Asus ROG Strix Go Core Moonlight White review: A lightweight portable gaming headset with easy connectivity

Price When Reviewed

79.99

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The Asus ROG Strix Go Core sits in a line-up that features the ROG Strix Go, ROG Strix Go BT, and ROG Strix Go 2.4. These all differ barely in performance—primarily in regard to their connectivity—however they sport roughly the identical design. Naturally, the benefit of that is you possibly can pick the one that matches your wants, with out paying for all of the pointless extras.

That mentioned, the Go Core’s cheap $79.99 sticker value stays type of deceptive. Yes, it’s the straightforward 3.5mm choice of the bunch and the most cost effective, nevertheless it’s no much less tailored for gamer life, sporting options you’d count on to see in a extra premium gadget. They embrace respectable audio drivers, a particularly light-weight design, and folding earcups—elements that make it one of the crucial transportable and inexpensive mid-range headsets you could find.

Note: This evaluate is a part of our ongoing roundup of the best gaming headsets. Go there for extra details about competing merchandise, what to search for in a gaming headset, and shopping for suggestions.

Asus ROG Strix Go Core Moonlight White: Build and portability

The good thing about the Go Core’s extraordinarily light-weight design is clear: Most gaming headsets contribute round 300 grams to the load of a satchel or bag, however the Go Core lightens the load considerably, weighing simply 252 grams (concerning the weight of 10 nickels)—therefore the “Go” within the identify, which is a nod to the headset’s wonderful portability. Its lightness additionally ensures it’s barely noticeable in your head—to me it felt prefer it made simply the faintest contact with my ears, and that feeling remained after hours of gaming, once I’d usually count on to really feel some discomfort.

The earcups rotate a full 180 levels and fold upwards to 90 levels, permitting you to easily pack the headset up right into a compact bundle and tuck it away in a bag with out bits protruding and jutting into you—or worse, getting damaged off by impression. It’s a small profit however one that you simply’ll discover extremely helpful when you discover a case to suit it in—for the reason that headset doesn’t ship with one.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Of course, the rotating cups additionally assist in the consolation stakes too, providing you with loads of house to maneuver your head. Yet one other profit is you possibly can lay them flat in your chest—a easy comfort that permit me quiet down my head whereas I waited between video games. Ah, to have a very cool headset at some point….

As for the remainder of the Go Core’s design, it’s no much less flattering. The earcups really feel very plush, every one sporting a light-weight layer of reminiscence foam that squishes down effortlessly, retaining your ears feeling pressure-free. And they’re a good dimension, in order that they match properly with out sitting uncomfortably on high of your ears.

The protecting materials is a thick leatherette that feels very smooth, however as I hinted at earlier, can get just a little sizzling at occasions. They don’t get spicy-jalapeno sizzling, however simply sufficient to want to take them off once in a while. This is an unlucky however needed consequence of how the headset is designed to dam out ambient noise—it depends on the agency seal the fabric makes round your ears, since there’s no energetic noise-cancellation know-how onboard.

Above the earcups there’s a versatile metallic headband with loads of bend. Although the headscarf’s segments aren’t numbered, it does click on as you prolong it, so it’s straightforward sufficient to recollect your best size by listening to the variety of clicks it makes. Up high, there’s extra leatherette-covered cushioning, so that you get consolation throughout.

It’s encouraging to see that Asus hasn’t missed model as a part of its peripherals. My Moonlight White Go Core regarded exceptionally recent, its twin white and grey coloration scheme brightly contrasting with the ever present black that has multiplied in my gaming den.

I additionally actually favored the embossed ROG and Asus logos that adorned the edges of the cups, which offer a way of familiarity with different Asus ROG merchandise that I’ve loved utilizing not too long ago.

Connectivity and compatibility

While some gaming headsets pack in a number of connectivity choices, my Go Core got here with a easy 3.5mm headphone cable for a wired connection. Too simplistic? Limiting? Hardly. That nonetheless grants you entry to only about any gadget you could have at house through an ordinary 3.5mm audio or combo port, though the draw back is you’ll be tethered to that gadget when you’re utilizing it.

I primarily plugged into my desktop and laptop computer PCs, however the Go Core will simply as simply hook as much as a Mac, smartphone, PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, and Nintendo Switch—to call just some.

Besides this, there’s one other benefit to a 3.5mm headset: Making connectivity a easy wired affair means Asus can hold the associated fee down to only $79.99 USD. But in the event you can’t reside with out wi-fi connectivity, count on to pay $120 extra for an Asus ROG Strix headset, for the reason that nearest priced wi-fi model, the Asus ROG Strix Go 2.4, ships for $199.99.

On uncommon events I’ve acquired a headset with an ill-fitting 3.5mm cable, so it was price scoping out how the Go Core’s fared as compared. Thankfully, it was a exact match that didn’t spin round or wobble in my ports. Consequently, there was no static that would trigger distortion in sound high quality. The cables have been additionally thick and powerful, so I used to be assured they may survive my backpack unscathed.

One small peeve, although, is the principle cable isn’t removable from the headset correct, so in the event you do occur to one way or the other reduce by it, or fall sufferer to a Instagram headphone-cutting influencer, your headset will likely be toast.

On the upside, Asus provides you with an audio splitter cable that separates your audio and microphone into devoted connections, so that you gained’t have to go buying one; you’ll solely have to make sure you’ve received your headset correctly chosen in your audio settings to make full use of it.

Audio efficiency

Asus says the Go Core’s 40mm Neodymium drivers produce sound with a frequency response of between 20Hz and 40KHz, which is taken into account respectable for a gaming headset.

To check the audio efficiency, I attempted out the Go Core in a panoply of PC video games, some comparatively new, like Elden Ring and Sniper Elite 5, and a few older classics like Call of Duty: Black Ops. Altogether, it proved a succesful performer. From multiplayer deathmatches, to solo expeditions in Elden Ring’s ‘the Land Between,’ the sound was delivered clearly and realistically—sufficient to immerse me totally in my gameplay.

Three quarters of the audio in my video games was within the larger tonal finish of the spectrum—so it was straightforward sufficient to confirm the standard of the Go Core’s highs and mid tones—sounds just like the clang of gunshots and ricochets sounded crisp and pure. The headset additionally relayed quieter atmospheric sounds very clearly—like birds’ chirps, the hum of a powerplant, or the swoosh of chopper blades overhead.

I needed to wait a bit longer to listen to sufficient bass to make a judgement, however lastly received my likelihood when the Call of Duty: Black Ops soundtrack reduce in between multiplayer rounds. Asus says the bass has been optimized for a “deep immersive experience,” and judging by the deep synthesized notes I heard, I might agree.

If I may nit-pick only one factor concerning the audio, it could be that the Go Core typically sounds just a little distant in multiplayer matches, the place motion occurring close by may have been delivered with fuller audio impression. But that’s to be anticipated contemplating the Go Core lacks spatial audio software program help, which had it been included, would have introduced a fullness and directionality to the sound. Still, aside from being a small inconvenience it by no means actually made a distinction to my gameplay.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

On the ambient noise entrance, although, the Go Core fares fairly properly, contemplating there’s additionally no devoted energetic noise cancellation to talk of. The agency seal offered by the leatherette materials within the earcups gives a sound barrier that, on the entire, does a suitable job retaining a variety of sounds at bay.

To be certain, close by conversations, site visitors noise, and the clinking of dishes, have been all sounds that turned faint and barely perceptible to me with my cans on. Only the cry of a child and a automotive alarm pierced by my playtesting, with all the pieces else primarily shut out in order that I had minimal distractions.

Accordingly, in the event you’re tossing up whether or not you need to spend the additional cash to purchase the $249.99 ROG Strix Go BT over the Go Core for the good thing about getting ANC and also you don’t want the Go BT’s Bluetooth connectivity, you most likely ought to simply go together with the Go Core that does a good job reducing out noise—and for $170 cheaper.

Microphone efficiency

The Go Core comes with a removable cardioid growth microphone that slots in simply to the entrance of the left earcup. It bends properly and has a good size, so it falls near your mouth. In the field you additionally get a pop filter that slides over the microphone tip to dampen your voice.

Looking on the mic specs reveals they’re pretty commonplace for a midrange headset—it has a unidirectional pick-up sample with a frequency response of 100Hz to 10KHz and a sensitivity of -45dB. That final spec means you possibly can communicate very quietly, and your teammates gained’t miss out on listening to all of your gaming suggestions. My testing proved it may get the job completed—it reproduced my voice naturally and loudly in causal gaming chats.

Unlike some headsets within the Asus ROG vary, the microphone doesn’t include AI noise cancellation, however I discovered this made minimal impression, for the reason that unidirectional mic solely actually picked up sound correct in entrance of it—my voice jabbering relentlessly on Discord. Speaking of Discord, the Go Core is rated Discord and TeamSpeak licensed, so count on it to work seamlessly with every.

Software help or no?

It’s honest to say that the Go Core skimps just a little on the pointless extras, which permits Asus to ship it for such an inexpensive value, however that additionally means it doesn’t have bundled software program help. That limits you to your in-game or gadget settings must you wish to modify EQ, microphone settings, or apply encompass sound help.

Consequently, the Go Core won’t go well with you in the event you’re an e-sports participant or critical audio tinkerer wanting just a little additional management over your settings, however in the event you’re only a informal gamer you’ll nonetheless get by completely advantageous. Plus, you possibly can simply modify the amount and mute the microphone bodily through the left earcup.

Should you purchase the ROG Strix Go Core?

The ROG Strix Go Core gives a worth proposition that’s onerous to withstand, protecting all of your fundamental gaming audio wants for simply $79.99. You get respectable sound high quality, excessive portability, and the comfort of 3.5mm connectivity, and in a headset that appears modern and complex.

True, there’s no ANC and spatial audio—or bundled software program help for that matter—however that simply means you possibly can spend much less time fussing and extra high quality time gaming.