Gaming

ASUS ROG Flow X16 review: Great on its own

No additional accessories needed for good performance

Published

March 9, 2023

GadgetMatch

ASUS ROG exits 2022 and enters 2023 with a renewed lineup of gaming laptops that will bring the power into the new year. As they continually bring the firepower every year, their ROG Flow series adds another powerful device to the lineup for everyone to experience. With this one, however, it feels like it can stand on its own for what it brings to the table.

The newest addition to the Flow series is the ASUS ROG Flow X16, a 2-in-1 machine rocking powerful hardware and a myriad of possibilities. Essentially, what you have here is an all-rounder of a device fit for the creative professionals and the competitive gamers. It even comes with some nifty accessories, although not the one you usually expect with this series.

So, is the ROG Flow X16 for 2022 something worth bringing into the new year?

Well-built and well-processed

From the inside and out, the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is just built different as a gaming machine. Inside, the device comes with an AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and an RTX 3060 — a decent combination of hardware that produces great performance across the board. Whether it’s for a ton of data analytics or gaming VOD recording and reviews, this machine can handle it all.

What also helps its case is that 16:10 WQHD anti-glare display that helps you house multiple windows on a single screen. In essence, multitasking would be a total breeze, especially when you have reports to finish or gaming streams to watch while you work. Plus, it has a refresh rate of 165Hz which is great for a lot of things, but let’s get into that later on.

Overall, the ROG Flow X16 boasts fantastic hardware fit for both the casual and competitive gamer. Also, if you’re more of a work in the day type of person, this device definitely gives you more than everything you need to get through, on paper.

For the uber competitive ones

It wouldn’t be an ASUS ROG machine if this laptop was not tailor-fit for gaming at a high level. For starters, the RTX 3060 inside the ROG Flow X16 provides great frame rates for most competitive titles out there, especially when under the proper settings. If you want to turn up the detail just a little bit, the GPU can also handle that with ease — no eGPU needed,

As per usual, RTX-powered mobile machines still can’t produce a balance of stellar graphics at stellar frame rates for games that support ray-tracing. Such is the case for the ROG Flow X16, although at least games like Fortnite and Cyberpunk 2077 managed to hit a stable 40 FPS reading. Details were great, and performance was a bit more stable than other GPUs, but again, it’s more for an overall aesthetic look.

Also, going back to the 165Hz refresh rate display, the ROG Flow X16 makes a case for the more ideal on-the-go competitive gaming machine. The 16:10 display gives more screen space to look around in-game, and the 1ms response rate allows you to quickly react to elements in a blink of an eye.

To make beautiful art with

One detail we haven’t mentioned too much yet about the ROG Flow X16 is that, well, it’s also a 2-in-1 device with a touch display. As a staple with all other Flow models, this machine works a ton of wonders for those who like handwritten notes during meetings or doodle as their productive time. Along with a touch display, the ROG Flow X16 comes with a dedicated ASUS Pen for you to do all of these.

The display doesn’t show any signs of being hypersensitive to unnecessary touches from the wrist, which is good when used with the pen. This way, all your sketches and notes will look relatively organized without any unnecessary strokes in the way. Also, this is even helpful when you’re dabbling with photo and video editing.

With the 165Hz refresh rate for this display, you’ll be able to observe and act on any frames you may have missed out in your editing process. Whether it’s the mouse or ASUS Pen, your choice of input will allow you to be as pixel-perfect as possible when creating your masterpiece.

Just a few hygiene checks in there

Like most gaming laptops, the ROG Flow X16 comes with a decent battery in terms of lifespan and charge time. On average, the device lasts for about 8-9 hours on a single charge with regular use, which is pretty standard. Charging time back to 100 percent with the 280W charging brick takes about two hours at least.

Port selection on this device is great, with the inclusion of the dedicated port for the eGPU but they’re mostly placed on the left hand side. Although it seems like a good substitute over having the ports at the rear, it might not be for everyone. Also, some of the USB Type-A ports are on the right, so you’ll need to adjust your wired peripherals if you play a certain way.

This device also comes with an HD camera nestled at the top of the screen and under the display. In terms of photo and video quality, it’s decent for most video conferences and a bit of a grainy selfie for a wallpaper. If for streaming though, you’re better off getting the ROG Eye with this laptop.

Is the ROG Flow X16 your GadgetMatch?

At PhP 149,995, the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is a great 2-in-1 device that holds its own with nothing extra needed. With powerful hardware embedded inside a relatively slim form factor, it has everything you need for work and play. Whether you’re a competitive gamer or a content creator at heart, you won’t go wrong with this as an option.

Granted, you can upgrade the ROG Flow X16 into a gaming powerhouse with all the extra peripherals ASUS has to offer. From the ROG Eye to their own dedicated eGPU, to achieve the best, you will simply want a lot more added to the table. However, even when these aren’t in your budget, the device performs well enough to not need them anyway.

Even with a hefty price tag, this 2-in-1 laptop only provides the best performance possible with minimal sacrifices. It’s portable and powerful enough for you to work hard and play even harder wherever you go!

Gaming

Street Fighter 6’s first Filipina fighter arrives August 3

Yasmine arrives in August.

Published

July 17, 2026

GadgetMatch

Capcom is celebrating the arrival of Yasmine, the first-ever Filipina character in the Street Fighter series, with an official community event in the Philippines this August.

The Official Street Fighter 6 ‘Yasmine’ Community Event takes place on August 9, 2026 at Salud! by Primera Bar & Restaurant in Palanan, Makati. Doors open at 2:00 PM, with tournament matches, community activities, giveaways, and free play sessions scheduled throughout the day.

Meet Yasmine, Street Fighter 6’s first Filipina fighter

Yasmine joins Street Fighter 6 as the first playable character in the game’s Year 4 roster.

According to Capcom, she learned to fight alongside her older brother under the guidance of her grandfather. After her brother’s disappearance, she returns to combat using high-speed Eskrima techniques while wielding a Karambit knife.

She is joined in the Year 4 lineup by Arjun, Tifa from the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, and Bosch. Her release also coincides with balance updates for the entire Street Fighter 6 roster.

Yasmine becomes available on August 3, 2026 for players who own the Year 4 Character Pass or Year 4 Ultimate Pass.

Community tournament and exclusive merchandise

The Makati event will feature a double-elimination tournament, beginning with Best-of-3 matches before switching to Best-of-5 during the Top 8 Finals.

The schedule includes:

2:00 PM: Doors Open, Player Check-in, Controller Button Checks, and Free Play Warmups
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM: Welcome Speech & Official Street Fighter 6 Yasmine Gameplay Showcase
3:15 PM – 5:00 PM: Tournament Pools
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM: Top 8 Finals (Main Stage Broadcast) & Prize Presentation Ceremony for Champion, 2nd and 3rd Placements.
6:30 PM – 7:00 PM: Premium Community Giveaways, Group Photo Ops, and Closing Remarks
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Free Play and Community Networking

Attendees can also receive exclusive event merchandise while supplies last, including a Yasmine-themed T-shirt, lanyard, keychains, and themed food and refreshments.

Capcom says admission is subject to venue capacity and will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Watch the event online

Fans who cannot attend in person can watch the tournament live through the Capcom Asia Official YouTube Channeland the Enduins Games Official YouTube Channel.

Capcom also teased additional announcements, including appearances from cosplay personalities, fighting game veterans, and content creators, which will be revealed closer to the event.

Street Fighter 6 Yasmine community event details

Date: August 9, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Venue: Salud! by Primera Bar & Restaurant, Palanan, Makati City
Tournament: Double-elimination (FT2, Top 8 FT3)
Livestream: Capcom Asia Official YouTube Channel and Enduins Games Official YouTube Channel

Gaming

Most of the world’s PlayStations will be officially useless by 2028

PlayStation’s disastrous no-disc policy is now a lot worse than you thought.

Published

July 16, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Last week, we lamented the loss of the PlayStation disc. As we described, the loss isn’t just a major blow to nostalgia for aging gamers, but it also puts a huge question mark on game ownership. Well, there’s another wrinkle that the world is slowly realizing. By deleting physical discs, PlayStation has effectively blockaded their entire service from countries without an official online store.

If you haven’t heard, PlayStation is ceasing the production of physical discs for new games starting 2028. The console will become an all-digital platform. Now, we can blather on and on about how this sucks for ownership, but all gamers will still have access to games online at the very least. Right?

Wrong.

Not every country has an official PlayStation Store or the ability to create a PSN account. In fact, a staggering amount don’t; 121 countries (or 62 percent of the entire world) don’t have official access to the online storefront.

If you live in any of these countries, you’re likely familiar with some unofficial solutions: that is, setting your country elsewhere where the store exists. But, because it’s an unofficial solution, doing this is technically against PlayStation’s policies and can result in bans.

That being said, as noted by users on Reddit, this means that, on a very technical and legal level, these 121 countries will no longer be able to buy physical or digital games starting 2028. Because of a clarified policy, you can still play older games, but if you want to play the latest Call of Duty or NBA 2K, you are out of luck.

There’s no official list of affected countries, other than those collated by others manually. But if you’ve never been able to set your own country on the PlayStation Network, you’re a part of it.

Gaming

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced comes to life at Skypark Macau

Themed event lets fans experience the game in real life from July 17 to 26

Published

July 13, 2026

GadgetMatch

Assassin’s Creed fans are invited to celebrate the launch of Black Flag Resynced through a limited-time themed experience at the Skypark Macau Tower.

The experience will run from July 17 to 26, and will feature elements from the title brought into a real-world setting. There’s themed installations, photo opportunities, and exclusive event rewards.

Aside from that, there is a concept art gallery and replica props inspired by the action-adventure.

The experience opens to the public from 11:00 A.M. on Friday, and will remain available until the last Sunday of the month.

It will be more fulfilling to come on the first day, as there will be exclusive merchandise sold only on July 17.

Guests who purchase the game on-site, or present proof of purchase of the game at the event will be eligible to redeem an exclusive item, available only until supplies last.

Moreover, those who complete an eligible activity during the Assassin’s Creed event period at Skypark Macau will receive a paper scroll replica of the “Letter for Duncan Walpole”, while supplies last.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a faithful remake of 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag. Rebuilt from the ground up and powered by the latest Anvil engine, the game features updated visuals, enriched gameplay, and new narrative content.

Set during the Golden Age of Piracy, the game invites players to sail the Caribbean as Edward Kenway. The rebellious pirate captain is drawn into the centuries-old conflict between Assassins and Templars.

As the protagonist pursues glory and fortune, he crosses paths with legendary figures such as Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, and Calico Jack. All this while the fate of everything the pirates have built hangs in the balance.

The game is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.