Gaming with the Asus ROG Phone 2 at IFA
6.9.2019
Translation: machine translated
A special display, plenty of power and lots of accessories make the ROG Phone II from Asus the perfect gaming smartphone. If only the same games were available for Android as for PC and consoles, you wouldn't need another device for gaming.
ROG is the abbreviation for "Republic of Gamers". This is the brand under which Asus brings all of its gaming hardware onto the market. In addition to laptops, PCs and monitors, this also includes the ROG Phone II.
Overclocked and cooled
The 6.59-inch AMOLED display, which has a refresh rate of 120 hertz, is the starting point. If the games also support this, they simply look better than with the usual 60 hertz. Asus specifies the colour accuracy as Delta-E <1. This means that the games should look exactly as the developers intended. The whole thing is protected by Gorilla Glass 6.
Under the bonnet is the Snapdragon 855 Plus, which can be overclocked. This is a rarity for smartphone chipsets. It achieves up to 2.96 gigahertz in the ROG Phone II. However, this is only an increase of four per cent, as Giuseppe Cesarano from Asus explained. The performance of the Adreno 640 graphics chip has even increased by 15 per cent, which he is visibly proud of. Asus has installed an extra cooling system to prevent the smartphone from getting too hot and even having to switch off. The GameCool II 3D Vapor-Chamber also employees an external fan that you can attach to the smartphone.
The twelve gigabytes of RAM in the ROG Phone II are likely to be the envy of many notebooks. The camera is the same as on the Zenfone 6, which gives hope for decent photos. After all, the smartphone is not only intended to be used for gaming, but also for all other typical smartphone things.
Nice gimmicks and practical functions
Special gaming elements can still be found again and again. Like the design of the back with the illuminated ROG logo. You can determine how and when it lights up in the settings. You can make your own settings for each game in Asus' game management.
The so-called AirTriggers are located on the side of the ROG Phone II. These are ultrasonic sensors that detect how hard you press on the smartphone with your fingers. In games, they can be used as shoulder buttons and are also shortcuts for operating the smartphone.
Dual Surrounding Vibration technology ensures that you can also feel the sound in your fingers. However, this is not absolutely necessary, as the stereo front speakers are very powerful for a smartphone. When it comes to the user interface, you can choose between the very distinctive ROG interface or the much tidier ZenUI.
The battery of the ROG Phone II has a capacity of 6000 mAh and thus offers you a longer runtime than most other smartphones, which mostly range between 3000 and 4000 mAh. Theoretically. If you play a lot of games and overclock the processor, you can easily drain the battery within a day. However, the battery also recharges quickly via the USB-C port and the 30-watt power supply unit. Asus speaks of 66 per cent in 58 minutes. Thanks to the 3.5 mm connection, you can continue to listen to music on your wired headphones while charging.
Lots of accessories
As with the first ROG Phone, Asus also offers a wide range of accessories for the ROG Phone II. The external cooler is included. You have to buy everything else separately. The docking station, which you can use to connect the smartphone to the TV for gaming, is the same for both models.
In order to play on the TV, you need an external controller on the sofa. Asus offers the ROG Kunai gamepad for this and promises "gaming fun like on a console". At the trade fair stand, however, it didn't convince me in a short space of time that it was just as good as the Xbox or Playstation controllers.
Similar to the Nintendo Switch, two controllers can be removed from the gamepad and attached to a holder directly on the smartphone. You can also use this to insert the ROG Phone II into the TwinView dock.
The TwinView Dock II adds a second display to the ROG Phone II, which is identical in size and technology to the smartphone screen. It also comes with a 5000 mAh battery. This means you can not only game for longer while on the move, but also use both screens for some games - for example for a map or chat. This made a good impression in the games installed for the demonstration, but is far from being supported by every game.
Price and availability
The conventional ROG Phone II is the Elite version with 512 gigabytes of internal memory and a glossy back and LTE Cat 18. It will be available from mid-September for 899 euros. The Ultimate version is set to follow in the fourth quarter and will cost 1199 euros. It has a matt black back, one terabyte of memory and LTE Cat 20 and should therefore be able to load data faster on the go.
The ROG Phone II is aimed at a target group and fulfils their needs quite well. In addition to fans of its "Republic of Gamers" hardware, Asus has also set its sights on hardcore gamers and tech nerds and should ensure many happy faces. At least that's my first impression.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.