On October 7, 2022, a new gaming smartphone from ASUS gaming brand “Republic of Gamers”「ROG Phone 6」has been released. In this article, we will present the test impression while playing “Apex Legends Mobile”. We will also introduce the gaming feel with a dedicated external cooler and gamepad.
It is definitely “gaming” on the outside and inside. A smartphone that is easy to pick up but has a special presence
First of all, let’s briefly introduce the specifications of the “ROG Phone 6 (ROG6-WH16R512)” that we will use this time.CPU installed「Snapdragon(R) 8+ Gen 1」And a processor that is good enough to call itself “gaming” in the smartphone market of 2022. Compared to the “Snapdragon (R) 888” installed in the predecessor model “ROG Phone 5”“Up to 15%* improvement in CPU performance and up to 20%* power saving”(* Comparison of performance data provided by the manufacturer).
And the memory is a secure 16GB (LPDDR5 RAM). Of course, in order to maintain such excellent performance, a suitable cooling mechanism is required. This unit’s CPU uses aerospace-grade “boron nitride thermal grease” that prevents short-term clock drops. Medium and long-term heat generated by long-time play is handled by a large vapor chamber + high thermal conductive graphite sheet.
Moreover, it has a slim housing, and you can experience comfortable gameplay with a 6.78-inch AMOLED display. It weighs 239g, so the impression you have in your hand is the same as a normal smartphone.
Compared to the one with the apple mark (6.7 inches) that I usually use, there is not much difference in the feeling of holding it in my hand, and it is the size that making it easy to play with both hands. However, the “special feeling” of this machine is quite strong. I’ll talk about my impressions of using it later, but once you realize that “Is this all the game environment you can fit in your hand?” Let me be.
In addition, this unit has a large capacity battery (6,000mAH) and a 65w hypercharger is also included. It takes about 42 minutes* to charge the battery from 0% to 100%, and it also has fast charging/bypass to ensure battery life.
* Test result from ASUS. It may vary depending on the usage environment.
Practice with “Apex Legends Mobile”. Extensive options to meet various selfishness
We have presented the specifications for a long time, but from here we will focus on the actual gameplay. The main game I played this time was『Apex Legends Mobile』in. I tried to test the craftsmanship of “ROG Phone 6” with a big title where you can enjoy beautiful graphics and serious competitiveness.
This machine has a 6.78-inch display with a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz, a maximum touch sampling rate of 720Hz, and a touch latency of 23ms.Very smooth movement and operation. The processing speed is also fast, and you can play crisply with the “Ultra HD image quality setting” and “High frame rate” settings. It works well with titles like FPS, where screen movement is always intense.
Of course I am very satisfied with the screen design and behavior. I’ve been playing “Apex Legends Mobile” and the original “Apex Legends” sporadically since launch, but I was able to operate the “touch-based aim and recoil control” which unique to smartphones without any discomfort.
When playing FPS / TPS on your smartphone“UI Adjustments”also an important point. “Apex Legends Mobile” is a busy game with many action elements, so we have to emphasize not only the basic movements such as shooting / jumping / crouching / abilities, but also ease of use such as reloading, changing weapons, and sliding transitions.
If you are a smartphone FPS/TPS gamer, it seems that there are many people who adjust the in-screen button map to their preferred arrangement. Therefore, in “ROG Phone 6”, the ultrasonic trigger sensor “AirTrigger 6” installed on the side of the main unit can also be assigned freely. For example, if you set the L trigger to ADS and the R trigger to shoot,Playing feels like a pad operationcan be achieved.
“AirTrigger 6” is not only a “virtual tappable trigger button”, it can also trigger swipe/slide/dual split/gyroscope. I especially liked the“Dual split” which splits the trigger horizontally in two and assigns two operations. “Apex Legends Mobile”, which assigns ADS/capabilities and plays in a high refresh rate environment while arranging the best operating system, is different from that of a “high-end gaming PC”.AN EXCELLENT GAMING EXPERIENCEwas.
In particular, I like to use Pathfinder, so if I make a mistake switching between “Grapple”, “Jump”, “Dash” and “ADS”, it tends to be a disaster. With “ROG Phone 6”, I was able to fully handle pendulums and high jumps thanks to the comfortable screen drawing / reaction speed.
In addition, it is also attractive that the tap assignment position of “AirTrigger 6” can be set anywhere on the screen. It is also possible to deliberately push important buttons to the corners of the screen and assign them to triggers, while placing other action buttons in a relaxed manner.
Shrink the ADS and Ability buttons to the top of the screen and assign them to L1R1 triggers. For recovery and movement, the measurement rate (button size) is increased, and for hip attacks, the R2 trigger is used to emphasize the responsiveness of progress. If you are a smartphone gamer who likes not only gameplay, but also creates “the best environment for yourself”, this edit alone may excite you for hours.
The strongest gaming smartphone that brings victory
Official website of “ROG Phone 6” series.
Are you interested in the exhaust heat function?
With this machine, ASUS “ROG” brand users will be familiar with them‘Crate Armory’also available. Access to the game library, operating mode, profile selection, etc. can be set like the original “Armoury Crate” PC version.Heat is the enemy of gaming smartphonesTherefore, it is safe to be able to check the status of the smartphone itself in real time with “Armoury Crate” and “GAME GENIE”.
The first test play to feel the first impression is about 1.5 to 2 hours. After playing around with the grappleThe system temperature is around 41 degreeswas. Also, in order to check with rich and processing-intensive titles, I played “Genshin” and other hacks and slash RPGs. When I played for about 2 hours with a break in between, the system temperature at the end of the play was about 40 to 42 degrees.
Even if you hold it in your hand, it doesn’t feel as hot as “It’s getting hot”, just a little warmth. If you play a high load game for a long time, it may heat up to the point of worrying about low temperature burns, but I have the impression that there is no concern with “ROG Phone 6”.
As mentioned above, this unit is「Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 / LPDDR5 RAM 16GB」to achieve high specifications,“Aerospace Grade Thermal Sim”、“Large Vapor Chamber + High Thermal Conductivity Graphite Sheet”It was said to control the heat dissipation. However, if you play a high load game for a long time, you still worry. The answer to this concern isA full range of dedicated ROG Phone 6 gaming accessoriesin.
Dedicated cooler and gamepad with powerful button addition
This time, along with the “ROG Phone 6” itself, we also tried the “Cooler AeroActive 6”. This is a dedicated cooler that is attached to the Type-C jack of the main unit, and is a replacement that cools the smartphone with a powerful fan.
In addition to the lights that create a gaming feeling, it also has an additional x4 cooler button. Combined with “AirTrigger 6”A total of 6 types of action points on the back and sideand become quite rich.
Not only is the cooling efficiency increased, but the grip of the main unit is also greatly improved. Especially for gamers who are familiar with gamepads, the “total of 6 back buttons” will be encouraging. If you combine it well with each game’s UI customization, you can aim for a new experience of smartphone game x.
“ROG Phone 6” can also use “Kunai 3 Gamepad”. With 4 buttons and 4 triggers, 2 sticks and a four-way controller as the main one, you can play compatible titles as a universal external gamepad.
“Kunai 3 Gamepad” is a pad with a light finish rather than a solid one, and the four-way controller is particularly comfortable to use. ABXY button and x4 types trigger, stick responseAn impression suitable for casual playSo it might be better to see it as an accessory that increases the way you can play “ROG Phone 6”.
but,The trigger button and stick have a presence and convenience that cannot be replaced.. If you play “Apex Legends” on a pad, the experience of “Apex Legends Mobile” playing on “Kunai 3 Gamepad” will feel as close to the original as possible. It is also ant to choose according to the genre and the scene, such as “action on the smartphone when playing serious shooters” and “pad when playing single play ACT”.
The “ROG Phone 6”, which will satisfy everyone from gamers who already play games on their smartphones to gamers who mainly play PC/CS, is on sale at the manufacturer’s official ASUS Store and other retailers.
The strongest gaming smartphone that brings victory
Official website of “ROG Phone 6” series.
The selling price starts at 129,800 yen (tax included), and the regular version has variations in memory/storage capacity.「ROG Phone 6」In addition to the advanced version of「ROG Phone 6 Pro」The design of the main body and original accessories inspired by “Batman” is attractive.「ROG Phone 6 BATMAN Edition」as a lineup. The specifications / details of each product and additional accessories are as follows.
ROG Phone 6 （ROG6-BK12R256 / ROG6-WH12R256）
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inch:6.78 type AMOLED width
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display:FHD+ (2,448 × 1,080/165Hz)
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CPU:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
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IF:Android 12 (ROG UI)
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memory:12GB
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storage:256GB (UFS 3.1)
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coloring:Phantom Black/Storm White
ROG Phone 6 （ROG6-BK16R512 / ROG6-WH16R512）
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inch:6.78 type AMOLED width
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display:FHD+ (2,448 × 1,080/165Hz)
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CPU:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
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IF:Android 12 (ROG UI)
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memory:16GB
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storage:512GB (UFS 3.1)
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coloring:White Black
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The design is the same as the regular version
ROG Phone 6 Pro （ROG6P-WH18R512）
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inch:6.78 type AMOLED width
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display:FHD+ (2,448 × 1,080/165Hz)
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CPU:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
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IF:Android 12 (ROG UI)
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memory:18GB
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storage:512GB (UFS 3.1)
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coloring:white storm
ROG Phone 6 BATMAN Edition （ROG6SB-BK12R256）
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inch:6.78 type AMOLED width
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display:FHD+ (2,448 × 1,080/165Hz)
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CPU:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
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IF:Android 12 (ROG UI)
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memory:12GB
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storage:256GB (UFS 3.1)
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coloring:black illusion
AeroActive 6 Cooler （ROG6_AEROACTIVE）
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input:Cooler button x 4 / Unlock button
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interface:USB Type-C male (for connection), USB Type-C female (for charging)
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size:Height 89.83mm x Width 94.57mm x Depth 41.25mm
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quality:About 117g
ROG Kunai 3 Gamepad for ROG Phone 6
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input:D-pad / Thumbstick (L, R) / Face button (A, B, X, Y) / Bumper (L, R) / Trigger Button (L, R) / Function button (M1, M2) / Shortcut key x 4 (Power/Home, Select, Start, ROG button)
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interface:USB Type-C×2
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Battery life:about 6 hours
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coloring:White Black
(C) 2022 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, the EA logo, Respawn, the Respawn logo, and Apex Legends are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.
