Think pink: ROG PNK LTD gives your favorite peripherals a makeover
The Republic of Gamers has a unique style and we pride ourselves on a consistent aesthetic that’s synonymous with the choice of champions. We work hard to weave our red, black, and grey DNA into every product. Still, we’re aware that not all champions have the same taste, and lots of people want something unique that sets them apart from the crowd, so we’re experimenting with a new limited edition color for some of your favorite ROG peripherals.
Among the swath of instantly recognizable ROG gear at CES 2019, we’re showing off a totally different group of peripherals. The ROG PNK LTD line includes the ROG Strix Flare keyboard, ROG Strix Fusion 300 headset, ROG Gladius II Origin, and ROG Sheath desk mat. Each one is colored in a combination of warm pink and a soft grey that’s almost purple. They’re a world away from our usual color palette but the construction is unmistakably ROG, with RGB lighting, powerful features, and thoughtful tweaks designed to help you up your game.
Handpicked pink
Though we usually stick to our tried and true red and black, you can’t work around this much RGB lighting and not be in favor of adding color and whimsy to your gaming setup. Still, peripherals are very personal, and people tend to attached to the features of their favorites, so the ROG PNK LTD line was borne out of the desire to change things up by adding a little bit of flair to the products we already love. We initially mocked up multiple different colors and combinations but settled on pink and grey because it was the most popular of all the proposed choices.
Once we had our sights set on pink, we spent months settling on the right shade. We ran through everything from a punchy fuscia to a more subdued blush, and did straw polls around the office as we experimented with each color. There’s a lot of pink-obsessed people working at ROG, it turns out, so there was plenty of debate on the “best” pink. Eventually, we chose a shade reminiscent of a pink lemonade (it’s Pantone 1895 U, in case you were wondering) and then we had to make sure every piece of each product could be produced to match.
Once that was done, we had to select a second complementary color as an accent. Anything too light wouldn’t have held up over time, which is crucial for peripherals that are exposed to sweat, dirt, and grime through near-constant contact with your skin. Some colors looked great on one product but wouldn’t have worked at all on others; the Strix Flare looked awesome decked out in pink and white, but the earcups and band on the Strix Fusion 300 have to contend with hair and skin products in addition to sweat, and we wanted to be sure the leather cups wouldn’t get stained. The soft slate grey we selected has a periwinkle hue to it. Officially, it’s Pantone 535 U, and it’s a great contrast the brighter pink that won’t get as dirty as paler pink or white
The Fab Four
While this bundle of peripherals might look completely different, we didn’t change a thing about the underlying technology, because the goal was to provide the same great features in an awesome new color that would give gamers another option for expressing their personal style. However, the change in colors did allow us to visually highlight some of the best features of each product.
The ROG Strix Flare PNK LTD
The ROG Strix Flare features a hairline finish that traverses the right side and runs parallel to a diagonal slash that cuts right down to the keyboard’s bottom edge. With the matte pink and textured finish right next to each other, there’s an almost two-toned effect that’s edgy without being too aggressive. The slash is continued through to the detachable palm rest, which is all grey.
The keyboard itself is predominantly pink, save for a few key elements (no pun intended). The easy-to-reach media controls on the left are grey, including the rubberized volume wheel, which is ridged for easy scrolling as you stretch your fingers on your left hand up to reach it. Rubber tends to collect dirt, and any debris trapped in the ridges would be really obvious if it were pink, so grey is a better choice. The primary alphanumeric zone is decked out to match, with gloriously pink function keys that blend into the body of the keyboard. The customizable acrylic insert still comes emblazoned with the ROG logo, though you can DIY your own with the blank insert that ships in the box.
Underneath, it’s the same Strix Flare you know and love. Per-key RGB lighting can be used to go all out on pink or you can go wild with a rainbow of colors that pulse in and out with different effects. The Strix Flare is available with a range of switch types, and the PNK LTD edition has the choice of Cherry MX Red, Brown, or Blue switches, depending on your preference for switch feel.
The ROG Gladius II Origin PNK LTD
The ROG Gladius II Origin PNK LTD follows the Flare’s lead with a strategic blend of our chosen colors. The Mayan-inspired etchings on the sides and scroll wheel stand out even more in lighter grey than the traditional black, and the grey won’t collect stains as easily as pink rubber might. We also didn’t want the detachable cable to get dirty as it moves back and forth across the desk or sits coiled up in the bottom of your bag, so we went grey there, too. The DPI switch behind the scroll wheel and the programmable buttons above the thumb rest see a lot action, which makes grey a smarter choice to protect against grime, and the contrast works well against the perfectly pink primary buttons and palm rest. The ROG logo on the back stands out in bright white, and when you want some bling, Aura Sync-enabled RGB can light up the scroll wheel as well as the underside of the mouse, so you can add a hot pink glow or a rainbow of colors that shines down onto the desk.
The Gladius II Origin PNK LTD is based on the same PixArt 3360 optical sensor as the vanilla version. The sensor can reach 12000 DPI, but can be dialed back for games where a lower DPI makes more sense, like in MOBAs. The ability to hop back and forth between programmed settings using the dedicated DPI switch is handy for transitioning between work and play, or even just between different game genres. This version of the Gladius II is only going to be available for a limited time, which means it’s even more important that it’s built to last. Underneath those pink primary buttons are Omron switches rated for 50 million clicks. Our push-fit switch socket lets you easily swap in switches with different resistance and click-feel, or replace worn out switches when the time comes. The braided cable is more durable, and there’s a second standard cable and pouch, too, so you don’t have to plug and unplug when you leave the house.
The ROG Strix Fusion 300 PNK LTD
Planning out which bits of the ROG Strix Fusion 300 PNK LTD should be grey and which should be pink was a bit easier. We didn’t want the parts pressed against your face and hair to get discolored, so opting for cool grey on the headband and protein leather ear cups was a no-brainer.
Because pink is the whole point, we didn’t add any more grey than we had to for the Fusion 300, so the rest is all pink. We even added some pink to the bottom of the extendable frame of the headband. The fully adjustable retractable microphone blends into the frame on the right ear cup, so there’s no disruption to the pink when it’s stowed, and the red accent lighting of the original Fusion 300 has been swapped for white, which better matches the overall aesthetic.
Underneath the Fusion 300’s pastel exterior, it’s the same awesome gaming headset as before with 50-mm ASUS Essence drivers and 7.1 virtual surround sound. The modified chamber design is airtight to seal air inside and reduce audio leakage and vibrations, and the area around the drivers is bigger, which allows for more air and creates a wider soundstage. The Fusion comes with two cables, a USB cable and a regular 3.5 mm audio cable, to allow you to connect to mobile device as well as your PC.
The ROG Sheath PNK LTD
Completing the perfect pink picture is a reimagining of our ROG Sheath desk mat, which is large enough to fit all of your gear while providing precise tracking for your mouse. It features a tightly woven fabric on top of a non-slip back that doesn’t budge as you play. While the PNK LTD edition maintains the same ginormous 35" by 17" footprint as the original, this version of the Sheath is visually different to the original, which was all black with a red ROG logo emblazoned on a mayan-inspired background.
For the PNK Sheath, we took our cue from the Strix Flare. A bold dividing line runs from top to bottom at an angle and separates the pink from the grey. The top left portion of the mat is pink with a lighter colored cyberpunk-inspired pattern. The rest of the mat is solid grey, save for the pink border of reinforced stitching that runs around the edge to limit fraying. The dominant grey is the perfect backdrop for the primarily pink peripherals you’re going to place on top it. It’s also the most highly trafficked part of the mat, so the grey helps to hide any dirt that might result from sliding the mouse back and forth over the same spot.
The ROG PNK LTD line of peripherals is on display at CES 2019 and will be available to buy in March. Contact your local ROG representative for details on regional availability.
ROG announced tons of new tech at CES. Check out this article to see all of our announcements in one place.
