ROG Strix Flare keyboard, ROG Gladius II Origin mouse, ROG Strix Fusion 300 headset, and ROG Sheath desk mat now all available in a warm pink and soft grey colour combination
LAS VEGAS, CES (JANUARY 7, 2019)— ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today is excited to introduce the new PNK LTD line of coloured gaming peripherals. The Republic of Gamers has a unique style and prides itself on a consistent aesthetic that’s synonymous with the choice of champions. ROG works hard to weave red, black, and grey DNA into every product. In order to fulfill different champions’ tastes, ROG is releasing a new limited-edition color for some of ROG’s most popular peripherals. While this bundle of peripherals might look completely different, the underlying technology remains the same to provide the same great features while giving gamers another option for expressing their personal style. The change in colours also allowed ROG to visually highlight some of the best features of each product.
The ROG Strix Flare
The ROG Strix Flare features a hairline finish that traverses the right side and runs parallel to a diagonal slash that cuts right down to the keyboard’s bottom edge. With the matte pink and textured finish right next to each other, there’s an almost two-toned effect that’s edgy without being too aggressive. The slash is continued through to the detachable palm rest, which is all grey.
The keyboard itself is predominantly pink, save for a few key elements (no pun intended). The easy-to-reach media controls on the left are grey, including the rubberized volume wheel, which is ridged for easy scrolling as you stretch your fingers on your left hand up to reach it. Rubber tends to collect dirt, and any debris trapped in the ridges would be really obvious if it were pink, so grey is a better choice. The primary alphanumeric zone is decked out to match, with gloriously pink function keys that blend into the body of the keyboard. The customizable acrylic insert still comes emblazoned with the ROG logo, though you can DIY your own with the blank insert that ships in the box.
Underneath, it’s the same Strix Flare you know and love. Per-key RGB lighting can be used to go all out on pink or you can go wild with a rainbow of colours that pulse in and out with different effects. The Strix Flare is available with a range of switch types, and the PNK LTD edition has the choice of Cherry MX Red, Brown, or Blue switches, depending on your preference for switch feel.
The ROG Gladius II Origin
The ROG Gladius II Origin PNK LTD follows the Flare’s lead with a strategic blend of our chosen colours. The Mayan-inspired etchings on the sides and scroll wheel stand out even more in lighter grey than the traditional black, and the grey won’t collect stains as easily as pink rubber might. We also didn’t want the detachable cable to get dirty as it moves back and forth across the desk or sits coiled up in the bottom of your bag, so we went grey there, too. The DPI switch behind the scroll wheel and the programmable buttons above the thumb rest see a lot action, which makes grey a smarter choice to protect against grime, and the contrast works well against the perfectly pink primary buttons and palm rest. The ROG logo on the back stands out in bright white, and when you want some bling, Aura Sync-enabled RGB can light up the scroll wheel as well as the underside of the mouse, so you can add a hot pink glow or a rainbow of colours that shines down onto the desk.
The Gladius II Origin PNK LTD is based on the same PixArt 3360 optical sensor as the vanilla version. The sensor can reach 12000 DPI, but can be dialed back for games where a lower DPI makes more sense, like in MOBAs. The ability to hop back and forth between programmed settings using the dedicated DPI switch is handy for transitioning between work and play, or even just between different game genres. This version of the Gladius II is only going to be available for a limited time, which means it’s even more important that it’s built to last. Underneath those pink primary buttons are Omron switches rated for 50 million clicks. Our push-fit switch socket lets you easily swap in switches with different resistance and click-feel, or replace worn out switches when the time comes. The braided cable is more durable, and there’s a second standard cable and pouch, too, so you don’t have to plug and unplug when you leave the house.
The ROG Strix Fusion 300
Planning out which bits of the ROG Strix Fusion 300 PNK LTD should be grey and which should be pink was a bit easier. We didn’t want the parts pressed against your face and hair to get discoloured, so opting for cool grey on the headband and protein leather ear cups was a no-brainer.
Because pink is the whole point, we didn’t add any more grey than we had to for the Fusion 300, so the rest is all pink. We even added some pink to the bottom of the extendable frame of the headband. The fully adjustable retractable microphone blends into the frame on the right ear cup, so there’s no disruption to the pink when it’s stowed, and the red accent lighting of the original Fusion 300 has been swapped for white, which better matches the overall aesthetic.
Underneath the Fusion 300’s pastel exterior, it’s the same awesome gaming headset as before with 50-mm ASUS Essence drivers and 7.1 virtual surround sound. The modified chamber design is airtight to seal air inside and reduce audio leakage and vibrations, and the area around the drivers is bigger, which allows for more air and creates a wider soundstage. The Fusion comes with two cables, a USB cable and a regular 3.5 mm audio cable, to allow you to connect to mobile device as well as your PC.
The ROG Sheath
Completing the perfect pink picture is a reimagining of our ROG Sheath desk mat, which is large enough to fit all of your gear while providing precise tracking for your mouse. It features a tightly woven fabric on top of a non-slip back that doesn’t budge as you play. While the PNK LTD edition maintains the same ginormous 35″ by 17″ footprint as the original, this version of the Sheath is visually different to the original, which was all black with a red ROG logo emblazoned on a Mayan-inspired background.
For the PNK Sheath, we took our cue from the Strix Flare. A bold dividing line runs from top to bottom at an angle and separates the pink from the grey. The top left portion of the mat is pink with a lighter coloured cyberpunk-inspired pattern. The rest of the mat is solid grey, save for the pink border of reinforced stitching that runs around the edge to limit fraying. The dominant grey is the perfect backdrop for the primarily pink peripherals you’re going to place on top it. It’s also the most highly trafficked part of the mat, so the grey helps to hide any dirt that might result from sliding the mouse back and forth over the same spot.
AVAILABILITY & PRICING
Expect all four PNK LTD items in March 2019.
Please visit the ASUS Edge Up feature article for additional details on the PNK LTD line of gaming peripherals.
