The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro sets a new standard for outperforming other high-end smartphones, and its new look makes a big difference. Not only did this pocket rocket help me get into mobile gaming, but it also proves that game-quality hardware can look universally stylish while retaining some eye-catching elements. Although buying one will disappoint your bank account, it will be difficult to find an option that can achieve the same level of return.
New sleek design
The rear dot matrix is stunning.
Industry-leading performance
Surprisingly camera
Touch triggers still slap
Monstrously expensive
Offset USB-C port makes it difficult to use mobile controllers
Before I got my hands on the new Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro for review, I thought it would stay true to the same gaming aesthetic as always. You only have to take a look at the smartphone maker’s previous efforts to know what the company is all about. and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find RGB lighting unnecessary or space-age shenanigans unpleasant. Thankfully, that’s not the case at all with this new pocket-sized powerhouse, and I think the ROG 8 is one of them. one of the best-looking phones I’ve ever had the thrill of using.
Of course, the main reason to get the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro is performance, as the top competitor in terms of gaming phones will occupy the toughest throne in 2024. That said, prices start at $1,200, so it would be disappointing if it didn’t include some major smartphone specs. We’re talking about a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor that can make even gaming handhelds work for your money, and up to 24GB of RAM means you possibly don’t have to worry. about whether your phone will actually run the newest games for at least a few years.
I think one of the things that took me by surprise the most was the fact that the Asus ROG Phone 8 got me into mobile gaming. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to retire my Steam Deck and start using this. Dear full-time phone, but I’m about to invest in the latest versions of the Play Store on a regular basis. There’s something about the design and physical prowess of the device that makes gaming more engaging, not to mention perks like the capacitive screen. Buttons on the shoulders to help make the controls feel a little less virtual.
The specs only tell part of the story, but let’s take a look at what the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro has to offer on paper before we talk about my personal experience. As mentioned above, the most recent edition of the smartphone is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon. 8 Gen 3, but the rest varies depending on whether you opt for the basic or “Pro” edition of the pocket rocket. The latter comes with up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of storage, while the basic style is slightly maintained by the more traditional mix of 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
For context, the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with 8GB of RAM across the board, and even other gaming phones like the Black Shark 5 Pro only have 16GB. So, it goes without saying that Asus seems to be flexible when it comes to the specs of the ROG Phone 8 Pro, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from the company that backs smartphone performance.
I’m not saying I absolutely hated the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate gamer set, but this time I’m thrilled with the technique of the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro. At first glance, you may not necessarily realize it’s designed. for gaming, as its sleeker profile and slimmer frame bring an understated elegance compared to its predecessors. The newcomer is also the first ROG phone to feature a true edge-to-edge display, with virtually non-existent bezels that allow the most productive to get the best out of you on its 6. 78-inch E-AMOLED display.
Like its predecessor, the ROG Phone 8 Pro also has a small display on the back, but this time it’s a dot-matrix display, dubbed AniMe Vision, that’s hidden underneath the device’s matte black glass back. Personally, I love this approach, because it seems more like a novelty, it gives the device an exclusive touch that avoids looking for strident things. It’s oddly convenient, as it will allow you to see battery life and time at a glance. However, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t the fact that it can display traditional animations that remind me of something like the Vectrex, and there’s even a small “bench bench” spaceship GIF included in the Armoury Crate menu.
In the hand, the ROG Phone 8 Pro feels relatively good to hold, with buttons like strength and volume on each of them on the right-hand side. Activating the under-display fingerprint sensor can also be done seamlessly with one hand, and since I’ve gotten incredibly clumsy with phones with age, I didn’t feel like I was going to let go of that rectangle like I do with other swipeable devices. I’ve used it before.
This may simply be due to the textured feel of the aforementioned matte backing compared to glossy glass devices, or perhaps Asus has managed to balance its 225g weight well. Either way, the ROG Phone 8 Pro for everyday vertical responsibilities is fun and things only get more appealing when you rotate it horizontally.
Other notable design tweaks include a thicker bump in the camera structure on the rear and a new cutout on the front for the front-facing camera. Unfortunately, Asus has decided to stick with its odd USB port location. C-port on the bottom, which makes using cellular controllers like the Backbone One a bit tricky. The fact that it’s next to a 3. 5mm headphone jack helps mitigate the design choice, and there’s nothing stopping you from employing gamepads. with the phone slightly off-center. Still, this hinders the prospect of universal controller compatibility in the future and puts a damper on what is otherwise a very solid setup.
If you were a big fan of the Asus ROG phone 7 Ultimate’s capacitive shoulder buttons, you’ll be delighted to hear they’re back. Just like with the previous iteration, the touch triggers provide something a bit more tactile in terms of controls, using pressure sensitivity to emulate the sensation of something mechanical. For the most part, they work wonderfully, and they help shooters like Call of Duty Mobile feel less like a boiled down version of its console release counterparts.
However, if you really don’t like the concept of touch controls, you’ll find an AeroActive Cooler X in the box with two rear triggers attached (as long as you opt for the model). As before, the add-on connects to the phone. via its additional side USB-C port, allowing you to optimize the functionality of your Snapdragon APU and add physical buttons. It doesn’t make up for it at all for making it difficult to use mobile gamepads, but you do get the Task Done if you need more physical controls at your fingertips.
Now that we’ve mastered the physicality of the ROG Phone 8, let’s talk about the software. Naturally, this new flagship device from Asus comes with Android 14, the most recent edition of the operating formula, which means it gets all the new features from Google. features and facilities you’ve been waiting for. I’m actually quite inspired by how empty the operating formula installed on this phone is, as I expected it to have some quirks since it’s a “gaming phone”. , it all feels pretty much like what’s found on something like the Google Pixel 8, with all the added gaming perks found in the Armoury Crate app.
I use an Asus laptop as my daily driver, and it’s needless to say me and Armoury Crate have a complicated relationship. Yet, the mobile version of the software manages to avoid the sins of its father, as it offers up swift access to performance profiles, virtual button mapping, AniMe Vision options, and system stats. The interface avoids feeling over cluttered, and every time I launched it in search of something, I was able to find what I was looking for within a few seconds.
Admittedly, I got a little worried when I was thrown on an “unboxing mission” after booting up the phone for the first time, but mini-game tutorials aside, the software also keeps me from feeling intrusive when it’s not in use. All of this is helping to make the telephone feel less competitive while also ensuring that if you need to use it as a portable cellular powerhouse, you’ll be able to do so instantly.
If you’ve ever tried to run games on your smartphone, you’ll know that the experience can vary wildly. You don’t necessarily want a gaming juggernaut like the ROG Phone 8 Pro to run every version of the Play Store, but you’ll certainly find 3-d that can’t get the same frame rates without a decent chip. As a result, I was hungry for near-perfect functionality and stability as I watched the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Asus champion, and my tests left me feeling full.
Call of Duty isn’t usually my favorite shooter, but I tried the mobile version with the ROG Phone 8 as it helped me test the phone’s capacitive triggers and the physical buttons on the optional refrigerator. It takes a lot to surprise me when it comes to fast-moving images, especially since I’m used to checking the most productive desktop graphics cards, however, I was surprised at how sleek the FPS gaming was on the phone’s 165Hz display.
It’s worth noting that COD Mobile specifically caps out at 120fps, so actually making full use of that higher refresh rate is harder than you’d think. Yet, breezing through and gunning down online strangers at a high frame rate using those touch triggers still felt incredible, and I’m excited to try out other shooters when I get the chance.
Next, I installed Honkai Star Rail, as I’ve reveled in the frame-rate horrors this RPG is capable of doing on lesser devices (looking at you, Logitech G Cloud). Again, my criteria were the best at the beginning, but I’m satisfied. to say that my expectations for functionality were up to the mark. Unfortunately, Gatcha gaming is limited to 60 frames per moment on mobile, meaning the experience is pretty much the same as on the Razer Edge. Still, we’re not talking about jitter or drop in fps, which means it passes the smell test on that front.
Did you know that there is an Alien Isolation cellular port?No? Well, neither did I before looking for games to try on the ROG Phone 8. Trying out one of my favorite horror games on PC on a high-end smartphone seemed like a wonderful way to check for potential functionality warnings, but it was first of all, really welcome. With a “This device is not supported” message after launching the game. Despite this, the game runs smoothly and while the frame rate is maximum, it is in fact limited to 60 frames per second, the maximum resolution being 2,400 x 1,080. The upgrade demo makes the iconic sci-fi adventure look incredible. I also skipped the skin while playing, which is rarely very wonderful when you’re holding a beloved glass rectangle.
In my search for not-so-easy Android games to make the ROG Phone 8 sweat, I’ve also become familiar with the world of Black Desert. This is where the included USB-C cooler comes in handy, as this game warns you before you jump in. That maximum setting could overheat your device. However, even without the plugin, I was able to do 60 frames per moment without things getting too hot, and the automatic settings didn’t feel the need to step in to provide protection. If I manage to get into the MMO consistently, I’ll be sure to update this review if there are any shenanigans in functionality over time, but I’m pretty inspired by what I’ve experienced so far.
To round off testing, I decided to try out a bit of cloud gaming using GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass. Yes, using streaming on a phone of this calibre is slightly ironic, but it makes for a good way to test out the phone’s wireless stability. As you’d maybe expect from a mobile in 2024, I was able to play PC and console games without any hiccups whatsoever, and I enjoyed roaming around Night City in Cyberpunk 2077 using the device more than I thought I would.
When it comes to battery life, I’ve been able to use the ROG Phone 8 for about 4 to 5 hours when running extensive games, and the device drains about 20% every 12 hours when idle. That’s not too bad considering it comes with a smaller capacity than its predecessor and will last about 2 days if you keep it from running too much. Overall, I was able to spend more than a full day talking on the phone with a few games on a single phone. charge, but you can find a balance by taking advantage of Armory Crate’s profiles.
As a general rule, you wouldn’t expect a gaming phone to feature anything other than a proper camera. Still, the Asus ROG Phone 8’s triple-camera setup is robust and generates decent effects across all lenses. I take a lot of product images for reviews, and the jump from devices a few years ago is pretty significant. The 50MP sensor handles low-light environments effectively and colors are maintained in terms of accuracy.
As a content creator, I’m also thrilled with the ROG Phone 8’s video capture capabilities, as it can record 4k at 60fps and ramp things up to 8k at 24fps. This new solution will be the first experience for many to play with something beyond. UHD, and the transfer to a higher-spec output doesn’t compromise the other qualities. To put it simply, there is a chance that you will delete my entire Sony 4K HandyCam through this phone.
The Asus ROG Phone 8 stands as a testament to the maturity of gaming phones as we enter 2024, and it’ll no doubt sit pretty on the premium gaming phone throne throughout the year ahead. Its price does make my head hurt a little, and I am still a bit mad at that off-centre USB-C port hampering mobile controller compatibility. However, If you’re looking for something with specs and power that should withstand the test of time, Asus’ new frontrunner is a solid option, especially if you’re not really into the aesthetic tropes of typical gaming devices out there.
Ultimately, if you need to use a smartphone as one of your main gaming platforms, the Asus ROG Phone 8 is worth the investment. Otherwise, you’ll be able to get a similar premium Android mobile device without spending a lot of money right now. There’s a device that will help you get started properly with mobile gaming, this will be it, although the Play Store has a somewhat limited library.
For a month, I used the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro as a daily reason for calls, texts, internet access, and mobile gaming. I used the device connected to my home Gigabit Wi-Fi connection and 5G when possible, allowing me to download games like Call of Duty Mobile, Black Desert, Alien Isolation, and Honkai Star Rail. When testing each one, I used the phone’s on-screen controls, touch triggers, and the included AeroActive Cooler X in supported scenarios. I also plugged in controllers like the Backbone One and the Razer Kishi to check if the offset USB-C port was compatible.
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I’ve been gaming on PCs, video game consoles, and generations since before I can talk. Don’t get me wrong, I started my relationship with the generation by putting a Hot Wheels double-decker bus on my parents’ VCR, but we all have to start somewhere. I even managed to become a walking, talking shopping advisor at my teenage job in a supermarket, which helped me accept my career destiny. So instead of trying to achieve my dreams as a musician or get my school degree, I started running my own old-fashioned pop culture site and writing about gaming and generation for sites like TechRadar, The Daily Star and the BBC before, despite It’s all topped off with an assignment covering graphics card shenanigans on PCGamesN. Now, I’m your friendly community hardware editor at GamesRadar, and my job is to make sure you can access all your favorite games using the most productive gaming hardware, whether you’re a pocket PC enthusiast like the Steam Deck. and Nintendo. Change. or a die-hard gaming PC enthusiast.
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