Ever since I can remember I have always played consoles, from ATARI to the PlayStation 5, every equal game console has passed at my fingertips.
Recently, I also returned to the gameboy era and equipped myself with Nintendo's contemporary portable console - the Switch.
There was a long time when I was also deaf about computer games of course, but for one thing I never really connected, gaming on a smartphone.
Moshe Ben Simhon
So yeah, when the gold column of the iPhones started it's clear I played Plants VS Zombies, Cut The Rope, Fruit Ninja and even sinned a little Angry Birds here and there at the time, but it did not really hold.
As a follower of "Real Games" who grew up in the 1980s / 1990s, the app trend did not sweep me away, and I was always looking to get back in control with my hands and the big screen in front of my eyes.
When I heard that a device branded as a "gamer phone" and another that is not a prototype, but a new and additional version of the device (ROG 5) that has already been defined as a success by worldwide reviewers, I had to try, and dive back into this world of mobile gaming and see - Has anything there really changed? Is today, playing mobile really a real deal?
ASUS 'new gaming smartphone - oiled gaming machine, Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
ASUS, which brings us the ROG devices, is not just another manufacturer, it is one of the largest and most respected companies in the world for the production of hardware and with an emphasis on the one that goes hand in hand with the gaming industry.
Its mobile gaming device is called "Republic Of Gamers" or ROG for short.
Game and! - Playfulness
With the opening of the device packaging, we already understand that we are dealing with professionals.
The cover is not only fancy, branded, and loaded with comic book drawings, it actually becomes part of the experience later on.
The design of the device itself is very futuristic and very much connected to the gaming world, when even the lighting that emanates from the back of the device reminds us of the whole gaming world and its accessories.
This unique lighting is not just for beauty, as the different colors that emanate from the device show us different modes like incoming call, charging, special modes and more.
With a click to activate the device itself, whose screen is extra large and wide, we see an anime character named AKIRA and it is explained to us that we have to scan with the help of the device camera the static comic pieces that came printed on its case. Once we do that - the still comic book world comes to life! Every comic book slot we look at through the phone screen becomes a live comic with the amazing use of augmented reality technology. Our AKIRA comes to life, sharpens the sword, and kills its enemies, when at the end of the comic strip we have a PLAY button that when pressed - starts playing a game whose plot continues that of the comic we just saw. The game features stunning graphics, demonstrates impressive sound, and even gives us a chance to use the Air Trigger buttons unique to this device, which are very similar to those at the top of the console signs we are familiar with, but certainly not familiar with the cellular world. If so, we're just getting started and already, wow one huge.
Then, comes the money time.
How the device works when heavy games like Asphalt 9, Call of Duty Mobile, Mortal Kombat, Contra Returns, etc. are run on it.
The positive?
The summary of the gameplay in ROG will be in one word: FLAWLESS.
The games fly, no glitch or blast, no delay, long time loading, falling frames, nothing.
Part.
This is thanks to the special 'Mode X' activation that allows maximum results on the part of the device and optimizing all its features for a smooth and clean game and includes a variety of options where the player can choose how he wants to optimize the device according to its various uses.
The sound emanating from the speakers of the device is powerful and unparalleled, definitely the most powerful gaming experience I have experienced from a mobile device so far.
Mode X: Abilities to the maximum - battery to the minimum, Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
The negative?
'Mode X' drains the battery very quickly, and in a long game the device gets particularly hot.
Which also has a solution in the form of a dedicated fan that connects to the device and cools it, the main minus here is that in the ROG 5s version unlike previous versions of ASUS gaming devices, in our case the fan is a separate product that can be purchased additionally and does not come in the original case.
Beyond gaming comes the tough questions about the rest of the device's performance as a smartphone.
Well, here the plot gets a little tangled up.
Fast and edgy - performance
The use of the device is unusually fast, the movement of every screen, every opening of an application, every keystroke on an icon or key, is immediate, without a hundredth of a second of stuttering on the part of the device and it is friends, especially impressive.
I have never encountered such a fast device so far in the cellular world.
Even the loading of "problematic" apps, which are not games like Facebook or WhatsApp, is done in a single second, and there is no delay and hiccups at all, amazing.
Unimaginable speed - ROG5s, Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
Size does matter - dimensions
are undoubtedly an excellent device, but it seems that the emphasis was really on the performance in the field of gaming more than the practicality of the device as a smartphone.
Indeed the device is smart and fast and everything is good and beautiful, but in exchange for the big screen requested here to have a mesmerizing gaming experience, we pay the price out of pocket, and I still do not even talk about the price ... In fact, I could not find any angle where the device aligns and fits well within any Pocket, not in the front of the jeans, not in the back pockets, the device does not even fit in the huge pocket of the hoodie and is not cold enough for a hoodie yet!
The device is very heavy, and bulky in terms of size.
By the way, not only the device itself is very large, but also the charger that comes with it is huge and heavy relative to the chargers of the competitors.
Heavy for the pocket - and not just for the price ..., Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
Say Cheese - a camera
on the one hand, a very good level of still photography in the main camera: high image quality, and unique modes that work properly unlike other devices, some of the big companies in the market that messed up big, for example in macro, panorama or mode Night photography, which is precisely here - working just fine.
On the other hand, the selfie camera did not completely deliver the goods.
Don't get me wrong, the selfie is not bad in any way, but it's not perfect either.
The object close to the camera comes out relatively clean, but the ones behind it are blurry and not because we used the 'portrait' function ... Surprisingly the video sometimes jerky for no apparent reason and lacked frames.
Most noticeable on the negative side were still images from video that came out at a very low level and not close to those taken in a standard still image mode.
In terms of video capture even though it is not related to the camera itself, even there we encountered problems when sometimes the sound and image went out of sync.
Personalized customization, special gaming menus for quick control of various abilities, and even our own avatar - ROG5s, Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
Storage Monster - Volume
512 GB.
This is a monstrous volume for a mobile device, and nowadays if you do not have a cloud for a fixed fee, it turns out to be a necessary volume.
Especially if it is a device designed for installing heavy games and / or you take lots of videos and pictures of the highest quality (like me).
what is on the menu?
And now for the facts - the specifications of this device are particularly impressive:
Dimensions:
173 mm X 77 mm X 9.9 mm
Weight:
238 g
Battery:
6000 mAh, with support for fast charging (2 USB-C openings)
Drive volume:
512GB
Chipset:
Qualcomm SNAPDRAGON 888+ with G5 Network Support
Memory:
16GB of LPDDR5 RAM RAM
Operating System:
Android 11 with ROG User Interface
Network:
Full 5G Support
A device that screams gaming both externally and internally, Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
Cooling system:
GameCool 5 that connects to the AeroActive Cooler 5 device (sold separately). The battery is divided into two parts so that the heat emitted from it is evenly distributed to all the edges of the device and thus no overheating is caused at a certain point in the device. This and other cooling techniques that are embedded in the device ensure a reduction of 10 degrees from the processor located in the center of the device to about 15 degrees from the outer surface of the device, which we hold.
Screen:
6.78 inches. 1080X2448 pixels + FULL HD resolution - Samsung's 144 Hz AMOLED E4 display, with a 360 Hz touch sampling rate that ensures a clean, fast, and continuous gaming experience. All of course with full support for '10 HDR 'and '10 HDR Plus'. The maximum brightness is 1200 rivets (up to 800 in standard mode) and allows optimal use even outside the house and even in strong sunlight. The screen itself is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus system which keeps it in crisis best. The touch screen also supports the use of gloves.
Camera:
Front (selfie) - 24 megapixels.
Rear cameras - 64-megapixel primary camera (Sony IMX686 sensor) + additional 13-megapixel camera (125-degree wide-angle lens) + additional 5-megapixel camera for close-up (macro) photography.
The upper Air Trigger buttons are an alternative to the R / L 1/2 familiar to us from the large and familiar game consoles, Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
Sound:
The audio system - GameFX in the device not only ensures powerful, symmetrical, balanced and clean sound, but also allows beyond the impressive speakers of the device itself, connection to external audio in several ways: The system includes 2 headphone jacks and USB-C external audio jack and a standard 3.5 headphone jack mm.
Game buttons: The
device includes side sensors (on the right side of the device, when in horizontal game mode on full screen - become the top side) called "Air Triggers" which actually become additional game buttons and the system supports a variety of different and unique movement gestures such as "tap-and- slide ”,“ tap-and-swipe ”and more. The Air Triggers are the closest thing you can imagine to a remote gaming console remote.
In addition to all this impressive specs, ROG has partnered with some of the largest gaming content manufacturers in the world to bring unique kits and packages (Themes) to the phone interface with the leading titles heroes in contemporary gaming starring on your phone screen, lock screen, background, and more.
The price:
Not at all easy for the pocket, it costs NIS 4,999. Not a cheap product, but gives the answer to those who are looking to be a gamer around the clock - both from the mobile and on the go.
Bottom line:
ROG is a workhorse. If you are a gamer at heart, not only its exterior design has captured your heart, but also everything that happens inside it, both design and performance. If you play a lot, and are looking for a powerful device that will be able to accommodate your time and investment in games, this is the device for you. On the other hand - the price is heavy for the pocket, the weight is heavy for the pocket as well, and if you are not a gamer, there is no reason to spend 5,000 NIS on this device, as you can find the functions it allows as a phone / camera, etc. The
world of mobile gaming is definitely Light years have progressed lately, but we are not there yet. Although there are addictive apps that can "waste" you whole days and nights, but it still can not replace the professional gaming, for which there is nothing to do, need a remote. So do not throw away the PlayStation or Your Xbox still,ROG is primarily a mobile gaming machine for in-game gaming and a really cool product that can definitely be an upgrade for gamers.
Gambling addicts?
Fly on it.
Not addicted to gaming?
Can't believe I've hired you to read this far.
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