Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition review: A powerful esports mouse

Price When Reviewed

149.99

Best Prices Today: ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition

$109.99

Born of a collaboration between Asus and Spacestate’s Aim Labs, the ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition is a magnetic possibility for critical players. It weighs simply 54 grams, but amazingly it boasts Tri-Mode connectivity, providing you the choice of Bluetooth in addition to a wired or 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection.

As far as efficiency goes this mouse’s 36,000 DPI sensor is likely one of the most exact and correct we’ve ever used. Its symmetrical physique delivers a precision management we’ve been on the lookout for in aggressive mice for a while now. It’s with these ideas we will say the ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition is an distinctive selection for players, having nearly all the pieces you’d want for in a gaming mouse for the quickest aggressive play.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best gaming mice to study competing merchandise.

ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition design

Collaborations can push merchandise to new and thrilling ranges. You can see that’s the case with the ROG Harpe Ace whose design is refreshingly minimalist, a tool honed for players who want a dependable high-performance mouse. Asus claims the mouse was co-designed and examined by skilled esports gamers, which might account for why it simply feels so excellent for FPS.

By far probably the most obviously apparent function is its mild weight. I say that so much as of late as firms preserve making lighter gaming mice for me to check out, however within the Harpe Ace’s case its loftiness is a real tour de drive value celebrating. I imply, to make a mouse simply 54 grams — lighter than a tennis ball — with Tri-Mode connectivity (a wired connection in addition to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) is sort of a feat of engineering.

The secret sauce to that weightlessness is within the materials used for the mouse’s high. It’s product of nylon, but it seems to be and feels indistinguishable from plastic. Remarkably, it’s nothing just like the nylon you’ll see in a beaten-down pair of swimming togs — it’s extraordinarily robust, neither creaking nor buckling below the burden of my hand. This nylon is of course grippy too, with a texture someplace between fully clean and superb sandpaper. Asus has additionally added further grips on each of the mouse’s flanks for much more gripping energy.

The Harpe Ace is formed like most esports mice in that it’s extraordinarily symmetrical — one facet trying similar to the opposite. Clearly it is a mouse meant to have laser-like precision, to be an unstoppable weapon in first-person shooters. It’s additionally a mouse that can match all the principle grip varieties. But that doesn’t imply it’s featureless. From the again a mild hump rises as much as the mid-section after which tapers off towards the entrance. It additionally has straighter sides and an extended match close to the fingers than a few of its esports rivals. It measures 5.02 x 2.51 x 1.56 inches, which comfortably suits most medium to massive fingers.

The button configuration is very simple, providing up zero distractions that might price you a frag. This minimalism is paying homage to mice just like the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro and Logitech G Pro X Superlight. You get simply 5 buttons on the highest. These encompass two small left facet buttons, two superbly proportioned foremost clicks and a single click on within the mouse wheel. Underneath you’ll discover a DPI button, a Bluetooth paring button and a button to modify connectivity settings.

The Harpe Ace’s movement is clearly smoother than different aggressive gaming mice due to beneficiant PTFE ft on the underside. That time period “PTFE feet” is used fairly loosely as of late. In truth, what you usually get as an alternative are slim-line strips of PTFE positioned on the fore and aft of the mouse’s backside — however not on this case. No, the Harpe Ace has massive triangular formed patches that present simply that bit of additional glide on surfaces. Around the sensor is a beneficiant ring of PTFE, too, decreasing the affect of your hand’s weight the place it’s at its heaviest.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Other notable options embody a single programmable RGB lighting zone contained in the mouse wheel. This contrasted properly in opposition to the dusky matte-black shade of my evaluate mouse, offering some tremendously appreciated eye sweet in low lighting. The mouse wheel itself feels remarkably tactile too, in that the rubber caught the tip of my finger simply, eliminating any annoying slippage whereas I used to be spinning it.

How does the ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition carry out?

The ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition’s 36,000 DPI (dots per inch) optical sensor is likely one of the highest-resolution sensors to cross my evaluate bench. Be that as it might, it’s additionally a spectacular performer — each extraordinarily highly effective and exact. But don’t take my phrase for it; Asus claims this next-gen sensor has a lower than 1 p.c CPI (counts per inch) deviation, which suggests it’s one of the crucial delicate you will discover.

Consequently, you possibly can preserve your actions extraordinarily tight — it reacts to the tiniest jolts, one thing aggressive players will undoubtedly put to good use. You could make minute actions and obtain the identical distance as you would possibly with bigger hand actions in different mice. This offers you a time benefit, and when you’ve got a time benefit, nonetheless slight, you’re already forward of the competitors.

Breaking issues down in a recreation of Fortnite and on decrease DPI settings, the Harpe Ace sniped completely, permitting my crosshairs to fall effortlessly on the tiny distant targets that strafed into my scope. On greater DPI settings, nonetheless, the Harpe Ace was even higher nonetheless. It simply dealt with me weaving out and in of buildings, whereas concurrently switching weapons and turning round to observe my six — a mixture of strikes that may be all an excessive amount of for some esports mice.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

In tense motion, after I are likely to get a little bit overzealous and clinch the mouse too onerous, the Harpe Ace didn’t lose any of its accuracy. Its symmetrical physique and durable straight sides meant it didn’t jolt left or proper after I fired, which meant there was so much much less miss-hitting, one thing that may drive me up the wall.

The Harpe Ace additionally felt exceptionally clean. It slid round my mouse mat with out that catching sensation that I typically get. Having a little bit further size the place my fingers sat was additionally an enormous bonus — particularly after lengthy gaming periods the place my fingers typically really feel a little bit creaky. Not right here. My fingers felt contemporary and relaxed.

The Harpe Ace’s buttons felt good and reactive too. They’re not as audible as you’ll discover in mice just like the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro, so should you’re the sort of gamer that likes to hear carefully to your buttons’ clicks, chances are you’ll be a bit disillusioned. Still, most esports gamers are going to have two pairs of headphones on anyway in order that’s unlikely to be a difficulty for them. Thankfully, there was no stickiness within the button switches, which appeared very aware of my clicks.

Overall, I used to be properly happy with the Harpe Ace for my FPS gaming. Yet nearly as good because it was, I might nonetheless change on niggling factor — the dimensions and positioning of the left facet buttons. They’re fairly small and their middle positioning makes them a little bit onerous to hit. I might have made them only a tad longer, and thereby a little bit simpler to fireplace off my ancillary instructions.

ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition software program

The software program program, Aim Labs, hasn’t been completely made to be used with the Harpe Ace, however contemplating Aim Lab was one of many mouse’s design companions, you’re inspired to provide it attempt. After downloading it without cost from Steam, you’ll wish to discover the settings optimizer. Here you’ll be directed via a sequence of aiming exams and settings suggestions designed to raise you and your mouse’s efficiency. On the entire, Aim Labs is a useful software that, if something, helps you apply your aiming and familiarize your self together with your mouse’s really feel — which is a transferable talent to competitors, like every sort of sports activities apply.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

As enjoyable as Aim Labs is, although, most of your settings modifications will be executed utilizing Asus’s Armoury Crate software program. Here you possibly can tweak DPI, select a most well-liked polling charge as much as a most 1,000Hz, and modify the mouse’s acceleration and deceleration settings. You also can change the colour of the RGB lighting within the Harpe Ace’s mouse wheel and apply a variety of dazzling results.

One entire submenu can also be devoted to floor calibration, a function you don’t usually see in competitor apps. This function permits you to calibrate your mouse to work with a lot of identified mousepads, or else you possibly can manually calibrate your mouse for a extra bespoke really feel. You also can range the mouse’s lift-off distance. Mind you, Armoury Crate solely permits you to select between high and low lift-off distances, which is significantly lower than you possibly can select from in Razer’s Synapse app.

The Harpe Ace has 4 programmable onboard profiles. Once you’ve assigned your most well-liked instructions, altering between them is so simple as holding down the DPI button on the mouse’s underside whereas concurrently urgent one of many Harpe Ace’s 5 mouse buttons. You also can prolong the Harpe Ace’s beneficiant 90-hour battery life (79 hours with RGB lighting switched on and the default impact setting) by adjusting a number of energy settings.

How does the ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition evaluate in worth?

The ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition prices $149.99, which isn’t all that uncommon for an esports mouse. What’s uncommon is that it weighs simply 54 grams and has all three connectivity choices — two options that you simply’d be very fortunate to search out in another esports mouse even at this premium worth level.

For instance, there’s the 51-gram Glorious Series One Pro Wireless, which is barely lighter and presently prices $99, but it solely has Wi-Fi connectivity and no Bluetooth. Then there’s HyperX’s Pulsefire Haste 2 Wireless which prices $89.99 and has each Bluetooth and Wi-Fi however provides an additional 7 grams of weight to make 61 grams, which does make it really feel considerably heavier and slower to maneuver by comparability.

Looking at different sizzling esports contenders from 2022 and 2023, just like the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro and the Logitech G Pro X Superlight, you discover that regardless of being wonderful esports mice in addition they lack Bluetooth. They’re additionally a little bit heavier than the Harpe Ace, racking up greater than 60 grams a chunk. Yet, the V3 Pro shares the identical $149.99 price ticket and the X Pro Superlight is a bit more costly, costing $159.99.

If you possibly can see a sample presenting itself right here, you’re not flawed. Yes, the Harpe Ace is a novel discover amongst esports mice and for that purpose its $149.99 price ticket appears affordable. If you ask me, that’s doubtless to attract discerning players to it like flies on a river roast.

Should you purchase the ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition?

The ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition has had a heck of plenty of professional gamer enter, and it actually exhibits. Not solely is it a great weight and form for quick aggressive gaming, one way or the other Asus and Aim Lab have added one of the crucial exact sensors we’ve ever used and Tri-Mode connectivity. All this makes it a contemporary gaming enigma that you simply don’t wish to miss out on attempting.