ASUS offers a wide range of high-quality gaming peripherals. However, the company has taken it a step further by launching a new Extreme lineup, which can be considered truly "premium." Currently, the lineup consists of only two devices: the ASUS ROG Azoth Extreme keyboard, an upgraded version of the top-tier ROG Azoth, and the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme mouse — also an updated version of the respective mouse. Today, we'll take a closer look at it, and a review of the keyboard will follow shortly.
Specifications of ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme
| Dimensions and weight | 127,5 x 63,7 x 39,6 mm47 g |
| Sensor | ROG AimPoint Pro |
| Resolution | 42 000 DPI |
| Maximum Speed | 750 IPS |
| Maximum Acceleration | 50G |
| Connectivity | USB, Bluetooth 5.1, RF 2.4 ГГц |
| Switches | ROG Optical Micro Switch, 100 million clicks |
| Form | symmetrical |
| Cable | Detachable, ROG Paracord 2 м |
| Battery life | Radio channel: 70 hours (without backlight), 53 hours (with backlight);Bluetooth: 98 hours (without backlight), 67 hours (with backlight). |
| Polling Rate: | 1000 Hz, with ROG Polling Rate Booster: up to 8000 Hz (radio channel), up to 8000 Hz (wired connection). |
| Connector: | USB Type-C |
| Number of Programmable Buttons: 5 | 5 |
Package Contents
As expected for a premium device, everything starts with the packaging and included accessories. The ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme comes in a large black box with an intriguing design that opens to the sides.
The package is also very impressive. It includes the ROG Harpe Ace Extreme mouse, an Omni receiver, the ROG Polling Rate Booster, a USB Type-C to Type-A adapter, an ROG Paracord cable, adhesive grips for the sides and main buttons, glass and Teflon feet, a hard carrying case, a stand, a cleaning kit, documentation, and ROG stickers.
The review unit arrived with an incomplete package in the box from the previous model. It included only the mouse itself, the cable, a USB transmitter, the ROG Polling Rate Booster, a USB Type-C to Type-A adapter, replacement feet, and a microfiber cloth.
Design and Construction
The first thing that catches the eye is the material used for ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme. The entire top part of the mouse and buttons are made from carbon fiber. It is claimed to be lighter and stronger than standard materials used in peripherals. The manufacturing process involves eight stages. The mouse features a typical carbon fiber pattern with a woven design and a pleasant matte finish.
ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme fully mirrors the shape and dimensions of the ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition, which we previously reviewed. However, thanks to the use of carbon fiber, it has become lighter: 47 grams instead of 54 grams in the previous model. The mouse features a symmetrical shape, but additional buttons are only available on the right side for right-ha-nded users.
The bottom, front, and sides of the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme are made of plastic. The plastic is black matte with a pleasant, slightly textured finish. On the side panels, for added grip, ASUS ROG has included familiar diagonal grooves. On the left side, there are two relatively large additional buttons made of black plastic.
The only element with RGB lighting on the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme is the scroll wheel. The brightness is not very high, even at maximum, so the lighting won't be distracting. The scroll wheel features a pleasant rubber coating and diagonal grooves for better grip.
The main buttons on the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme are separated from the rest of the body. It features a well-known design where the buttons are positioned close to the switches beneath them. The buttons are securely fixed: they do not wobble or shift from side to side.
The buttons on the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme have the same shape and height. The Type-C port for wired connection and charging is located in a small recessed area precisely in the center. This recess is quite wide, ensuring compatibility with third-party cables. The included ROG Paracord cable is 2 meters long and similar to previous models over the past few years: flexible and lightweight.
The layout of elements on the bottom of the mouse closely matches previous Harpe models: feet, the ROG AimPoint Pro optical sensor with a round insert, a three-position switch for connection modes, DPI switching buttons, and connection mode selection. The compartment for the Omni receiver is absent. The most notable feature of the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme is the glass feet made from Corning Gorilla Glass. This solution is not common and is claimed to be excellent for gaming surfaces with fabric textures.
The mouse comes with the traditional ASUS ROG adapter from USB Type-C to USB Type-A. It is designed to position the receiver closer to the mouse and features a metal clip for attachment to the gaming surface.
Ergonomics, Shape, and Weight
ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme retains the shape of its predecessor, which became very popular and is considered one of the most successful symmetrical models. However, the mouse is now even lighter. At 47 grams, it is indeed one of the lowest weights achieved without perforating the body. The weight distribution of the mouse is excellent; when lifted from the surface, it doesn't tilt forward or backward.
The shape and dimensions of ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme will appeal to fans of symmetrical models. The mouse suits fingertip or claw grip styles. For palm grip, it may feel somewhat short, though this largely depends on the user's physiology.
The glass feet have left mixed impressions. On one hand, they provide extremely smooth gliding, which is excellent for gaming. However, during general use, there were minor difficulties—minimal touches could lead to unintended movements, requiring adjustment over the first few days of use to avoid overshooting smaller interface elements.
ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme features proprietary ROG Optical Switches, known for minimal latency and a lifespan of 100 million clicks. They offer a short, very clear, and informative click, with no noticeable pre-travel. These switches do not support hot-swapping, unlike some other ROG models, but their lifespan should be more than sufficient for long-term use.
The scrolling wheel of ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme is very pleasant: it has a moderately soft feel, while providing clear and informative clicks. At low-speed scrolling, it is almost silent. At high speeds, the sound remains quiet and non-irritating. The rubber coating ensures good grip with the finger. Additional buttons are ergonomically shaped with a comfortable gap. They are also well-secured and do not wiggle.
Functionality and Features
ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme is equipped with a top-tier optical sensor, ROG AimPoint Pro, which we've seen in the Mini version of Harpe. It offers a maximum resolution of 42,000 DPI, with <1% deviation, a maximum tracking speed of 750 IPS, and an acceleration of up to 50g. This is a PixArt PAW3950 variant developed in collaboration with ASUS—standard practice for high-end gaming mice. It is a fantastic sensor that performs reliably, accurately, and without any issues. It is nearly impossible to disrupt its performance.
ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme can be connected via cable, Bluetooth, and 2.4 GHz radio using the Omni receiver. This is standard for all current ROG wireless keyboards and mice, supporting ROG SpeedNova technology, which reduces latency and optimizes data transmission. During testing, signal stability was excellent, even without using an adapter for closer positioning. Up to one Omni receiver can simultaneously connect both a mouse and a keyboard from current ROG models.
Polling rate when connected via Omni receiver or cable is 1000 Hz, and when using Bluetooth, it is 250 Hz. However, the included ROG Polling Rate Booster allows increasing polling rates to 8000 Hz for both cable and 2.4 GHz radio connections. Achieving such a high polling rate over the radio channel requires close positioning of the receiver. A higher polling rate ensures smoother and more precise movement tracking.
On the official website, ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme is stated to offer up to 70 hours of usage in 2.4 GHz mode with the backlight off, and 53 hours with the backlight on. In Bluetooth mode, it can last up to 98 hours without backlighting and 67 hours with backlighting. The stated battery life is slightly lower than that of ROG Harpe Ace and ROG Harpe Ace Mini, suggesting that a smaller battery may have been used to reduce the weight. In real-world usage, with approximately 9 hours of use per day, users can expect around a week of battery life at most. While this is a decent result, there are more enduring competitors on the market.
All settings for ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme are available in the Armoury Crate app. We've seen it before in reviews of other ROG devices. The main settings are divided into separate tabs. Users can configure button and scroll wheel actions, four levels of DPI, polling rate, angle snapping, brightness and lighting effects, lift-off height, and calibrate mouse performance based on the surface used. There are preset settings for ASUS surfaces. Up to 5 profiles can be set and stored in the mouse's internal memory, allowing users to forget about Armoury Crate after the initial setup.
Additionally, basic settings are accessible without the need for software. The DPI button on the bottom of the mouse obviously switches between DPI levels. Profiles are switched using a combination of the DPI button and a press on the scroll wheel. Polling rate is adjusted with a combination of the Pair button and the rear additional button. The Pair button combined with the front additional button adjusts lift-off height. For a factory reset, press and hold the three top buttons (left, right, and scroll wheel) along with the DPI button for three seconds.