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Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX: one-minute assessment
Asus has launched one other incredible keyboard with the ROG Falchion Ace HFX. This 65% board, which compresses solely essentially the most important keys onto a brief panel, affords immense performance throughout a number of areas.
The drawcard of the Falchion Ace HFX is its unbelievable switches. Whereas the usual Falchion Ace is on the market with three change decisions, the HFX solely affords one tactile really feel choice – snug to the contact magnetic keys, making this Asus’ first corridor impact keyboard. It’s one of the vital satisfying keyboards to make use of that I’ve ever laid my arms on.
Regardless of not providing a wi-fi connection, it does embody a twin USB-C association in order that it might rapidly change between two computer systems with a press of a button on the facet, just like how a monitor may change between gadgets. A USB dongle or Bluetooth answer might need been extra sensible to drag this trick off, but it surely’s nonetheless a welcome capacity.
Extra attention-grabbing to me is the return of Asus’ proprietary contact bar, a novel design component of the Falchion sequence that compresses media controls, quantity, keyboard RGB brightness and different helpful options right into a contact panel, letting you regulate settings with faucets and swipes of your finger. This function rocked and is way more intuitive than a FN + key macro answer, although the depth of macroing with this keyboard is immense, permitting you to rearrange fast instructions, web site hotkeys and fast Home windows instructions with a bindable keystroke.
With a lot optimistic to say in regards to the ROG Falchion Ace HFX, there aren’t many drawbacks, though those which might be there may hold you from a purchase order. This board doesn’t come low cost and is among the most costly choices that Asus affords. The dearth of a wi-fi variant may even go away patrons chopping down on cable litter unimpressed, and people searching for wrist help might want to make a separate buy.
Extra diehard keyboard customers may even be left unimpressed by the shortage of hot-swapping performance, and that there is just one change kind out there (although the usual ROG Falchion affords three completely different choices).
It’s an amazing piece of equipment. The ROG Falchion Ace HFX is among the keyboards to beat in 2025, and it could be my favorite keyboard for the reason that Logitech G PRO X TKL.
Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX: worth and availability
- How a lot does it value? $199/£239.99/$AU$359
- When is it out there? Out there now
- The place are you able to get it? Out there within the US, UK, Australia and different areas
The ROG Falchion Ace HFX is the fourth most costly keyboard that Asus affords, under the bottom mannequin Azoth, customizable Claymore II, and the extraordinarily costly Azoth Excessive. The value marked for the Ace HFX is reflective of the epic magnetic switches underlying its awesome-feeling keys, however given its 65% measurement profile, it lacks a number of the usually important buttons current within the higher-priced fashions, together with a devoted perform row and numpad.
Not that you need to really feel it is advisable to transfer up the vary for mentioned options, as a result of the Falchion Ace HFX is greater than competent and unique by itself phrases. In comparison with the competitors, it’s one of many solely choices to supply magnetic switches on a 65% board. It’s possible you’ll wish to contemplate the Logitech G Professional X 60 if you need a fair smaller board, or the Superb GMMK 3 Professional 65 if you need better customization, however there aren’t many main manufacturers providing magnetic switches proper now.
Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX: specs
Structure: |
65% |
Change: |
ROG HFX Magnetic Change |
Programmable keys: |
Sure |
Dimensions: |
12.40 x 4.52 x 1.37 inches / 315 x 115 x 35 mm |
RGB or backlighting: |
Sure (customizable) |
Asus ROG Falchion HFX: design and options
- Extra reserved ROG design
- Good construct high quality
- Helpful multifunction panel and twin laptop help
Asus’ ROG gaming equipment are at their finest after they don’t look too gamery, and the Falchion HFX appears pretty impartial in comparison with many different high-end boards provided by the producer.
Out there solely in black, the one factor about this board that I might contemplate a tad extreme from a design perspective is the spelling out of ‘Republic of Avid gamers’ throughout the highest. RGB lights behind every key are programmable with a number of lighting animations out there.
On the prime left, you’ll see an illuminated image, indicating which setting you’ve acquired your multi-function contact panel set to, cycleable with the press of a multifunction button within the prime left. The panel throughout the again will be swiped with a fingertip, and can be utilized to regulate brightness and quantity, change key actuation factors, play and pause media, and even pull off any devoted macros you take into account. Within the Armory Crate app, you’ll be able to restrict which features the biking button switches between, permitting for a extra streamlined expertise (I merely have it set to quantity and media controls). This contact bar isn’t a brand new function, because it’s been out there on different Falchion fashions since 2022, but it surely works particularly properly on a small board like this.
There are additionally lights on the prime proper, indicating if win lock has been activated, if caps lock is at present on, and if ‘Fast Set off’ has been enabled, permitting for a lot faster keystroke response occasions than no matter your preset mode is ready to.
Your keyboard’s RGB lighting and per key actuation factors will also be adjusted within the ROG Armory Crate app, the place you will discover Velocity Faucet mode. This adjustments the perform of the keyboard to permit for faster directional adjustments by prioritising the final pressed in key – so as a substitute of coming to a full cease when strafing in a recreation, you’ll transfer left to proper or vice versa with out lifting your fingers off the keys.
Asus ROG Falchion HFX: Efficiency
- 8,000Hz polling charge
- Magnetic corridor impact switches with 5 layer dampening
- Helpful aggressive gaming options
The Asus ROG Falchion HFX is a gaming keyboard aimed toward aggressive play, by means of and thru. It affords an distinctive 8,000Hz polling charge – an unlimited quantity of stories the keyboard gives your laptop in a second, theoretically bettering response time. Because of this, click on latency is as little as 1.1ms on common with the Falchion HFX.
The keys really feel coarse in a snug approach, permitting for satisfying tactile contact between your fingertips and your inputs. A raised dot on the W key lets you place your arms for gaming with out trying down, good for low-light battle stations.
The actuation level of your keys will be adjusted readily on the fly utilizing the multi-function contact panel, permitting for way more shallow keypresses when you so want. Backing all of this up is the truth that the keys are magnetic, and properly damped to permit for a satisfying press whereas additionally being fast and never too loud. On the much less technical facet, the keyboard has three adjustment angles with two units of ft beneath.
Many of those options could go above and past the wants of an off-the-cuff gamer and certainly are properly previous the needs of anyone simply after a helpful typing device. However for a devoted gamer, the ROG Falchion HFX may be the precise system on your pastime.
Mechanical keyboard fans will seemingly be disenchanted by the shortage of hot-swappable keys, and that there is just one change to select from. Fortunately, the bottom mannequin ROG Falchion affords extra change selection – the Falchion HFX is extra of a efficiency mannequin with its magnetic keys.
Ought to I purchase the Asus ROG Falchion HFX?
Attributes |
Notes |
Score |
---|---|---|
Worth |
The Asus ROG Falchion HFX isn’t a price range keyboard, but it surely’s additionally not making an attempt to be. |
4 / 5 |
Design and options |
A sensible format with intuitive media controls make the Falchion HFX a winner. |
5 / 5 |
Efficiency |
Magnetic key switches with customizable actuation are straightforward to like. |
5 / 5 |
Total ranking |
The Asus ROG Falchion HFX is a particularly spectacular keyboard, and it has me excited for upcoming magnetic switches from rivals. |
4.5 / 5 |
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Asus ROG Falchion HFX: additionally contemplate
Header Cell – Column 0 |
Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX |
Keychron C3 Professional |
Corsair K65 Plus |
Logitech G Professional X 60 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Structure |
65% |
TKL |
75% |
60% |
Change |
ROG HFX Magnetic Change |
Mechanical |
Corsair MLX Pink |
Optical switches |
Programmable keys |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
Dimensions |
12.40 x 4.52 x 1.37 inches / 315 x 115 x 35 mm |
14.4 x 5.4 x 1.2in / 365 x 138 x 30 mm |
12.59 x 5.35 x 1.37-inches / 319 x 135 x 35 mm |
12.59 x 5.35 x 1.37-inches / 290 x 103 x 29 mm |
RGB or backlighting |
Sure (customizable) |
No |
Sure (customizable) |
Sure (customizable) |
How I examined the Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX
I examined the Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX over 4 weeks, paired with different Asus merchandise together with an OLED monitor, mouse and headset. I used it solely on my Windows 11 gaming PC and performed video games together with Marvel Rivals, Avowed, The Headliners and Forza Horizon 5. I additionally used it for some productiveness duties, reminiscent of for typing out paperwork.
Over that point I used it throughout a number of lighting settings, enabled completely different macros and put it in numerous positions, whereas consistently adjusting actuation factors and diving into toggles within the Armory Crate app.
- First Reviewed February 2025