Every time a company announces an unusual product, someone inevitably asks, “But who asked for this?”

It’s a fair question. Practicality matters.

But after spending years reviewing tech, I’ve started appreciating another question just as much.

What if nobody had tried?

That, to me, is the story of ROG.

I only really noticed ROG when we started GadgetMatch back in 2015. Back then, they certainly didn’t feel like the powerhouse they do now. But even then, there was something different about the brand.

Looking back after more than a decade of reviewing their devices, I don’t think what defines ROG is that every product has been the best in its category.

It’s that they were rarely afraid to try something new. That’s a much harder thing to pull off.

The courage to experiment

I think ROG has always been willing to do things other gaming brands usually played safe with.

The late 2010s are probably the best example.

Gaming laptops were these behemoths that would break your back if you carried them around for an extended period. Then came the first iterations of the Zephyrus. It wasn’t just another gaming laptop. It was one of the first that genuinely attempted to shrink the gaming laptop form factor without giving up what made it a gaming machine.

From there, the attempts to try new things just kept happening. There was the ROG Phone. The Mothership. The Flow series. Dual-screen head scratchers. The ROG Ally. And more.

Not every experiment was perfect. That’s okay.

Because experimentation isn’t about getting everything right the first time. It’s about giving yourself permission to build something that doesn’t already exist.

That’s why, through all these years, the products I remember most aren’t the ones that played it safe.

The one that kept me curious

If I had to pick one ROG lineup that best represents that mindset, it’d be the Flow Series.

My first brush with it was the original Flow X13. My honest reaction?

“That’s… novel.”

At the time, I saw it as another attempt at shrinking a gaming machine. It came with the ROG XG Mobile—a proprietary external GPU that even used its own custom connector. That particular idea didn’t exactly age too well.

But what really made me gravitate toward the Flow series was the Flow Z13.

ROG calls it a tablet. Form factor-wise, it is. But that thing was chunky. Still, it became my work-and-play buddy for a good few months.

I took it with me on overseas coverage. During the day, it handled everything I needed for work. At night, I could finally unwind with a few games—something I don’t usually get to do while traveling for work.

I use NBA 2K to destress. The Flow Z13 felt like bringing a more-than-competent workhorse and an Xbox Series S in one convenient package.

The Flow didn’t necessarily solve a problem I already had. What intrigued me was what it represented.

To me, the Flow Series is ROG’s promise to keep trying new things. It constantly reimagines what a mobile work-and-play machine can be.

Where the Zephyrus now feels like a promise fulfilled, the Flow still feels like a promise to keep experimenting.

The easiest recommendation

If the Flow represents experimentation, then the Zephyrus represents refinement.

Whenever someone asks me for one gaming laptop recommendation, I almost always end up pointing them toward a Zephyrus.

It’s just the perfect marriage between a sleek work laptop and a gaming rig. There’s very little friction in recommending it because it looks like what most people expect a premium laptop to look like. Then, in an instant, it shifts gears and handles practically anything you throw at it.

That’s also why I’d recommend a Zephyrus over something like a Strix for most people. The Strix feels like it’s built for someone who fully embraces the gamer aesthetic. The Zephyrus feels more understated.

It’s the machine I’d recommend to someone who wants to look professional in a business meeting, then decompress at a café afterward by firing up a favorite game for a quick round or a side quest.

Through the years, that’s probably been the recommendation I’ve given more than any other.

Gaming, untethered

Then came the ROG Ally.

Before the Ally, I almost never played PC games away from a desk. All my life, PC gaming meant sitting at a table somewhere. The Ally really opened up the idea that PC gaming could happen anywhere.

That became especially obvious during the holidays. Whenever I went back to my hometown, I used to bring a bulky gaming console with me.

Last Christmas, I only packed the ROG Xbox Ally X. It completely satisfied my gaming needs.

Back in my tiny studio unit—which, admittedly, isn’t the ideal setup—it’s also become a great way to wind down before bed by knocking out a side quest or advancing a story for a bit. I don’t exactly recommend lying on your side while gaming, but hey, the use case exists.

One memory sticks out more than any benchmark ever could. Growing up, my older brother and I had to take turns using the TV to play games. Last Christmas, he was using the living room TV while I sat nearby playing on the Ally.

For the first time, we were both playing our own games at the same time. No taking turns.

That’s the kind of moment specs don’t really capture.

The products that stay with you

After using what is probably well over a dozen ROG devices at GadgetMatch, I’ve realized something. Their products might all be PCs—save for the ROG Phone—but they aren’t trying to be the same PC.

Each one is built for a different kind of user.

And because GadgetMatch has spent so much time reviewing ROG’s lineup over the years, they’ve naturally become one of the measuring sticks I use when evaluating gaming laptops.

Not necessarily because they’re always the best. Mostly because of the breadth and depth of the lineup—and the amount of time we’ve spent living with these machines.

This was SO COOL.

You start to see the ideas evolve. Some stick immediately. Some need another generation. Meanwhile, some never quite find their audience. That’s part of experimenting.

Even today, I still think the dual-screen concept is on the cusp of something. It hasn’t completely made sense just yet, but I also don’t think we’ve seen its final form.

Years ago, I probably would’ve asked, “Who asked for this?”

Now I find myself asking something else.

“What if this is simply the first step?”

A legacy worth celebrating

Twenty years later, I don’t think ROG’s legacy is about always building the best gaming machine.

I think it’s about being brave and bold enough to keep trying new things—and having enough faith that its community will be there with honest feedback to help shape what comes next.

That’s probably why the ROG devices I remember most aren’t necessarily the ones with the highest frame rates or the biggest performance gains.

They’re the ones that made me stop and think,

“I didn’t expect someone to build this.”

As ROG celebrates its 20th anniversary and introduces its latest lineup—from the refined Zephyrus family to new Strix machines and the continued evolution of ideas like the Zephyrus Duo—I’m reminded that innovation doesn’t always happen in one giant leap. Sometimes it’s a series of bold attempts, small refinements, and the willingness to keep asking “what if?” until the answer finally clicks.

And after all these years, that’s still the part of ROG I remember most.

Learn more about the latest ROG lineup

As ROG celebrates its 20th anniversary, you can explore the latest additions to the Republic of Gamers lineup, locate an ROG Store near you, or learn more about ASUS’ No. 1 Quality and Service Package through the links below.

• 2026 ROG Gaming Laptop Series 
• Find an ROG Store
• ASUS No. 1 Quality and Service Package