Gaming
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GU502 review: Real gaming buddy
Bask in the ROG Experience
I like to play video games for many reasons, and for all occasions. Whether as a stress reliever or as a weekend plan with friends, I always find time to game. Naturally, I would want a device that can keep up with my gaming demands, and that also includes great visuals while playing. Even if it’s overwhelmingly expensive, I’d still look for the “cream of the crop.”
Then I heard about this ROG Experience concept from ASUS, and I figured that I should definitely give it a shot. The company’s dedicated gaming brand introduced the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GU502 back in April. The main selling point: a device that offers both high-quality performance for work and gaming. To me, it promises to be one monster package altogether.
But does it fully live up to its selling point? Let’s find out.
It comes in a slim form factor, unlike previous Zephyrus models
It has a 240Hz FHD display with a 3ms response rate
It comes with an NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti graphics card inside
It has an RGB-backlit keyboard with ASUS’ Aura Sync technology
All that power, all the productivity in the world
This device comes in a powerful yet visibly thinner package. It has a 9th-generation Intel Core i7-9750H processor inside, which delivers top tier productive performance. I ran several light and heavy applications all at once, and I felt like a god just multitasking through all of them.
It also helped that the device runs on 16GB of RAM and a 512GB solid-state drive. All that memory, disk space, and disk read speed meant that applications quickly booted up. I found myself speeding through most of my day-to-day tasks because of how quick this device is.
It’s like I could watch YouTube videos, work on Excel spreadsheets, browse social media and Spotify all in one sitting. You can even add more windows for video editing, graphic design, and light gaming. This is one heavy-duty device for someone like me.
Playing harder at any rate without missing a moment
This device rocks an NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti, which to me feels like a tiny downgrade from the RTX 2070 option. Nonetheless, gaming performance on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M was splendid. Heavy-duty, popular titles such as Fortnite, PUBG, and Apex Legends all reached a 60 FPS threshold at their highest possible settings.
Gameplay just feels smooth, with no visible lag spikes in between high-pressure moments. The 6GB of VRAM that comes with the graphics card just provides all the power you need to play harder. Just make sure your internet doesn’t occasionally disconnect when you’re about to win.
To achieve higher frame rates, you do need to keep the charger plugged. Keeping the device unplugged while gaming still allows you to reach 60 FPS. It’s just that you could go as low as 25 FPS on average, which makes these games barely playable.
The wonderful, colorful, and fast display
To supplement the raw processing and gaming power, you need the ideal display for the job. At least, that’s how I would describe the FHD near bezel-less display this device came with. It’s one of those Pantone certified displays so naturally, I expected great color accuracy for images and videos.
And true enough, that’s exactly what I got. I don’t know about you, but there’s something about a display with vibrant and accurate color grading that makes images much clearer. This is ideal for those who wish to use this device for creative pursuits, as well. Or, if you just want to watch Feel Special or Fake & True over and over, and bask in the glorious visuals.
Also, it comes with a whopping 240Hz refresh rate at a 3ms response time, ideal for gamers. I could literally play non-stop, and not miss a single frame to react to. Also, with these refresh rate elements on the screen just feels and looks extra smoother.
It tries to keep cool, but blasts a lot of heat out
With most gaming machines, you need proper cooling systems to keep the device running. ASUS takes no exception to this, as they decide to put two cooling fans underneath this bad boy. Of course, the goal is to blast heat out of the device while you’re doing heavy-duty workload.
In my experience, the laptop still feels relatively warm even if I turn the fans to its recommended performance setting. The fans do get noisy when they’re on full blast, but that’s something I already expected. It can be bothersome for some people, especially when you’re playing games and you want quiet surroundings.
You can do all of these for a fairly good amount of time
Naturally, I’d like to assume that battery life is a touchy subject for gaming laptops. Most gaming laptops typically boast short battery lives, ranging from two to three hours when strictly gaming. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M is no different, as I was only able to use the device for strictly gaming purposes for three and a half hours.
However, when you’re not fully gaming, its battery life is pretty decent. I got about six and a half to seven hours on one full charge doing mostly work-related tasks, light gaming, and video streaming. Windows’ Battery Saver gave me an extra hour and a half, which is still pretty decent considering the workload.
Charging the device doesn’t take too long, either. I got the battery level to 60 percent within 45 minutes, with one full charge taking two and a half hours. Of course, when I was using the device while charging, it took close to three hours.
Is this your GadgetMatch?
At PhP 109,995, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M is one supreme machine. You get unrivaled performance for almost any way you want to use this device. Be it just for playing video games, video editing, or even simple productive workload, it covers all of those.
Of course, there are things you have to worry about with a device like this. From battery life to its intricate cooling system, some things will have to give way for you to experience nothing but the best.
All that power compressed into one thin package, making this the ideal on-the-go gaming device. And quite honestly, the ROG Experience truly was worth having thanks to this device.
The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.
Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.
Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.
This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.
If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.
SEE ALSO: Valve announces its own console called the Steam Machine
Gaming
BlizzCon 2026 announces World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V
StarCraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and more also get news
Blizzard Entertainment kicked off BlizzCon 2026 with a packed Opening Ceremony featuring new games, major expansions, updates, and other announcements across its biggest franchises.
Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries opened the event at the Anaheim Convention Center, celebrating the community behind the company’s games and the teams that bring its worlds to life.
World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V
The biggest announcement was World of Warcraft: Forever, a new World of Warcraft experience launching November 5 AEDT, with its beta beginning September 18 AEST. The new experience will feature three zones, more than 1,000 quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and a new Skyborne race.
Blizzard also officially announced Diablo V, marking the next era of the franchise. The game is set to launch in North America in Spring 2029, with Sanctuary having fallen and Diablo having won.
StarCraft is also returning with a new story-driven, open-world shooter. The game is currently planned for a Spring 2030 release in North America.
Beyond games, Blizzard revealed that an animated series set in the Diablo universe is in development with Netflix. The company says this is only the beginning of its plans to expand its universes beyond gaming.
For Warcraft III Reforged, the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign is available today. It marks the Warcraft RTS series’ first new storyline in more than 23 years and explores the fall of Lordaeron and the origins of the Undercity. The accompanying 3.0 update also brings graphical improvements and a revamped World Editor.
Heroes of the Storm is adding Xal’atath as its newest Hero. She arrives in the Nexus on September 29 AEST, with her PTR release scheduled for September 15 AEST.
Existing games updates
Meanwhile, Diablo IV is preparing for its next major content drop. Season of Hell’s Legacy begins September 16 AEST and celebrates the franchise’s 30-year history with the return of the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain, alongside themed rewards and gear.
The legendary Amazon class will also arrive in the first half of 2027 as part of Diablo IV’s first class pack. The Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection is additionally coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on September 16 AEST with cross-platform play and cross-progression.
For World of Warcraft, Blizzard teased the next major update for Midnight. Eclipse (12.2) will see Xal’atath move closer to her goal of claiming Azeroth’s Worldsoul. Blizzard also offered another look at The Last Titan, the next expansion in the Worldsoul Saga and a major culmination of more than two decades of Warcraft storytelling. More information is coming early next year.
Overwatch is getting a major update with Season 5. The season introduces new Support Hero Doctrine, reworks for Sombra and Roadhog, and the new Watchpoint: Grimsvötn map. It will also conclude The Reign of Talon, Overwatch’s first year-long narrative arc.
LE SSERAFIM & YOASABI
BlizzCon also featured performances from YOASOBI and LE SSERAFIM. YOASOBI will perform during the first-ever esports halftime show at BlizzCon, while LE SSERAFIM will return to the Main Stage to close the weekend. A new LE SSERAFIM in-game collaboration is available now, with another Overwatch Spotlight scheduled for February 2027.
Finally, Hearthstone is getting its first new class in more than six years. The Monk arrives in 2027, while the upcoming Reign of the Black Empire expansion takes players back to the earliest age of Azeroth. It introduces the Assemble keyword, which combines two cards into a new one. Battlegrounds is also adding Aberrations as a new minion type.
BlizzCon 2026 is now underway, with Blizzard promising more announcements and details throughout the weekend.
Gaming
Xbox saves Kojima’s PHYSINT after PlayStation drops support
PlayStation says the separation was mutual, but Kojima hints otherwise.
Things aren’t going well in the PlayStation camp. After two months of frankly questionable decisions, the company adds another to the pile by dropping support for Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT.
For a while now, Kojima and PlayStation were in a very productive relationship with the Death Stranding duology, a critically acclaimed collection of titles for the platform. When things looked like they were going well, Kojima announced PHYSINT, an espionage-themed game which reminded fans way too much of Metal Gear Solid.
If you were investing in a PlayStation 5 to play Kojima’s latest thriller, you might want to move your chips elsewhere now. PlayStation has just dropped support for the espionage game, meaning PHYSINT will no longer be a first-party title for the platform.
Though PlayStation claims that the decision came after “careful consideration,” Kojima himself has said that the move was “unexpected,” going against PlayStation’s assurance of a mutual separation.
Very quickly, Xbox has announced that their platform will support PHYSINT instead. It’s a big get for the competing brand because Xbox Game Studios is already supporting OD, Kojima’s other upcoming horror project starring Sophia Lillis.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say more. As is tradition, Kojima will not explain much more about his upcoming titles. In fact, OD’s trailer barely says anything. One thing’s for sure, though: we’re all in for quite a ride.
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