Asus ROG has teamed up with the Aim Lab utility by offering the Harpe Ace mouse, a light, high-performance top-of-the-range model and direct competitor to market references.
The Asus Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition gaming mouse is positioned as a high-end model, equipped with a high-performance optical sensor, combined with a featherweight of 54 g. The field mouse is also intended to be durable thanks to its integrated battery which allows it to reach an autonomy of more than 90 hours.
In addition to its triple connectivity, the Harp Ace was designed in collaboration with Aim Lab, an aiming training utility. It is accompanied for this by a specific mouse pad, the Hone, which we were also able to try during the Harp test. This mouse is offered at the recommended price of 160 euros.
Excellent handling, combined with careful construction
Once freed from its very neat packaging, the Harp Ace mouse impresses with its featherweight. With only 54 g on the scale, it is quite simply one of the lightest models of the moment. This lightness is made possible by the use of a specific nylon coating, which in addition to being light, provides an interesting texture to the hull.
Indeed, the coating is slightly rough and thus improves the grip and avoids the accumulation of fingerprints. The shape of the shell also contributes to the good grip of the mouse, which is similar to the shape of well-known models such as the G Pro X Superlight from Logitech for example. E
The Ace Harp therefore has a symmetrical shape, without being ambidextrous. It falls perfectly in the palm of the palm and is perfectly suited for medium-sized hands. It will thus accept all styles of grip. Surprisingly, its coating and the slight reliefs found there give it a slightly more premium appearance than some competitors built in smooth plastic.
The two main clicks are separate from the mouse body and offer good responsiveness, with a very audible click. They are accompanied by a very correct wheel, with moderately marked notches. The latter also hosts the only RGB element of the mouse which we could have done without, as it is discreet and not very useful. For example, the ROG logo, present on the back of the hull, is simply printed.
Two additional blue buttons are positioned on the left edge of the Harp Ace. They fall perfectly under the thumb and are also relatively noisy. The click is well asserted, although a little too hard for our taste, which does not offer them perfect responsiveness, but will avoid involuntary activations.
A 36,000 DPI ROG AimPoint optical sensor sits under the chassis. It is accompanied here by five PTFE pads which ensure the Harp Ace an exemplary glide. In addition, there is a switch for choosing the wireless link, a DPI change button and a third button dedicated to Bluetooth pairing. Finally, a storage location for the dongle USB is present.
Apart from the fact that the packaging of the ROG Harpe Ace is neat, it is also well supplied. Thus, the mouse comes with a braided USB cable, associated with an adapter dedicated to the dongle well thought out and has a clip to attach it to the mouse pad. The brand also provides a set of additional skates and a set of grips stylized adhesives to further improve the grip.
In summary, Asus, delivers here a very well assembled mouse, with a convincing grip and a featherweight which proves to be very pleasant on a daily basis. Better still, the plastic that composes it allows it to avoid this very “toy” aspect that is often found on ultralight mice.
Extensive collaboration with Aim Lab
Asus logically offers compatibility with the Armory Crate suite, which is still just as complete, although a bit cumbersome. As the application is used for all Asus products, it is filled with menus that are not really useful for a user only equipped with a mouse. Note that some of the settings are now accessible directly from the mouse, without having to go through Armory Crate.
The tool leaves the possibility to customize all the buttons using different functions, which range from keyboard keys to Windows shortcuts, including macros. These can then be saved directly within Armory Crate.
A tab is dedicated to the performance of the sensor, with the possibility of defining several levels of sensitivity, of customizing the acceleration or even the attachment of angles. The sensor can then be calibrated according to the carpet on which the Harp Ace is used.
Despite the little interest it has on this model, a tab dedicated to RGB lighting is present. On the other hand, on a more relevant level, we take advantage of different options related to the feeding of the field mouse. In addition to being able to view the battery status, Armory Crate will be able to send notifications when the battery is low and adjust the delay before going to sleep.
You will not have missed it, the Ace Harp is badged “AimLab”, a tool halfway between a game and a benchmark application. AimLab aims to put the player in different situations to measure his aiming performance on shooting games. The different modules aim to train the player and improve his performance in the game.
The collaboration with Asus goes further and offers a series of four tests, which aim (do you have it?) to test different sensor settings in order to estimate those most suitable for the user. Very attached to my 800 DPI and a sensitivity around 5 in Call Of Duty, it was difficult for me to let the software take precedence over my settings. However, after performing the various tests (which are relatively long), Aim Lab suggested that I adjust my settings for something a little faster.
Placebo effects or real difference, I really had the feeling to see an improvement in my performance in game. Of course, these optimizations will not make you a pro player, but they can make you aware of bad habits regarding the settings of your mouse.
Triple connectivity and endurance
To perfect this excellent Harp Ace a little more, Asus ROG has decided to provide it with triple connectivity. Thus, the mouse can be used as desired: wired, Bluetooth or via the 2.4 GHz radio link allowed by the dongle USB provided. As always, the latter will be preferred for the comfort it brings and the imperceptible latency it implies. The Bluetooth connection will allow it to relieve the battery and use the field mouse on a multitude of devices.
The announced autonomy is 90 hours without RGB lighting and almost 80 hours with. Asus does not specify whether these results were achieved in Bluetooth or with the 2.4 GHz link. Concretely, it is always difficult to precisely assess the autonomy of a mouse, but we did not have to charge it once during our test, which suggests excellent overall autonomy.
A delight to use
On the pure performance side, Asus has equipped the Harp with a very interesting ROG AimPoint optical sensor. The latter offers a resolution of 36,000 DPI, with a speed of 650 IPS and the possibility of accepting accelerations of 50 G. On paper, it is positioned as a serious competitor to the sensor that equips the latest Razer models.
In practice, it is impossible to fault it. The sensor reacts to the finger and the eye and cash without flinching the lively movements, especially on the nervous FPS. It is also very precise and cut for a more classic use in office automation for example. The wireless link also showed no sign of weakness during our test week and no latency was felt.
These few comments apply to the overwhelming majority of high-end gaming mice today. The Harp nevertheless manages to hold its own thanks to its general ergonomics, combined with excellent glide and light weight. Clearly, all these aspects are particularly convincing and the mouse is completely forgotten. It is a real pleasure to use it on a daily basis!
Asus ROG Harp Ace Mouse price and release date
The Asus ROG Harpe Ace mouse is available at the recommended price of 160 euros.