of this terminal is certainly the sound. ROG Phone 5, not only offers a double front speaker, but also has a DAC that supports high-resolution audio and there is an audio wizard to set the sound for each mode, depending on whether you are watching a movie. or that you are playing.
There are no half measures on this department: ROG 5 sounds excellent no matter what you're doing or listening to.
Specifications
Software and performance
At the first start you can choose whether to configure the device with traditional UI, or whether to give it that touch of aggression typical of the gaming department. Asus offers two different types of user interface: a classic theme similar to stock Android, and a default theme, which offers a pronounced gaming aesthetic.
As easy to expect, the software has many options focused on the gaming department. Most of these settings are accessible through the Armory Crate app, a sort of control center where it is possible to recall and browse the games installed on the device, as well as being able to adjust the thermal limit, the performance of the CPU and GPU, those of the RAM being able to also rely on some presets, which depending on the choices, improve and optimize some functions, such as the strengthening of the network for online games, or the display refresh rate, the touch sensitivity, the battery life or the system performance.
All these settings can be viewed visually thanks to a widget, which can be called up on each game, which shows in real time information on the temperature, the FPS, the screen refresh rate, and more.
If we talk about how the phone runs and its performance, one can only be satisfied. ROG 5 is simply a sliver, especially if it blocks the screen's refresh rate at 144Hz. Everything flows extremely smoothly, the apps load quickly, and all the games tested really exceed expectations.
There is not the slightest shadow of slowdown, even on more advanced titles, such as Dead Cells, where the gaming experience is practically equal to that of the console: you can set the maximum graphics and 144Hz, without suffering the minimum lag. Obviously, many games limit the frames to 60 or 30, but not for reasons attributable to the device: in any case, even for these titles the performances are surprising.
Autonomy
Of course, one of the main concerns of every mobile gamer is that related to the autonomy of the device. Playing at the highest possible settings, and with a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, has consequences in terms of battery life. Fortunately, the 6,000 mAh comes to the user's rescue. During our tests we never got to push the terminal to the limit of charging, and even when we needed to connect it to the socket, fast charging always put us in a position, after a few minutes, to have a terminal ready to face the challenge. day. Normal use of the terminal, as a traditional smartphone, will push the use even beyond two days.
Cameras
Here the sore point, which we certainly justify regardless. It is clear that this is not a camera phone, and it is equally clear that cameras have not been the priority for Asus. This terminal does not aim to offer the best possible photos. Obviously, you will be able to take home great shots, but not at the top of the category.
The main sensor is 16MP with f / 1.8 aperture and 1.6um pixels, which allows for good photos in optimal outdoor lighting conditions, while a lot is lost in low light conditions. The second rear sensor is ultra-wide at 16MP with an f2.4 aperture and the third sensor is a 5MP macro with an f2.0 aperture. The front camera, on the other hand, offers a 24 MP sensor with f / 2.45 aperture, allowing fairly detailed selfies, but always and only in good lighting conditions.
We leave you with a gallery of images taken directly with the terminal. The photos are good, overall, although you certainly won't buy this ROG Phone for its photographic sector.
Conclusions
ROG Phone 5 is certainly among the best gaming smartphones currently on the market. It is a device aimed at a very specific market segment, at that niche of mobile players, who want to make their smartphone a real game console. The rooms department, although sufficient, is a bit subdued compared to everything else.
If your goal is to have the best mobile gaming experience possible then this is the phone for you. Obviously, you will have to live with a weight and dimensions that do not go unnoticed.
If you are a hardcore gamer you can also stop here, you have found the ideal phone. If you are looking only for a powerful smartphone, perhaps one that takes great photos, then move on.
PRO
AGAINST
Asus Rog Phone 5 can also be purchased on Amazon for 999 euros.
