Palms-on with Asus’s ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE: Premium gaming, with an emphasis on bodily changes and web-based configuration

Although its title is a mouthful, the Asus ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE, debuting at CES 2026, ticks plenty of the packing containers for a contemporary gaming keyboard. You get magnetic switches (Asus’ personal factory-lubed HFX V2, to be particular), 8K polling, Rapid Trigger, a web-based configuration utility (necessary as a result of all gaming peripheral software program is terrible), and naturally, RGB. The solely factor I discover missing here’s a battery for wi-fi operation. But contemplating the excessive polling charge, magnetic switches, and plethora of RGB, you’d in all probability need to maintain a charging cable shut by, anyway.

The keyboard’s stand-out options are a programmable contact bar on the again left edge (which we’ve seen in earlier Falchions), and a small jog wheel close to the upper-right nook. The latter isn’t for quantity changes or scrolling paperwork, however for fine-tuning the actuation level and speedy set off sensitivity on all keys or a selected key, with out having to leap into software program and even enter the net interface. The concept, it appears, is to get the actuation level near the place you need it by way of the browser interface, then fine-tune it from there. That stated, it could be good if there have been a tiny two-digit readout close to the wheel that may truly inform you what quantity you’re setting issues to with the wheel.

This seems like an necessary function on a contemporary magnetic gaming keyboard. Because nobody desires to maintain leaping out and in of a sport till issues really feel proper. And once you aren’t gaming, you may want a straightforward technique to flip the sensitivity down so you possibly can kind with out the frustrations of super-sensitive switches. This works nicely with the keyboard’s format, as nicely. At 75%, it’s almost as compact as 65% fashions, whereas nonetheless providing up arrow keys and one column of helpful keys to the suitable of the backspace button for work. There’s additionally an simply flippable swap on the rear proper nook that permits you to flip Rapid Trigger on and off.

While I didn’t get sufficient time with the keyboard earlier than heading to CES 2026 to do a full evaluate, I did spend a few days with it, taking part in Borderlands 4 and modifying / writing as 2025 wound down.

The lubed ROG HFX V2 switches really feel clean and pleasing, and I observed successfully no key wobble. Their actuation vary, between 0.1 and three.5mm, is a bit shorter than most different HE keyboards / switches, which have a variety of 0.1-4mm, however I definitely didn’t miss the additional distance. I barely favor these within the Keychron K8 HE for his or her barely softer sound and extra cushioned feeling when bottoming out, however I’d don’t have any main complaints switching to the Falchion Ace 75 HE and its ROG HFX V2 switches – for gaming or for work. And if I have been meticulously dialing in actuation factors for my favourite video games, I would favor the Asus ROG keyboard as a result of it makes it simpler to show a few of these options off after I’m doing issues apart from gaming, because of the adjustment wheel and the Rapid Trigger swap.

That stated, I don’t notably discover the touchbar on the rear of the Falchion Ace 75 HE notably intuitive or ergonomic. Perhaps I would like extra time to get used to it, and I do like that you could change it by way of the Web interface to manage quantity, media playback, lighting depth, and different options. But it’s a must to attain again behind the highest fringe of the keyboard and faucet or swipe. There’s additionally a button again there that permits you to toggle between modes. Using this function feels awkward, and I typically discovered myself unintentionally urgent the primary few perform keys when making an attempt to skip a track on a playlist. I’ll discover it extra intuitive with time, however it seems like having the identical contact space on the left facet of the keyboard, relatively than the again, can be a better option, because you wouldn’t have to succeed in up and over the Function keys to make use of it.