Over the years, we have seen many technology partnerships and collaborations. However, most of these collaborations are simply aesthetic changes to an existing product. As such, there are only a handful of meaningful collaborations in actual technology improvements. ASUS has been creating peripherals for several decades, and its ROG brand has been creating gaming products for over 15 years. With the launch of the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition mouse, it has partnered with Aim Lab to raise the level of eSports competitions.
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The product line is designed to improve your gaming performance. By creating an ultra-light gaming mouse and combining it with Aim Lab technology, the products have been designed to analyze your movements and gaming habits and recommend changes. The recommendations are intended to improve your answers to create a more complete approach to the way you play. The question, however, is whether you can improve your performance, even after years, or even decades, of gaming. That's what we're going to find out.
For this review, the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition mouse was accompanied by the ROG Hone Ace Aim Lab Edition mouse pad.
Construction and design
Unlike many other devices aimed at gamers, the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab mouse is particularly small and light. As soon as you take it out of the box for the first time, you smell it immediately.
Another aspect that attracts attention is its shape. The Aim Lab Edition features a very unique build compared to many other ASUS gaming mice. It has a narrow body, making it easier to grip for most users. However, if you have much larger hands, it may feel a little too compact and uncomfortable. Its size and weight make it much easier to move around, but it takes a little time to get used to its fluidity in terms of control. So some practice is required, but that’s where the Aim Lab Edition takes over. We will come back to this later.
The two thumb buttons are positioned relatively high compared to other units. This makes them less prone to accidental clicks and more comfortable to use during intense gaming sessions.
As previously reported, the device comes bundled with the ASUS ROG Hone Ace Aim Lab Edition mouse pad. This was designed in conjunction with the Aim Lab Ace Harp for better movement. Harpe's PTFE feet on the bottom and hybrid fabric surface make it easy to slide for even faster and more precise aiming.
Finally, it uses the ROG Micro Switch in its left and right buttons. These minimize the switching force between the two buttons while still having a deviation in grams. These features allow for a more precise click, ensuring a consistent feel every time.
Overall, the design and construction, while unique, works very well. It might take a little getting used to, but after a few days you'll be at peak accuracy.
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Installation and configuration
On the surface, the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Mouse is quite easy to install. As with many modern devices, it offers several connectivity options. In this case, these are the removable USB cable, the WiFi dongle, as well as Bluetooth. These options are all quite simple to configure and no different than any other device.
Where the device stands out in terms of configuration is in its fine tuning. First of all, with the Armory Crate you can configure its buttons, DP modes and much more. However, the real fine-tuning comes from the Aim Lab game via the Steam store.
Via Aim Lab software, you can display the Parameter Optimizer. The first goal is to perform a series of tests and then configure the most optimal configuration for your style. You can then adjust this configuration using other tests available in the game. This is a series of shooting and movement objectives. Some of them can last quite a long time, up to 30 minutes or more.
Overall, the goal of training is a repetitive task. Regardless of the first run that adds the suggested setup, the more you practice, the better you get. These tests record your sessions, hoping that you will improve over time, while continuing to add suggestions.
Although the Aim Lab game can be used with any mouse to improve your performance, it is simplified for the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab and ROG Hone Ace Aim Lab Edition products. These can also add to your tests by measuring your movements on the mouse pad designed to better track your movements.
Performance and battery
The performance of a gaming mouse is sometimes relative. In many cases, its size, dimensions, weight and the elements it adds may not be to everyone's taste. That said, when the device is designed to ultimately improve the performance of most of its users, then the task is easier to recommend it.
For starters, native usage of the device is great, regardless of anything that comes with it. However, add in the ROG Hone Ace mousepad and Aim Lab software and you get a considerable improvement. With the softness offered by the mouse pad and the software optimized to gradually improve your performance, the whole setup becomes very useful.
As for battery life, using two wireless options it lasts around 80-100 hours, depending on your setup. Keeping the RGB light on tends towards the first option, while it's closer to 100 hours when it's off. There is also fine tuning with DP and other options. That said, that's a fairly long period of use between charges.
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Does the ASUS Harpe Ace Aim Lab improve your gaming experience?
Ultimately, the ASUS Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition Gaming Mouse does a good job of improving your skills somewhat. Using the tools available, I was able to achieve higher scores and more accuracy during the few weeks of testing. That being said, there's no measurement of actual gaming performance outside of the Aim Lab software, so you can really only go by self-assessment.
It’s an uncomplicated design with an ambidextrous approach in a lightweight shell. It feels good in the hand and even better when it slides on the ROG Hone Ace Aim Lab Edition mouse pad. If you are a serious gamer and looking for ways to optimize your gaming, whether for eSports or as a casual gamer, then this device is definitely worth your consideration.
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Review
ROG Harp Ace Aim Lab Edition
PROS
- Super light (54g)
- Multiple connectivity options
- Long-lasting battery
- Improved performance over time
- Ambidextrous design
CONS
- It takes a little getting used to at first.
- Costs a little more