The Asus ROG Telephone 6 is one of the best smartphone made particularly for gaming you may get, however if you happen to’re actually eager to take advantage of it — and make video games much more satisfying to play — then Asus has a pair of equipment to tempt you. The brand new Asus AeroActive Cooler 6 joins an up to date model of the Kunai 3 gamepad, and each carry out fairly completely different duties. Are both price getting?
What are these ROG Telephone 6 equipment?
The AeroCooler Lively 6 is an exterior fan for the ROG Telephone 6 and ROG Telephone 6 Professional, however in contrast to some earlier variations, it additionally has 4 bodily buttons on the case — able to be mapped to controls in a sport. Moreover, it has a kickstand to carry the cellphone upright, plus an RGB mild array inside. It attaches to the ROG Telephone 6 by the side-mounted USB Kind-C port, and there’s a pass-through port so it will probably nonetheless be used to cost or energy the cellphone. It’s price noting the most recent cooler is just for the ROG Telephone 6, and former AeroCooler equipment gained’t work with it.
There are three cooling modes. Primary cooling takes place utilizing the fan solely, Frosty mode will increase the depth and takes energy from the cellphone, whereas the highest Frozen mode requires the AeroActive Cooler 6 to be plugged into an influence supply. Asus says it has the power to scale back floor temperatures by as much as 25 levels centigrade and is finest suited to individuals who play intensive video games for greater than an hour at a time.
The Kunai 3 gamepad launched with the ROG Telephone 6 is similar because the Kunai 3 controller launched with the ROG Telephone 5, however this time it’s accessible in a brand new Moonlight White coloration. The modular controller system is paying homage to Nintendo’s Pleasure-Con controller for the Swap. It’s made up of two controller components, a central charging part, a separate grip, and a skeleton body made for the ROG Telephone 6. It connects to the cellphone with Bluetooth when used by itself, or by way of USB when the controllers are related to both aspect of the skeleton body.
There are 10 mappable buttons and analog triggers unfold over the back and front of the controllers, two joysticks, and numerous menu buttons on the Kunai 3. There’s even an RGB strip mild on the left controller. It comes with a small carry case that’s appropriate for “Mobility Mode,” the place you forgo utilizing the grip part on the wi-fi controller.
AeroActive Cooler 6
Becoming the AeroActive Cooler 6 to the ROG Telephone 6 is simple. You pop the highest of the fan by urgent a button, slot it into the side-mounted USB Kind-C port, and push the highest part again right down to lock all of it in place. It ought to begin routinely, and its choices are offered below the notification shade. Right here, you possibly can flip it on or off, change the RGB lighting mode, and choose the extent of cooling required. Nonetheless, the AeroActive Cooler 6 is clever and screens the machine’s temperature, prepared to regulate the quantity of cooling required.
It’s fairly a beast on the again of the ROG Telephone 6, rising the burden of the already heavy cellphone to 360 grams, all of which is slung out over the again. It upsets the steadiness of the cellphone, however worse is that the bodily buttons aren’t all that reachable. It makes them not very comfy to press as a result of they’re set very near the middle of the cellphone after which prolonged out by a few centimeters. Except you’ve fairly massive fingers, the buttons will likely be awkward. I far most popular utilizing the ROG Telephone 6’s shoulder buttons when further buttons had been required in a sport.
In Sensible mode, the fan does generate some noise, but it surely’s simply ignored. Plug within the ROG Telephone 6’s charger to activate the bottom Frozen setting, and together with the velocity and cooling enhance comes much more noise. It’s not deafening, but it surely’s significantly extra noticeable.
If the buttons aren’t actually a promoting level, the cooling had higher actually do its job effectively. To seek out out, I ran 3DMark’s Wild Life Excessive Stress Check, which places the cellphone by its paces for 20 minutes. First, I attempted this on a unadorned ROG Telephone 6 Professional with X Mode lively, then ran the identical check with the AeroActive Cooler 6 fitted. The check is right as a result of the app supplies machine temperature knowledge on the finish.
With out the extra fan, the ROG Telephone 6 Professional obtained highly regarded, and when it had accomplished the check, the temperature vary had jumped from 33 levels centigrade to 52 levels centigrade. Moreover, it decreased the battery from 57% to 43% in the course of the check. After turning the cellphone off and letting it settle down, the check was repeated, this time with the AeroActive Cooler 6 hooked up in Sensible mode and related to the charger in case it required the power-intensive Frozen mode.
The temperature vary went from 32 levels to 48 levels, and the decrease most made a substantial distinction to the battery consumption, which fell from 42% to 39%. Trying on the stress check itself — which consists of 4 repeated sections — one of the best rating with out the cooler was 2773, and the bottom was 2543. With the AeroActive Cooler hooked up, the cellphone recorded a prime rating of 2818 and a lowest of 2571.
There’s an apparent efficiency distinction with the AeroActive Cooler 6 fitted, but it surely’s not enormous, and it was solely actually evident when the cellphone was below a really excessive stage of load. The AeroActive Cooler 6 is for these individuals who will play extraordinarily power-intensive video games for lengthy durations of time when it’s going to help with extra efficiency and decrease battery drain. If you happen to solely play easy video games for lower than half-hour, you in all probability gained’t get a lot profit from the AeroActive Cooler 6.
Kunai 3 Gamepad
If the button placement on the AeroActive Cooler 6 is awkward, the button placement on the Kunai 3 gamepad is nearly good, and its design clearly comes from a crew that understands gaming and related ergonomics. Not solely that, as a result of there are three other ways to make use of the Kunai 3, its versatility makes it appropriate for extra individuals. If you happen to don’t discover touchscreens responsive or pure sufficient for critical gaming, that is the gadget for you.
Utilizing the Kunai 3 in handheld mode, the place the controllers are hooked up to the skeleton body, is my private choice. On paper, it’s fairly heavy at 376 grams, however as a result of most of that weight is the cellphone within the center, the steadiness is great. You’re free to carry it comfortably and nonetheless use all the numerous buttons and the 2 joysticks. I discover the sticks to be simply the correct peak and to have the correct amount of motion, too. Mapping the buttons is straightforward — a swipe within the prime left of the display to point out the Recreation Genie possibility checklist — and it’s simple to avoid wasting your settings for future use.
The buttons don’t have an enormous quantity of really feel, although, and the rear-mounted and shoulder buttons are clicky and never particularly tactile. They’re undoubtedly not as pleasing to make use of as a gaming console controller or the Nintendo Swap Lite. General portability can be an issue. The skeleton body doesn’t actually double as a case, so that you gained’t wish to preserve it in your cellphone. And if you wish to use the grip when the controllers are in wi-fi mode, it doesn’t match within the equipped case. The case is only for the wi-fi controllers, the charging dock, and a USB cable.
In wi-fi mode, the controller feels fairly small while you don’t maintain it with the separate grip, however with it hooked up, the controller could be very effectively sized and nonetheless very mild at 198 grams. Connecting with Bluetooth is a bit of fiddly as it’s a must to maintain down the Dwelling button on the controller for a set time frame, however do it for too lengthy, and the controller switches off. I’ve performed Diablo Immortal a number of instances utilizing the wi-fi controller and haven’t discovered latency to be a problem.
The Kunai 3 controller makes video games extra enjoyable. It’s the accent to purchase if you happen to’re into video games, however not into gaming to the purpose the place the AeroActive Cooler 6 is smart, in that you simply play rather a lot however not competitively. It matches the ROG Telephone 6 completely, it’s effectively made, and feels fairly sturdy, too. Do think about the kind of video games you play earlier than shopping for it, although, because it’s finest suited to video games with a number of touchscreen controls and a requirement to make use of an onscreen digital joystick. You gained’t get a lot profit if you happen to largely play easier video games.
Which one to purchase?
The Kunai 3 provides one other dimension to the ROG Telephone 6, turning it right into a extra usable, extra ergonomic, and extra enjoyable gaming machine. The AeroCooler Lively 6 improves the ROG Telephone 6’s efficiency when enjoying graphically intensive video games for lengthy durations of time in a single go. They do pair up properly if you happen to solely intend to make use of the Kunai 3’s wi-fi mode, when the AeroCooler Lively 6’s kickstand is available in very helpful to maintain the cellphone upright in entrance of you. However the two can’t be used collectively when the skeleton case is hooked up to the cellphone.
There’s additionally a distinction in value. The AeroActive Cooler 6 prices 79 British kilos or 90 euros, whereas the Kunai 3 is 106 kilos or 120 euros. Costs for the U.S. launch haven’t been introduced but, however these costs convert over to about $95 for the fan and about $126 for the controller.
In the end, the Kunai 3 has far wider enchantment, and extra individuals will get enjoyment from it. Comparatively, the AeroActive Cooler 6 is much extra area of interest and aimed toward hardcore cell players, however if you happen to assume you want an extra fan, there’s nothing else fairly prefer it.
Editors’ Selection