Mobile phones that are specifically intended for gaming are not widely circulated in Indonesia. ASUS arguably dominates this segment through the ROG Phone series. The newest product is the ROG Phone 5s which looks very tempting with a super fast chipset and various supporting features to make playing games more fun.
In this article, we want to review how the ASUS ROG Phone 5s performs when invited to run popular games. Curious? Come on, just take a look!
Design is still the best
In the gaming phone class, in our opinion, ROG Phone 5s still has the best design. DNA is indeed similar to its predecessor, and when compared to the Pro version, this smartphone has a simpler back cover. No small screen. There is only the ROG logo with RGB effects.
ROG Phone 5s has a solid grip sensation when used to play games in landscape format. However, because of its elongated dimensions, for daily operations it is rather difficult to reach all parts of the screen with one hand.
In short, if you want a phone with a design that reflects a true gamer, ROG Phone 5s is the answer. If you have more funds, you can choose the Pro version with a mini screen called ROG Vision, which can display various cool animations that show whether the ROG Phone 5s Pro is charging, there is an incoming call, active X Mode is activated, and more.
Great screen, great audio
ROG Phone 5s is supported by a 6.78-inch 144Hz (1ms) Samsung E4 AMOLED display with Full HD+ with 360Hz touch samples. ASUS is also collaborating with Pixelworks for better color quality and accuracy. There’s even always-on HDR technology to enhance non-HDR visuals. This screen is also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, so you don’t have to worry about its durability.
As far as our testing goes, the ROG Phone 5s screen is very adequate to support various activities. It’s not just a matter of playing games, when it’s used to watch movies, it looks so pleasing to the eye. The brightness level is steady, and the color rendering is pleasing to the eye.
The audio sector is no less tempting. Don’t mean to exaggerate, Symmetrical Dual Front-facing Speakers with Dirac HD S
ound technology are considered to be one of the best audio systems ever embedded in a mobile phone. His voice was booming and powerful. It’s fun to play games, watch movies, or listen to music without a headset.
Fast gaming performance
Its name is a gaming phone, of course, its performance is fast. ROG Phone 5s is armed with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Plus 5G chipset, which is accompanied by 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB storage. The battery is 6,000 mAh complete with 65W fast charging feature. The cooling system relies on GameCool 5 technology which ensures heat from the CPU is transferred to all edges and corners of the chassis simultaneously.
There’s also a reshaped 3D steam chamber and extensive graphite sheets, to help distribute heat evenly throughout the device thereby reducing heat buildup in the center. But is this technology enough? We’ll talk about it later.
ASUS has also re-embedded the Armory Crate feature which will make it easier for you to access various performance-related features, from monitoring the CPU, GPU, and temperature, activating X Mode, adjusting fan speed and air triggers, to customizing RGB lighting effects.
Before getting into gaming performance, here we present the test results using several benchmark applications:
Here’s our experience while playing popular game titles on ROG Phone 5s:
1. PUBG New State
Selecting the MAX frame rate setting with Lite graphics quality, it is very easy for ROG Phone 5s to keep PUBG New State running stable in the range of 58-60 fps. If you want to raise the graphics to Medium or High, it doesn’t really matter. Ultra settings can be done, but occasionally there will be a frame drop to around 40 fps. Still playable.
We ourselves prefer to stay in Lite for more consistent performance when played for a long duration. The increase in temperature is not significant and the phone still feels comfortable to hold.
2. Shadowgun Legends
The second game we tried was Shadowgun Legends. In this game, the frame rate obtained can touch more than 100 (High graphics settings), because Shadowgun Legends already supports up to 120fps. In the settings there is only an option of 60 fps, but when played, the game can run at a higher frame rate.
3. Real Racing 3
There’s no real problem playing Real Racing 3 on ROG Phone 5s. So smoothly, the game can run in the range of 115-120 fps with quite stable.
4. ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolved is considered a tough game. However, ROG Phone 5s is able to run it smoothly using Epic graphics settings and maximum resolution. The frame rate obtained seems to be locked at 30fps. Most importantly, the game can be played smoothly.
5. Genshin Impact
It’s incomplete if you haven’t tested Genshin Impact, which is known as one of the games with the highest graphics demands on smartphones. Aiming for stable gameplay, we opted for the Medium graphics setting with 60 fps mode on. As a result, ROG Phone 5s is able to run Genshin Impact smoothly in the range of 55-60 fps.
The reason we are reluctant to choose a higher graphics setting is the temperature. In the not too distant future, the temperature spike on the ROG Phone 5s when playing Genshin Impact was quite annoying. The phone becomes a bit hot and uncomfortable to hold.
If you want it even cooler, ASUS provides AeroActive Cooler 5 which is promised to reduce the temperature to 10 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately in the review unit we received, ASUS did not lend this accessory so we haven’t had a chance to try it.
Camera
Due to time and other constraints, we decided to postpone testing the ROG Phone 5s camera. For information only, this Android 11-based ROG UI phone relies on a 64 MP Sony IMX686 camera on the back accompanied by a 13 MP ultrawide camera, and a 5 MP macro camera. Up front, ASUS has embedded a 24 MP selfie camera.
Conclusion
For gaming, there are no opponents. ASUS is able to package ROG Phone 5s into a device with special performance for both casual and competitive gaming. If you want a more muted design and don’t need ROG Vision, choosing ROG Phone 5s as a flagship gaming phone is a more reasonable choice.
For those who are interested, the ASUS ROG Phone 5s is sold at a price of USD $695.
