Evaluate: Asus ROG Harpe 2 Ace: A Incredible All-Spherical Gaming Mouse That Clears Razer’s Finest

Asus might be not the primary model you’d consider when it got here to high-end gaming mice, however the Taiwanese PC gaming big has been quietly rolling out some genuinely top-level mice for years now. Their newest effort is the ROG Harpe 2 Ace, and it is a implausible all-rounder that stands in stark opposition to the highest esports-focused mice just like the Razer Viper V4 and Logitech X2 Superstrike. It proves which you can ship a vastly performant wi-fi ultra-light mouse for aggressive play, but nonetheless ship on the kinds of options that make a mouse nice for workplace work or extra informal gaming.

Of course, a $130/£130 price ticket places the Harpe 2 Ace firmly in fanatic territory, however provided that the unique Harpe Ace now retails for a extra cheap $80, I believe it is truthful to imagine that this mouse will attain the same value – and a wider viewers – in a yr or two, particularly at purchasing holidays like Black Friday.

What I respect concerning the Harpe 2 Ace is that it sacrifices little or no in comparison with the preliminary crop of ultra-light mice, which usually used closely ventilated designs that uncovered the internals, compromised construct high quality and terrified the trypophobic. The Harpe 2 Ace manages to succeed in a weight of 48 grams, proper within the candy spot for manoeuvrability and management, but it has a strong shell with no give in any way when clutched tightly. It additionally packs in a slot for the compact 2.4GHz USB dongle and Bluetooth connectivity, each of that are generally excised for weight-saving causes by rival mice. The battery can be legitimately good, at a rated 101 hours

The remainder of the internals are top-notch: a 42K DPI optical sensor, optical microswitches underneath the left and proper mouse buttons and a 2.4GHz wi-fi transmitter that helps as much as 8000Hz. That matches the overwhelming majority of premium wi-fi mice which have come out over the previous few months, although the extra-fast clicks and haptic suggestions of the Logitech X2 Superstrike stay distinctive to that specific mouse. One distinctive functionality right here is the flexibility for the sensor to trace on glass, which is a pleasant usability addition for non-gaming use.

The semi-symmetric form has advanced from the unique Harpe Ace, with gently tapered sidewalls, a decrease rear hump and rounded mouse buttons, and Asus says that it now helps each claw and fingertip grips. I’ve a 200x100mm hand and use a relaxed claw model, and the Harpe 2 Ace’s 126x64x40 dimensions really feel good for that objective. I’d say all however the smallest arms ought to discover the Harpe 2 Ace comfy to make use of. The matte coating right here is great too, providing loads of grip with out displaying fingerprints.

As with different PC peripherals I’ve reviewed just lately, conventional downloadable software program has fallen by the wayside in favour of an internet app. I personally suppose that is nice, as you simply must go to a web site, give it entry to your mouse, after which you may make no matter modifications you are occupied with – lighting, polling charge, button mapping and so forth. When you are completed, you permit the positioning, and also you due to this fact haven’t got a program operating within the background stealing your (now costly) RAM. Asus’ Gear Link software program is amongst one of the best I’ve examined, with a wise structure, well-written English explanations (not all the time a given) and the entire options that you just’re prone to want.

The sensible selections Asus has made when it comes to form and parts leads to a mouse that’s succesful and cozy even for marathon gaming periods. Low DPI playstyles are properly catered for, because of the low weight and highly effective sensor, and I felt assured taking duels in precision-focused first-person video games like Counter-Strike 2 and MechWarrior 5: Clans. The mouse is rather less crucial in video games like Diablo 4, however I appreciated having conveniently-placed aspect buttons to bind to the map overlay and stock display for fast checks or gear swaps in battle.

One factor I observed was that the Harpe 2 Ace could be very straightforward to select up and reposition, one thing that you are able to do quite a bit at low DPI settings, and once more that is all the way down to the selection of form and that grippy matte coating. The mouse clicks and mouse wheel are additionally properly composed right here, transferring simply with out the wobble or sponginess that may generally afflict even high-end mice.

As properly as gaming, I spent a number of time utilizing the Harpe 2 Ace for work – Photoshopping photos, modifying articles and operating benchmarks. The mouse felt responsive to make use of even on the Bluetooth connection, which isn’t all the time a given, and is appreciated for occasions once you’re travelling with a laptop computer that won’t have a spare full-size USB port.

You haven’t got an enormous variety of further bodily buttons to tie to macros, which is beneficial for some varieties of work, however there’s a SpeedShift function that lets one button act as a modifier, so it’s potential to map extra capabilities than you could have bodily buttons to press. I additionally appreciated the Zone Mode setting, which is basically a customisable profile arrange out of the field for max aggressive functionality, so that you needn’t maintain the battery-sapping 8K polling engaged for normal use.

Overall, the Harpe 2 Ace is a succesful ultra-light mouse that can swimsuit aggressive FPS gamers because of its high-end internals, whereas nonetheless providing options with a lot broader attraction: lengthy battery life, glass monitoring, web-based software program and Bluetooth help. It compares very favourably to the newest Razer Viper, providing related efficiency in aggressive video games whereas providing higher options outdoors of that use case. Asus is in one thing of a golden age in the intervening time in the case of peripheral design, and that should be observed and appreciated.

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