We tested out the ROG Pugio in our daily gaming sessions and here is our review.

With many brands giving more effort and time in developing gaming mice; from improving sensitivity, design, comfort and even adding RGB lighting effects for cosmetics. One of the innovations in designing a mouse is being ambidextrous, meaning using the mouse from either the left or right hand will still be comfortable. Asus has launched a new line of gaming mouse for their Republic of Gamers line that caters to the needs of the gamers, and one of them was the ROG Pugio. We tested out the new gaming mouse to see how well it is suited to the gamers.

For a quick rundown, here is the specifications of the ROG Pugio:

• Connectivity Technology: Wired
• Tracking: Optical
• Dimensions: L120 x W68 x H37mm
• Weight: 103 g without cable
• Resolution: 7200dpi
• Interface available: Mouse : USB
• Contents
  • 1 x ROG pouch
  • 1 x ROG accessary case
  • 2 x Japanese-made Omron switches
  • 2 x side button covers
  • 1 x ROG logo sticker

Looking at the Pugio, the design has more aggressive angled edges as compared with the much curved looked form from the Gladius and Gladius II but still has a more simplistic look than that from the ROG Spatha. It also looks smaller than the other popular gaming mice, which is measured at 2.7 inches in width, 4.7 in terms of depth and 1.5 inches in height. Sporting a gun-metal gray finish with underside and side panel Mayan-inspired engravings, the Pugio still provides that familiar ROG theme that will definitely matches well with other ROG peripherals like the ROG Claymore mechanical keyboard. And fans of RGB lighting gimmicks will rejoin as the Pugio offers RGB effects for the Asus logo and below the mouse.

Its biggest selling point is its ambidextrous design; providing great comfort to both left-handed and right-handed gamers. The Pugio has 7 buttons with two side buttons from each side along with the standard left and right mouse button and a mouse scroll button. Both the left and right mouse buttons have separated buttons as compared to other conventional mice that have the entire housing combined with the buttons as part of its design, this is to ensure better response time and lower actuation force for those players that needed a quicker input response during an intense match. Initially the Pugio is configured with 1600 dpi (dots per inch) and 400 dpi presets straight out of the box, but its optical sensor that go up to 7200 dpi which can be configured from the ROG Armoury software, providing more precision for gamers to use whether placing headshots from long range or assign commands to different units in quick succession. It also has a max tracking speed of 150 IPS (inches per second), polling rate of 125Hz to 1000Hz and a maximum of 30g of acceleration for that better tracking movement when gliding your mouse.

Another selling point is its mouse switches, sporting two Omron switches that provide long lasting performance where it can last up to 50 million clicks, and the switches are replaceable with any D2F and D2FC series of switches, and the package comes with two spare Omron switches in case the installed switches get worn out for prolonged use. The side buttons have replaceable magnetic pads that allows full customization to the mouse, where you can use from all four buttons or just cover all of the side buttons to prevent any misclicks during your game session.

We tested the Pugio in several games and to some daily chores to some office applications, and so far it provided great comfort after prolonged use. Despite its small size, it wasn’t difficult to wield as it your entire hand snugs perfectly to its shape, so regardless if a user has a claw grip fingertip grip or claw grip style, it won’t give any discomfort after using for several hours. The side buttons are a welcome feature to most users, especially for FPS games such as Overwatch and Rainbow Six Siege where it can be mapped with other useful functions such as quick swapping weapons or a melee attack, this can be helpful to other applications like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro for shortcut commands. Replacing the Omron switches is rather easy though it may require removing the screws on the body and removing the case, but with the base body being easy to remove after unscrewing, it will take less than 5 minutes to replace the switches with a new pair. The same goes with the side buttons, as the buttons are magnetic, it is easy to pull out the buttons and replace it with a different one in a matter of seconds. The Pugio works well with different surfaces, that includes certain types of mousepad that are designed for either precision or speed, though it may require some calibration when using certain types of mousepads to optimize its performance.

As for the RGB effects, it is fully customizable with the use of the ROG Armoury software where it can be changed from different color palettes and has six lighting effects, you can check the video on how the six lighting effects would look like. The fun part on the Pugio is that the Asus log, the scroll wheel and the base can be configured individually with different colors, allowing more customization options and can be saved as a preset on the software. The RGB effects can also be synced with other ASUS products that have ROG Aura functions such as motherboards and video cards, this can also be paired with the ROG Claymore mechanical keyboard by pressing on the ROG key on the Claymore and it will be automatically synced.

To fully utilize the ROG Pugio, installing the ROG Armoury is required which is available online at the official ASUS website. Aside from the RGB lighting, the Armoury gives full control on customizing the mouse from adjusting the polling rate, button response time up to the DPI, it can also save up to three presets.

Overall, the Asus ROG Pugio is one heck of an ambidextrous gaming mouse. It works well in both performance and aesthetics, fans of the RGB gimmick will also enjoy this product with its wide range of RGB customization. In terms of gaming performance, it does not disappoint in terms of comfort and the replaceable switches and side buttons are a welcome addition to add more customization and longer lifespan. If you are looking for a great gaming mouse that can be great for both in gaming and everyday use, the Pugio is a must.