What were you doing in twenty years ago? Me? I felt lost in my career and tried entering the telecommunications industry, which was actually more technology related. Why did I ask? It’s because on that same year, a group of engineers in ASUS who happened to be passionate gamers build elite components best suited for their and other gamers’ needs. That’s when the Republic of Gamers or ROG was born.
Ten years later, I was already a Technology blogger and have attended a couple of ASUS ROG events. I was invited to go to Taipei and cover the ASUS and ROG events during COMPUTEX 2016. It was that time when I got immersed with the new ROG products and innovations that got me hooked for the next decade. I eventually got myself a couple of ROG laptops for work and gaming and was also given opportunities to review their latest products.
Now on it’s 20th year, ROG’s innovation in gaming still continues as they have announced the 2026 versions of their best products to date.
Table of Contents
ROG Strix/SCAR Series
The ROG Strix branding was originally for their graphic cards and headsets in 2014. Ten years ago, it merged with their gaming laptops and came up with the Strix GL502. ROG’s first gaming laptop happened to be my first gaming laptop too. I had a Strix GL502VS, their top of the line in the Strix lineup at that time.
Meanwhile, the ROG SCAR was introduced in 2017. The SCAR was focused on fast-paced FPS Gaming, while its sibling the ROG Hero was made for MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) games like DOTA 2 or League of Legends. Eventually, the Hero left the ROG building and the SCAR series remained popular with Esports and FPS Gaming fans.
Now in 2026, the Strix/SCAR branding is strong as ever and continues to be the common gaming laptop among gamers, power users and creators. The ROG Strix G16 and G18 are now updated to their latest specs that meets the demands of today’s gaming scene.
The ROG Strix G16 G615 /G18 G815
The ROG Strix G16 G615 targets users who prioritize raw graphical muscle, high refresh-rate displays, and robust cooling over portability. With its Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and next-gen NVIDIA GPUs up to RTX 5080 it effortlessly pushes high framerates in demanding titles. Hard-core gamers would appreciate these specs that would leave them with more wins than being trashed talked by both your opponents and teammates for being a wimp.
The Strix G16’s 16-inch Nebula display with 2.5K resolution, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage and Pantone validation provides incredibly immersive visuals, while its 300Hz refresh rate lets fast-paced games feel smoother with less blur with higher refresh rate. Plus, its full surround AURA light bar makes the Strix G16 looks like it’s floating off your table.
There is also the Strix G18 available for users who need a bigger, immersive vivid visuals.
ROG Strix SCAR 18
Those who need more power for a gaming laptop designed to be a desktop replacement don’t need to look any further. The ROG Strix SCAR 18 are for users who demand gaming desktop-level performance with a huge display.
If you have a Strix SCAR 18, you may want to show off how mighty this gaming machine is. The AniMe Vision does exactly that. Express yourself with a wide-array of choices on pre-made animations on the SCAR 18’s lid. You can even create your own design to personalize on your mood on that moment.
Its 18″ 4K Mini LED panel with 240Hz refresh rate is incredibly immersive and provides vivid visuals in all the games you’re playing or the video content you’re creating.
The SCAR 18 comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 290HX Plus, Intel AI Boost NPU up to 13TOPS, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU. Not intimidated yet? Set the SCAR 18 on Manual mode and boost the hell out of it to 320W for more power!
With this kind of raw power, there is no need to worry about its thermal management even if you’re playing for hours. ROG has revamped it cooling solution by applying a thicker vapor chamber, moved it to the rear of the chassis to prevent any heat from affecting your hands on the side of laptop.
ROG Ally Series
What started out as an April Fool’s Day joke in 2023 turned out to be real! Inspired by the growing number of handheld gaming consoles in the market, The ROG Ally was the number 1 gaming brand’s first handheld gaming console that works like a PC. The idea is great for gamers who can bring all their games that’s smaller and lighter than a gaming laptop.
The ROG Ally X was released a year after as a major upgrade of the original Ally. It has an upgraded AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme boosting a game’s frame rates up to 30%. Have we ever thought that one day we’ll be able to play AAA games anywhere with a handheld, especially with this power?
With the idea of carrying all your games in a handheld, it needed a hefty amount of storage. It comes with PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD 1TB SSD which can store downloaded games from Steam, Epic, Xbox Game Pass among others. The 24 GB of memory helps your small gaming machine work faster and eliminates stuttering and providing smooth frame rates especially for AAA games.
The newer Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X were both announced last October 2025. The difference between the two is the latter has an Xbox full-screen interface.
These two Allys both have the same controller layout as the official Xbox’s but with haptic feedback on their triggers. Unlike the Xbox’s controller though, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X have extra customizable buttons. There is also a dedicated Xbox button to easily access the Xbox Game Bar.
The Xbox Ally is powered by a Ryzen Z2 A processor that is well enough to play games longer with superb battery life. For those who need a more powerful handheld, the Xbox Ally X is powered by Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor which not only plays AAA games, but also has an NPU for AI-driven performance in gaming.
ROG Gaming Desktops
A PC gamer would always ask “Why buy an ROG Desktop when you can actually build one?” Actually, it’s true. However, not everyone has the skill and patience to build a gaming PC. This is where the ROG Gaming Desktops come in – those who want a premium, high-performance machine that is already available and can game on immediately out of the box.
ROG G1000
Personally, I’d like to think the ROG G1000 is a balance of flashy looks and high performance desktop gaming PC. Its top-tier performance is built for the most demanding graphic-intensive games and workloads. Thanks to the latest AMD Ryzen 9800X3D processor and ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, the G1000 gives gamers the needed horsepower to stay competitive. The gaming desktop comes with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage but it could be upgraded to 128GB of DDR5 memory and up to 4 TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. Sounds like it can be at par with an enthusiast’s custom-made gaming PC.
However, these enthusiasts also look at the aesthetics of a PC desktop’s setup. Here’s what makes the G1000 a gaming PC that can still impress in this department. Its case has AniMe Holo built within its triple holographic fans that can show animations while the PC is on. This is the centerpiece of the G1000 that projects your personality or your gaming mood. For cooling this flagship gaming desktop, the G1000 comes with the world’s first 420mm AIO (All-in-One) liquid cooler in a prebuilt PC.
ROG Zephyrus G Series
The original ROG Zephyrus was announced in COMPUTEX 2017, considered then the slimmest gaming laptop in the world. I took the plunge a year after and got myself a Zephyrus S GX531 which was even slimmer than the original.
In 2020, the Zephyrus G14 was announced – a more compact gaming laptop with the Anime Matrix display on its lid. I never had one, but I always get excited every time I hear a new version of the G14 is about to be released.
ROG Zephyrus G14
The 6th Gen ROG Zephyrus G14 still captivates me after all these years. It’s like my crush who keeps on maturing but retains her same beauty and finesse that keeps me dreaming of having her someday.
Why is the Zephyrus G14 my favorite? Here’s why:
- 14-inch 3K ROG Nebula HDR OLED with 120Hz refresh rate
- Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor, Intel NPU up to 50TOPS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU
- 1TB SSD upgradeable to 2TB and memory up to 32GB
- ROG Intelligent Cooling with Tri-Fan Technology and updated air outlet design
- Weighs only 1.5kg and 1.59cm slim.
I am still hoping to have a Zephyrus G14 and my crush someday.
ROG Zephyrus Duo
In 2019, the first Zephyrus Duo’s second display is on the upper portion of the keyboard that tilts when opened. It was one of ROG’s unbelievable innovations, until this year when they eliminated the secondary half-screen called ScreenPad Plus and replaced it with two identical, full-sized 16-inch 3K OLED touchscreens. Can any gaming laptop in the market top that?!
The World’s First Dual 16″ Screen Gaming Laptop
The Zephyrus Duo has a dual 16″ ROG Nebula HDR OLED Touchscreen Displays with 120Hz refresh rate. Non-gamers may question how would someone play with a Zephyrus Duo’s dual screens. Visualize this – on the left side is the game being played while your other stuff like YouTube, an open document, emails, etc. are on the right. The displays can be on Stack mode or book mode to be able to view both. You can also have the displays set on Tent Mode and play a co-op game like Overcooked with a friend. Having a dual display is a no-brainer for users who are into productivity for they can open multiple apps and browsers to multi-task on several tasks.
Of course, with its dual full-sized displays it should also have high-end processors to be a legitimate flagship gaming laptop. Powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 and graphics up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, gamers or creators can experience maximum performance to play AAA games and create digital art or videos without any compromises.
Looking forward to another 20 years
We don’t know what’s in store next for the ASUS Republic of Gamers. Would it be a dual-display ROG Ally Handheld Console? Will there be a ROG Zephyrus Trio with Triple Screens? If they come up with such, it will surely be interesting to see.
What about you? What do you think the next innovation ROG would develop within the next 20 years?
Can’t wait for the next 20 years and you’d like to buy an ROG gaming laptop now? Click HERE to know more specs about the devices we featured.
And if you decide to buy it from an ROG Store, click HERE and find the nearest ROG shop to your location.
Lastly, did you know buying an ASUS or ROG gaming laptop is supported by ASUS No.1 Quality and Service? Know more by clicking this LINK.
