Smartphones, PCs, keyboards, mice...
I'm sure many of you have various "gaming devices" lined up around you, but do you have a favorite brand?
Some people scour reviews for every product they want to buy, while others stick to a single manufacturer—the latter is the focus of this article!
Saiga NAK covered the "ROG FUNDAY 2024" event held on Saturday, June 29, 2024.
It was a highly anticipated, invitation-only event that brought together fans of ASUS's gaming brand, "Republic of Gamers (ROG below)!"
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"ROG FUNDAY 2024": A Space Full of ROG
The "ROG FUNDAY 2024" was held at "esports Style UENO," an esports facility operated by KDDI.
It has an exceptionally convenient location, just a 10-second walk from Exit C5 of the Ueno underground passage. The building's first floor is the "BLUE LEAF CAFÉ," where you can enjoy stylish food and drinks; the second floor is a KDDI directly managed shop; and the third floor is "esports Style UENO," making it an appealing space for all generations.
Saiga NAK
Going up to the third floor by elevator, you are greeted by the autographs of famous influencers, comedians, and idols.
"esports Style UENO" only opened in February 2024 but has already hosted many events.
Of course, during normal business hours, you can enjoy games using the latest gaming PCs and devices! The charge starts from 440 yen for one hour!
KDDIのeスポーツ施設「esports Style UENO」が2024年2月に上野でオープン
Everyone Is an ROG Fan!
Everyone is an ROG fan... seriously?!
While overwhelmed by this rare sight, we took our time looking at the ROG products displayed throughout the venue.
ROG has carried out two Evangelion collaborations in the past.
They were also exhibited at TGS2023, and their unique coloring and presence are simply too cool!
I wonder if they will do a third one?
The "ROG Falchion NX," my favorite gaming keyboard.
It's incredibly easy to handle, with arrow and navigation keys integrated into a frame size comparable to 60% keyboards.
It even has a customizable touch panel on the left side, so once you get used to it, its weakness is that you can't use other keyboards.
メカニカル方式小型ゲーミングキーボードASUS「ROG Falchion NX」発表
Speaking of keyboards, the "ROG Azoth" cannot be overlooked.
This product, a powerful-sounding 75% wireless custom gaming keyboard without a numeric keypad, is a keyboard designed for customization—you can place your preferred switch on each key and even DIY the switch lubrication.
To be honest, I haven't ventured into the world of custom keyboards myself, but many people at the venue were eagerly clicking the switches as if it were their chance!
Since there were many ASUS staff at the venue, you could ask them any questions you had.
Aim Labとコラボしたマウスやカスタム前提のDIYキーボードが新登場！ASUS ROG初のeスポーツコレクション「ACE SERIES」日本発売発表会レポート！
That Product Making its First Appearance in Japan, Too!
And now, the new products that garnered significant attention at COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2024 in June 2024, the "ROG Azoth Extreme" and "ROG Harpe Ace Extreme," have landed in Japan!
The "ROG Azoth Extreme" is a keyboard where a heavy-duty aluminum chassis covers most of the body and features a full-color OLED display on the top right.
The "ROG Harpe Ace Extreme" uses a durable carbon fiber shell and weighs only 47 grams! Furthermore, it achieves a true 8,000Hz polling rate.
Both devices are likely to be the next generation of flagship devices developed by ROG, but they are not yet released globally, let alone in Japan.
Further reports are scheduled to be announced by the end of 2024.
Also not yet released in Japan is the professional-grade cardioid condenser gaming microphone "ROG Carnyx"!
It supports a sampling rate of 192kHz/24bit and lights up with ASUS Aura Sync! This is important!
The "ROG Delta II" is a 3-mode wireless gaming headset that features a lightweight design of 315g, large 50mm drivers, and a battery life of up to 110 hours.
Of course, it lights up with ASUS Aura Sync!
Both the "ROG Carnyx" and "ROG Delta II" are scheduled to appear in the Japanese market soon!
Gaming Monitors with Outstanding Impact
A multi-monitor setup is becoming commonplace.
It's highly recommended for business use due to the large working area it provides, but there is actually another option besides a multi-monitor setup.
The "ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD" is a super ultra-wide curved gaming monitor with a width of approximately 1,196.4mm!
The resolution is an impressive 5,120x1,440, which is nearly the same size and resolution as lining up two 27-inch WQHD monitors side-by-side.
With a curvature of 1800R, you can see that it is quite curved when viewed from the side.
The display wraps around the user, creating a high level of immersion.
This is currently on sale in Japan, so check it out! It costs 268,920 yen (tax included)!
ASUS、解像度5,120×1,440のスーパーウルトラワイド湾曲ゲーミングモニター「ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD」を12月22日に発売
The Newly Released "ROG SLASH" Was Also Exhibited!
Saiga NAKThe "ROG SLASH Duffle Bag" and "ROG SLASH Sling Bag 2.0," which were released on Friday, June 21, 2024, were also on display!
The fabric used is highly durable and water-repellent, making them perfect for carrying precious precision equipment.
They are not gaming-looking in a bad way, so they can be easily used for daily carry.
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The Casual Appearance of the "ROG NUC"
ASUS is also known for taking over Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC) business, and a new model has been born from the ROG gaming brand!
The "ROG NUC 970" is the latest gaming NUC housed in a compact 2.5L chassis, equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H/9 185H Processor CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060/4070 GPU.
It is scheduled to be released in Japan in July 2024, and I am personally curious about the market's reaction.
ASUS NUC Finally Arrives in Japan! Four Products Including “ASUS NUC 14 Pro” Announced
Niche Router Disassembly Diagram
... and while "ROG FUNDAY 2024" featured a variety of interesting devices, there were also niche exhibits.
This is the gaming router "ROG Rapture GT-BE98," characterized by its eight antennas.
... exhibited in a disassembled state!
If you've been wanting to take apart a router that costs over 100,000 yen, please look at this and calm your heart.
Educational Content Including PC Building Experience
The "PC Building Experience" was the section that gathered the most people at the event.
Since PC building is often seen as intimidating and requires guidance from experts, participants were extremely curious.
Moreover, the products prepared at the venue were from the BTF, or "Back To the Future," series.
The BTF series is a next-generation product group that pursues the beauty of appearance by minimizing or eliminating cables inside the PC.
In particular, supplying power to the graphics board with a dedicated "GC-HPWR Gold Finger" connector is revolutionary.
To fully utilize BTF, a dedicated PC case, motherboard, and graphics card are required.
Compared to a conventional model with the same specs, the price might be higher, but I personally want PC building beginners to keep it as an option.
No complex cabling is necessary, and since there are currently few component choices at the time of writing, you should be able to buy it without hesitation!
Now, let's wait for BTF to become the standard with the flow of time!
A stamp rally was held inside the venue where you could win original merchandise...
... and players fully equipped with ROG devices got to play "Apex Legends" together with ASUS staff.
Plenty of catering, too!
The mini-hamburgers were delicious.
会場では軽食も🍴
PC自作できてもお皿の盛り付けは苦手な中の人です！#ROGFUNDAY2024 pic.twitter.com/1DjBfUdR3U— Saiga NAK (@saiganak) June 29, 2024
Two Hours Flew By
今日は都内某所で開催されている #ROGFUNDAY2024 にお邪魔してます！
会場中がROG (@ASUSROGJP)まみれ✨ pic.twitter.com/ZaFrS9pkUN— Saiga NAK (@saiganak) June 29, 2024
Just like that, the two-hour event ended in the blink of an eye!
The enthusiasm of the attending ROG fans and the ASUS staff was incredible, and more time is certainly needed to listen to the passionate explanations that conveyed their love for the devices.
The event had a different atmosphere from a press-only product announcement, so it was incredibly refreshing, and I sincerely hope more manufacturers will hold events like this!
That was the "ROG FUNDAY 2024" that made me feel this way.
Saiga NAK will continue to follow ASUS and ROG products now and in the future!
Some Extra Shots
The private gaming booths at "esports Style UENO" were also opened, and we experienced their boasted maximum 10 Gbps dedicated line.
When talking to the facility staff, they mentioned that "some general users visit to compete for event tickets."
It's true that for applying for live concert tickets to support your favorite idol, "esports Style UENO," which has a dedicated line of up to 10 Gbps, might be the ultimate hidden gem.
Why not try using it to beat out the competition?
