ROG Keris II Ace Review: “Hard to Believe Something This Light Can Be This Solid” — Inside the 54g Mouse Built for 8,000Hz

The ROG Keris II Ace is ASUS’s answer to a very specific kind of gamer: the FPS player chasing every millisecond of advantage. At just 54g and packing an 8,000Hz wired polling rate, it’s built around one goal — speed. This review breaks down whether that focus actually translates into a competitive edge, and whether it’s worth the R3,299 price tag.

A 54g Shell Built Purely for FPS Speed

The ROG Keris II WL Ace is a device designed for purpose. It is streamlined as efficiently as possible to provide First-Person Shooter gamers with high-performance gains to deliver results when needed most. Everything about the mouse has been geared towards quick and fluid movement along with precision clicks to minimise any lag during gameplay.

The first of these performance gains comes in the form of its super-lightweight shell. Weighing in at just 54g, the unit feels light in your hand, and even more so on the mousepad. To achieve this lightweight design, ASUS uses a bio-based nylon shell design, which has been tested and approved by FPS esports professionals in the industry — full specs are on ASUS’s official Keris II Ace product page. Although its two additional buttons are situated on the left-hand side of the device, geared more towards right-handers, its ergonomic shape makes it ideal for any user. It’s not stripped-down for looks — the design prioritises efficiency over aesthetics.

Unlike many other gaming peripherals, the ROG Keris II WL Ace has only a single LED lighting zone, and that comes in the form of the translucent scroll wheel. There are some presets with the colours, but you can essentially cycle between an array of colours, while having your choice of four effects in Static, Pulsating, Cycle and Reactive. For those running other ROG products, you could enable the AuraSync mode to synchronise all the connected devices. And, of course, you could disable the lighting completely.

Underneath the mouse are four feet, made from pure PTFE. They aren’t all the way flat, having some curve around the edges, but otherwise not too dissimilar from your average design. The material makes for a smooth gliding experience, especially when paired with any ROG-specific mouse mats.

In terms of build quality, despite its lightweight design, it feels solid. A simple shake test reveals some play in the scroll wheel, but just barely noticeable — you need to bring it close to your ear to pick it up. Applying pressure to the mouse from various angles reveals very little in the way of creaking or flexing. It’s just that solid. Hard to believe something this light can be this solid.

Seven Buttons, One Job: How the Switches Hold Up Mid-Match

Although it doesn’t seem obvious at first glance, there are seven buttons on the Keris II Ace. This includes the two primary buttons, two on the left-hand side, the scroll wheel doubling as the fifth, with two more underneath. Most of the design mechanics were implemented on the main buttons, from its reduced travel distance, muted overall response and decent pitch. There is clear daylight between the buttons and the shell, but overall movement is still reduced when triggered. Both buttons offer average stiffness, so you can feel each individual click without it feeling too loose.

ROG uses optical micro switches on the mouse, rated for over 100 million clicks. Its size is also quite substantial — around 40% of the shell length, which gives you plenty of reach for half your finger length.

Unlike the crisper main buttons, the side buttons have a softer response — in more descriptive terms, mushy. While the main buttons have a more mechanical sound, the side buttons feel a lot more plastic. It’s not bad, but not much of an auditory delight either. Overall positioning is good, although I would have preferred it just a fraction lower. Tom’s Hardware’s own hands-on testing found similar trade-offs between the main and side buttons, which lines up with what I felt during matches.

The two buttons underneath are used more as toggles than for any performance function. This switches between CPI levels, with the second toggling Bluetooth pairing. You’ll need to select Bluetooth mode with the slider to the right of the sensor. The other two options in its tri-mode connectivity are 2.4GHz wireless and wired. Switching to wired mode with the device not connected via USB essentially acts as a power button, turning the device off.

The ROG Keris II WL Ace uses software to boost its polling. Although it isn’t a requirement, users can enable this feature to achieve polling rates between 125Hz and 4,000Hz wireless and up to 8,000Hz wired. Generally, wireless polling won’t reach much higher than 1,000Hz, with the software using a few tricks to increase the rate. Most users won’t ever achieve the higher upper limit, which is determined by physical mouse movement — reaching 8,000Hz requires 8,000 pixels worth of motion. Lower motion events mean lower polling. So while 1,600Hz is sufficient for most users, gamers can often experience levels closer to 3,000Hz, which very well could make the difference in the most critical moments in-game. Having the capability to achieve more than double that is more than sufficient, even for the most hardcore gamer.

Battery Life: Putting ASUS’s 107-Hour Claim to the Test

ASUS claims the device will reach over 100 hours of battery life using 2.4GHz wireless mode with default presets. During the weeks of review, I recharged the device every two to three weeks. For more advanced users who need to know battery life before jumping into a competitive game, this is visible in the ROG software or ASUS’ Armoury Crate. When the battery needs a recharge, the scroll wheel LED will flash red, even if lighting effects have been turned off.

Switching from the default 1,000Hz polling to 4,000Hz results in higher battery usage, with estimates around 30 to 40 hours of battery life. That isn’t bad, especially considering the performance gains during gameplay.

Is the ROG Keris II Ace Worth R3,299? The Verdict

The ROG Keris II WL Ace delivers performance worth every penny. Hardcore and professional gamers will be able to get the most from its design, performance metrics and added features. With its AimPoint Pro optical sensor at 42,000-dpi, tri-mode connectivity, 54g weight, polling at 8,000Hz (receiver), optical micro switches, and many more features available, the mouse was designed for precision gaming.

At R3,299 it isn’t going to be an option for your average gamer, but it wasn’t designed for that. Aimed specifically at the higher end, it gets the job done really well. Irrespective of its pricing, it’s not really a negative point from a review perspective, given what we know about the device. And, to cap things off, it’s quite the challenge switching back to my daily driver after prolonged use of the Keris II.