Asus ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE review

The Asus ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE takes the older ROG Falchion Ace HFX and essentially throws it away. That might seem like an overexaggeration, but it seems to be the truth as Asus has promised revamped switches along with a new sensor, new PBT keycaps, a completely different design and more besides. If that isn't starting fresh, I don't know what is.

The brand did this recently with the Azoth 96 HE to great effect, and it seems like this new model has taken some inspiration and elements from it. For instance, we've got the same new ROG HFX V2 switches inside that came on the new Azoth for heightened precision and power against their predecessors.

For reference, the HFX V2 switches have seen some notable upgrades over the older V1 switches, kitted out to previous Asus keyboards with Hall effect powers. The V2s were first seen on the Asus ROG Falcata, with optimisations such as a shorter overall travel (3.5 mm vs 4 mm) that's more noticeable in use than you'd think, plus a larger magnet for more precise customisation. It's now possible to set the actuation or reset point in increments of 0.01 mm, which is not something I've seen before on a range of the best Hall effect keyboards out there.

In conjunction with the optimisations to accuracy and a shorter travel, the ROG HFX V2 switches carry a lighter actuation force of 32 g against 40 g. I appreciate that sounds like a small change, but it's one that makes a big difference. It essentially makes these switches some of the lightest you'll find on a keyboard from a more 'mainstream' brand. Combined with the shorter travel, it makes these some of the speediest out there, and when the rapid trigger powers are taken into account, it can turn the switches into hair triggers.

For the HFX V2 switches, Asus has also moved to a POM stem that's lubricated to mean these linear switches are smooth and slick under finger. To help reduce key wobble, there is also a new block stem—I certainly think these are stable switches under finger, and there isn't much in the way of stem wobble. Asus has also kitted the ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE with five layers of sound dampening inside to nullify any case rattle or ping, and it's a sterling effort here.

The brand also says this keyboard is hotswappable, so it's technically possible to change the switches without the need for any soldering, although it doesn't state which switches work in here besides the HFX V2 and V2X models (the difference between these is that the -X model has an even lighter 30 g force and a -X-style stabiliser assembly for further wobble reduction). It's certainly very rare that you have the option to swap in more traditional three or five-pin MX-style switches in an HE keyboard, after all.

I dived into my usual testing grounds of Counter Strike 2 to give the ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE a fair go, along with the fast Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike I had spare. The result is that this Asus keyboard is smooth and slick with its inputs, especially with hyper-sensitive rapid trigger enabled for innately brisk actuation and reset points. Movement felt especially fast, as did weapon switching and crouching, owing to the buttons I'd set rapid trigger to in the Gear Link software this keyboard utilises.

Gear Link is Asus' new web-based software that's a major improvement from the app-based Armoury Crate that I've traditionally felt let the ROG products down for far too long, feeling slow and clunky. Being web-based means Gear Link feels lighter and more responsive for its impressive array of features, including setting actuation and reset points, plus rapid trigger powers, and more advanced mapping such as dynamic keystroke, mod tap and all that jazz if you want to fiddle until your heart's content.

There is also SOCD tech for unnaturally quick strafing, known here as Speed Tap, although this is more for marking bumf than for real-world use. Use it online, and you'll probably see the almighty ban hammer wielded. You can also fiddle with RGB lighting, plus with the functionality of this keyboard's touch surface on the top side and the roller wheel near the end of the right-hand edge for things such as key travel, RGB lighting brightness and media volume.

The ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE is entirely wired, meaning a convenient and latency-free connection, plus there's no need to worry about charging it up. You also get the benefit of 8000 Hz polling powers, too, for more frequent reporting of inputs than other, more standard gaming keyboards. It might not be something that mere mortals can benefit from, but for the pros that this board is aimed at, where, to them, every fraction of a second counts, it's a worthwhile addition.

The design of this Asus keyboard has changed a little against the older Falchion models, with this variant moving up to a 75% layout for the added functionality of a function row and single-column nav cluster. The Falchion's trademark touch bar across the top makes a return with this model, as well as a roller in the top right corner. Both can be remapped in software for a variety of functions and give this keyboard a clever means of control besides the actual keyboard part.

The roller is a particularly ingenious addition, as by default, it's used for fine-tuning actuation point and the sensitivity of the keyboard's rapid trigger without going into software. Plus, there's a toggle switch on the right side that can quickly enable and disable rapid trigger at the flick of a switch.

The fit and finish here is suitably excellent, with Asus' customary blend of a plastic underside and metal top plate to the chassis for a sturdy feel in-hand. It is possible to get fully machined aluminium cases at this price point, but this is a good mix of materials. In addition, this keyboard has doubleshot PBT keycaps for extra durability and a quality touch.

Then, after all this, we come to the price. The ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE is going to leave a £220/$220-shaped hole in your wallet, making it a real premium product. At that price, we're looking at rivals including the larger layout Keychron Q5 HE that has a fully machined aluminium case at the expense of lacking slightly more advanced switches and the low-profile NuPhy Air60 HE that trades full-height switches for low-profile ones and retains a lot of the same powers at a lower price tag.

There is also another thorn in the ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE's armour, with one of our favourite HE keyboards, the wireless Keychron K2 HE, which trades wired power for wireless convenience and adds some pleasant wood to the chassis if you get the right version. It too has powerful HE switches, convenient software, and will keep more pounds/dollars/whichever currency in your pocket while doing so.

The bottom line is simple: the Asus ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE is an excellent HE gaming keyboard, but is beaten by more affordable competition that doesn't sacrifice against it. Bear in mind the usual Asus ROG tax before picking this one up.