At first glance, the Chakram does not do much to differentiate itself from other mice in the wheelhouse of ASUS Republic of Gamers. The build quality and aesthetics are immediately familiar to anyone who has used a ROG Pugio or Gladius, for example, except for the addition of a thumb rest and the joystick mentioned above. I say ‘joystick’, but that is a generous term, at least in terms of size: it is a small flat block with a small circle of movement, reminiscent of the solitary folding rule of the original PSP. This is our Analysis of Asus ROG Chakram.
$ 181.99
in stock
1 new
$ 181.99
Amazon.comLast updated on March 19, 2020 3:55 am
It is good to use, and it is an exclusive selling point, but the Asus ROG Chakram has a high price and the question remains: who needs a controller mounted on the side of the mouse?
Review of Asus ROG Chakram: Design
The ROG Chakram is undoubtedly an aesthetically pleasing piece of hardware, with an elegant outer shell made of hard black plastic and decent RGB lighting under the two main buttons and the scroll wheel. The upper half of the box is translucent, creating an RGB ROG logo. The box and main buttons are held in place magnetically, making it easy to remove without screws – a blessing for those who like to model the mouse or do a thorough cleaning regularly.
It is easy to disassemble, and the ROG logo can be exchanged for a blank image to which you can apply a custom design. The switches below the two main buttons can also be easily removed using an included tool. The Asus ROG Chakram comes with two spare Omron switches, which means that replacing a switch is easy when it is worn out.
But the customization doesn’t stop there; the folding rule can be loosened with a little force and replaced with a higher equivalent or completely covered by a plastic spool disk. Whichever you choose, any head or cover is comfortable to wear, with textured rubber tops and a fair amount of resistance, regardless of the folding rule you choose.
Resources
In addition to the doubling rule, the ROG Chakram has some other cool functions. Connectivity can be achieved via Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz wireless or USB dongle. The latter has a cozy mouse slot for when you are traveling. Connecting and configuring the ROG Chakram takes seconds. This ease of connectivity and design also applies to charging, as the ROG Chakram can be charged via USB-C and wirelessly via a compatible Qi charging pad.
The included USB Type A to USB Type C cable is 1.8 m long and I thought it was the best option; charging wireless Qi turned out to be a hit and hit, which requires precise placement and does not work with some third-party Qi chargers. Fortunately, the battery life is excellent. Chakram can be used for a single day of charging and supports fast USB-C charging. However, the use of ASUS Aura RGB lighting will certainly affect battery life.
The only thing missing here is an adjustable weight. It seems unusual that the Chakram can be opened so quickly, leaving a lot of space, but there is no extra weight to put on this relatively light mouse. It is certainly not a superfluous luxury, but it would have been another great feature of the mouse.
Review of Asus ROG Chakram: Performance
I anticipated good things about Chakram, both because of the high price and because of the ASUSProduction pedigree. I was not disappointed. A 16,000 DPI and 40 g acceleration sensor pulls your weight inside this mouse, providing smooth operation with excellent precision, accuracy and sensitivity. The parchment and the four buttons are comfortable to use for long periods, and I found that the embossed fold rule did not cause hand cramps after hours of use.
The stick can work like a traditional analog stick, making it ideal for flight simulations and fighting games, if you are not the type to switch to a gamepad. However, it also has a reusable digital mode, allowing it to be treated as a four-way stick, useful for calling shortcuts in MOBAs and MMOs. However, this is not an excellent mouse for first-person shooters: although it works well, it lacks some features, such as a live DPI switch or a ‘sniper’ button. The DPI can be customized in the ASUS ‘Armory II software, or using a button at the bottom of the mouse.
I tried to use the joystick as a standard control on some top-down snipers; however, the combination of moving and aiming with one hand ended up looking strange. 360-degree space sims like Elite: Dangerous were great after a short adaptation period.
Review of Asus ROG Chakram: Conclusion
It is a somewhat strange and not an everyday product, but the ROG Chakram is a very good mouse. It’s definitely expensive, but the build quality is excellent and it’s good to use – it’s one of the best gaming mice released recently. It looks more like a better trick than a Numpad or a thick d-pad on the side of the mouse. More specifically, and mirroring the use of the niche, but you don’t want to deal with the configuration and use of an expensive joystick, the ROG Chakram is definitely for you. For more options, see our list of Best Gaming Mouse
