THE FIRST ROG PUGIO was a pretty standard
affair, a wired gaming mouse with a
7,200dpi optical sensor, RGB lighting,
and an ambidextrous design that allowed
both left and right-handed users to enjoy
an ergonomic mouse experience. It was
a decent mouse, although it didn’t set
the world on fire. Now, Asus is back with
a new Republic of Gamers mouse, the
ROG Pugio II, a wireless sequel to
the original Pugio.
Now, calling this a wireless mouse
is doing it something of a disservice.
The Pugio II uses tri-mode connectivity,
consisting of a 2.4GHz wireless USB
dongle, Bluetooth 5.0, and wired
connections using the included USB
cable. The 2.4GHz connection means
ultrafast wireless, with zero noticeable
input latency in our tests.
The dongle in question can be
concealed inside the mouse for
portability, as the plastic rear cover of
the mouse is held in place magnetically
and can be easily lifted off. This also
allows access to the screws that hold the
two main buttons in place, because the
Omron switches beneath can be swapped
out (or replaced) using an included tool.
Externally, the design is clean and
simple, with a symmetrical button layout
that consists of two small buttons on
either side of the mouse. These can
be deactivated using the ROG Armory
software, or removed entirely thanks to
snap-off magnetic button caps, making it
easy to avoid accidental clicks.
The Pugio II has actually lost
a programmable button from its
predecessor, which is a definite shame;
the DPI adjustment button is also found
on the underside of the mouse, which is
less than ideal if you're seeking on-the-
fly sensitivity tweaking. This button does
have two modes, however; click once
to cycle between presets, or click and
hold to use the scroll wheel for more
precise adjustments.
The RGB lighting is used to indicate
DPI changes, and overall is actually quite
good. RGB is spread over three zones—A worthy successor
to the previous
best ambidextrous
gaming mouse
Asus ROG Pugio II
8
VERDICT Asus ROG Pugio IIPUGILIST Comfortable,
ambidextrous design; tri-mode
connectivity; good RGB lighting.
PUGNANT Software isn’t great; DPI button
on base; included cable sucks.
$115, http://asus.comthe scroll wheel, the ROG logo, and a
raised base strip around the rear of the
mouse—and can be customized using
the ROG Armory software. The ROG logo
can also be swapped out for custom
plates, enabling you to show off your own
designs, but this is an arduous and poorly
explained process.NO ARMORY AMOUR
Let’s address the elephant in the
room: ROG Armory isn’t that great. The
available options are somewhat limited,
setup is time-consuming, and using the
software for the first time required a
complete system restart. Features are
heavily limited when using a Bluetooth
connection, too, which isn’t ideal for
tablet and notebook users.
We can’t judge the Pugio II too harshly
for this, though, because the 16,000dpi
optical sensor does perform excellently.
With up to 400ips and 40G acceleration,
combined with the 2.4GHz wireless
connection, the Pugio II feels precise and
snappy to use. It weighs barely more than
3.5 ounces, and the ergonomic design
makes it comfortable to use for hours
on end.
A few other features from the original
Pugio have made the jump to the second
edition, too. Three on-board memory
slots enable you to store configurations
for lighting, sensitivity, or button layouts,
meaning they can be instantly reacquired
upon setting up the mouse on a new
system—perfect for gamers on the go.
We do wish the braided cable from the
Pugio had returned as well, because
the new included cable feels a bit cheap
and r ubber y. It al so uses a shaped USB- Cconnector that matches the shaped port
on the mouse, irritatingly precluding the
use of third-party cables.
On the whole, though, the Pugio II is a
solid all-around gaming mouse. It’s still
not really doing anything to set the world
alight (although this southpaw reviewer
is pleased to see a mouse for left-handed
folk), but it performs well and has a
comfortable, straightforward design.
2.4GHz connectivity is a boon for gamers
chasing that perfect zero-latency
experience, too. –CHRISTIAN GUYTONin the lab
74 MAXIMUMPC MAY 2020 maximumpc.com
SPECIFICATIONSSensor OpticalSensitivity 16,000dpiSensor Model 400ips
Polling Rate 1,000Hz (125Hz via
Bluetooth)
Programmable
Buttons
7
LEDs 3 RGB zonesCable Length 6 feetWeight 3.6oz