ASUS "ROG Phone" is not just a high-performance gaming smartphone! Could it change even the app game market? (Get Navi web)

The other day, ASUS officially announced the popular gaming smartphone "ROG Phone". It was announced at Comptex in Taiwan in June, and I had high hopes for this model, so I would like to report on it.

I think there are some people who don't know what a gaming smartphone is, but that should be true. This model is an epoch-making existence. In other words, like the difference between a PC and a gaming PC, it is a machine that focuses on how comfortably you can play games.

Gaming PCs are characterized by high graphics performance! Equipped with a high-performance graphics board, the response speed of the display is 1 msec, and the higher the refresh rate, which is related to the smoothness of the video display, is 144 Hz. Another feature is usability. By using a dedicated mouse and keyboard, you can perform delicate and precise operations. Similarly, gaming smartphones have been enhanced with graphics and operability.

First of all, the CPU, which is the lifeblood of processing performance, uses a Snapdragon 845 with overclocking specifications that has improved performance unlike usual. The memory is 8 GB and the storage is 512 GB. Even just looking at the specs, it's a high-end that sets it apart from other smartphones.

The display uses a 6-inch organic EL with 2016 x 1080 dots. The refresh rate is 90Hz! It refreshes 1.5 times more per second than a normal smartphone with 60Hz as the standard, realizing smooth movement expression. Of course, it doesn't make sense unless the display on the game app side is 60fps or higher, but if you try a compatible app, you can feel the great effect. There are still few game apps that support 90fps, but surprisingly, "Pokemon GO" is compatible.

Next is operability. The ROG Phone uses an ultrasonic touch sensor "AirTrigger" that allows touch operations to feel like pressing a physical button. You can choose which part you want to touch, so you can get the feeling of operation you like.

Peripheral devices are also substantial, and if you use the gamepad type unit "Gamevice for ROG Phone", you can play like a handheld game machine. Also, if you use the "Mobile Desktop Dock" that allows you to connect the ROG Phone to external devices such as a display, keyboard, mouse, and wired LAN, you can assign keyboard keys to taps and soft keyboards just like AirTrigger. You can also operate it like a PC game.

There were a few things that bothered me. It is the intensity of the battery consumption and the deterioration of performance due to heat generation. Regarding battery consumption, it supports a strong battery of 4000mAh, but it is undeniable that it is still unsatisfactory for mainly playing games. Although it is not recommended, you have to play while charging, but we are taking measures to prevent heat from accumulating in the main unit even while charging. By adopting a highly effective heat dissipation mechanism and incorporating an IC into the charging adapter side, heat generation in the main body is suppressed. Furthermore, if you use the expansion unit's cooler unit "AeroActive Cooler" with a built-in cooling fan, you can dissipate heat more efficiently.

There are many other features. One of them is "Gamevice Wigig". By using this function, you can wirelessly transfer the screen of your smartphone to the big screen. It is a so-called Miracast-like function, but it is worth mentioning that there is no delay. While playing the racing game, I compared the screen display of the smartphone and the screen display of the transferred monitor, but I did not feel any delay. By the way, this technology is based on the wireless communication standard 11ad.

TwinView Dock, which allows you to play on two screens just like Nintendo 3DS, is a very interesting attempt. You can watch strategy videos, chat while playing the game, or even play two games at the same time. The screen is basically in the horizontal position, but by holding it vertically, I thought that "Pokemon GO" and "Ingress Prime" could be done at the same time.

Speaking of gaming PCs, the colorful illumination of the main unit and keyboard is also a feature. The ROG Phone also has a glowing back icon. The illumination can be managed by the app, and you can choose the movement from lighting, blinking, circle, etc. Another point is that you can freely set the color, brightness, and blinking speed. It's also cool to be able to link with other ROG Phones so that you can use the same color when you go to competitions as a team.

When you use the circle, it changes to various colors. Please check the video.

I've touched it all the way through, but I feel that it's definitely the strongest smartphone for playing games. However, what is different from a gaming PC is that the current smartphone app can perform well on other smartphones, and there is nothing that can fully demonstrate the capabilities of the ROG Phone. Of course, there are quite a few game apps, such as those that support 90fps, that can only be used on the ROG Phone to its full potential.

However, it is not the case that overspecs are a waste of treasure, but with the release of gaming smartphones, it is possible to create game apps that require high specs to match. In that sense, I even had the impression that the ROG Phone was a little stuck in the standards of smartphones. As a result of considering the size and weight of a smartphone, we had to give up on various things, so I think it would have been better if it didn't look like a smartphone. In the world of notebook PCs, where thinness and lightness are justified, thick and heavy gaming notebook PCs have been released. yeah. Try putting a battery of about 20000mAh or putting a graphic board on it.

Esports events and tours by professional teams have already been held with smartphone game apps, but with the spread of gaming smartphones and the release of even higher-end games, the mainstream of esports may shift from PCs to smartphones. I can't. Due to the difference in the ownership rate, there is a possibility that playing on smartphones will clearly spread, so I would like to expect that.