Playing video games transports us to a realm where we lose track of time, completely unfazed by an immersive world unfolding before us.

When I’m burnt out from training for my competitive races and living an athlete’s life, I take solace in playing video games. I let my mind, body, and soul recover from the emotional weight that every training brings.

Having the ROG Strix G16 for two months allowed me to live my inner teenager’s dreams — playing on a monster gaming machine in my free time and escaping to a different world when the going gets tough.

When you like a huge package

When the Strix G16 was handed to me, I was completely astounded by its package. The box was insanely heavy and humongous, but let’s cut ASUS some slack. Despite the monstrous size, the box came with everything you’ll need to live off that gamer’s dream.

There’s the laptop bundled with the ROG Impact Gaming Mouse. Then, ASUS included two (2) types of 100W power brick — a 100W compact USB-C charger, and a bulky 330W power adapter that’s best to keep on your gaming station.

It also came with a supersized ROG backpack, enough to house the Strix G16 and a couple of essentials.

Totally a gamer’s machine

Taking it out of the box, you’ll find a machine designed for heavy gaming. The Strix G16 is intricately crafted with gamers in mind, it’ll make you feel like a competitive gamer. At least, that’s how I felt.

The devil’s in the details when you peruse the Strix G 16. From the dot matrix design across the lid to the cross-hatched vents underneath, distinct elements can be seen in every detail. Even with the way lighting is integrated!

The RGB keyboard is also soft, pleasing to look at, and actually responsive — thanks to the exclusive ROG Overstroke technology. There are also dedicated gaming hotkeys for quick access to volume and mic controls, and even Armoury Crate. They’re customizable and you can program to your liking.

For its touchpad, it comes with a glass coating and is noticeably 10% larger. While it’s already responsive and comfortable to use, the touchpad isn’t as smooth as most flagship Windows laptops. My workaround has been using the gaming mouse for navigating since it syncs well with the display’s 165Hz refresh rate.

Plenty of I/O ports can be seen on both sides of the Strix G16. On its right, you can find two (2) USB-A ports which I use for the gaming mouse and an additional port for whatever I’ll need like when I need to transfer files via an Android smartphone or my ancient external hard drive.

Meanwhile, the left side houses more ports that every kind of gamer can fully utilize. You can find the power input, a LAN RJ-45 jack, an HDMI 2.1 port that supports up to 4K 120Hz and 8K 60Hz content, and an audio jack.

Moreover, there are two (2) USB-C ports. One supports DisplayPort and Power Delivery, while the other supports Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

Tough inside and out

The Strix G16 has the capabilities to keep up with you as you dive into another story different from your own.

It’s powered by a 13th-Gen Intel Core i9-13980HX processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, a PCIe Gen4x4 1TB SSD storage, and an 8GB DDR5 RAM that can be expanded up to 32GB.

It’s insanely powerful; you can play AAA titles, stream like a pro, and even create content like a madman. The horsepower it contains is like an unlimited magic potential waiting to burst. Intense multitasking sessions are just a breeze, and it doesn’t heat up easily.

While most gaming laptops have a dual-fan cooling system, the G16 pushed a third fan to keep the GPU and VRAM cool. With seven heat pipes and a Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal inside, the G16 — coupled with the ROG Intelligent cooling and redesigned vents — promises an exceptional experience that’ll keep you playing. And it certainly delivers.

Furthermore, it has enough battery to let you play even when outside, as I found myself doing so on most days I want to take a break from sitting around in front of my desk. Sometimes, I’d sit in my favorite Starbucks branch and continue One Piece Odyssey.

When it runs out of juice, I have the USB-C charger to quickly plug into the socket so I can keep on playing.

Just play in the dark

There’s not much you can say when it comes to the Strix G 16’s performance. A premium gaming machine like this can handle any beastly titles of your liking.

Sometimes, I even multitask with plenty of background apps opened while having the device connected to my Huawei MateView. It’s smooth, powerful, and everything you’d expect it to be just like any other monster gaming laptop.

But while the performance of the Strix G 16 gives off a solid experience for all kinds of gamers, there’s one thing that I wish ROG could’ve put more into.

The display is lackluster, especially for a gaming machine that costs a premium. I find myself playing in a dark room or in a dim corner at a cafe to actually see what’s on the screen without squinting my eyes.

The panels cause some glare (yes, even with an anti-glare feature) and even with increasing the brightness to a maximum, it’ll still feel like a challenge to take a look at what’s happening in your gameplay.

I even squinted my eyes and looked closely at the screen, putting myself in an awkward position in terms of posture. Besides, it’s not a good thing to be too up close to a screen. which happens when you badly want to take a look at what’s happening when navigating parts of a game that has a dark scene.

Bring it anywhere

Nevertheless, the ROG Strix G 16 can be easily brought wherever you go. It easily fits inside a supersized ROG-designed backpack, especially in the dedicated sleeve.

There’s enough room to carry the charger, mouse, a few accessories, and personal essentials. It even has a slot for my umbrella and HydroFlask. I can stay protected from the elements and be hydrated wherever I go.

Carrying it can be quite a pain on your back if you’re not accustomed to lifting weights. It’s heavy, I promise. It’ll put a strain on your back if you treat it like a schoolboy’s laptop.

The backpack sure can handle its heft, weighing 2.5kg. However, you might need to train your body if you want to lug this around wherever you go. Otherwise, it’s best to keep it at a gaming station so you can play any titles you want.

But for me, both the Strix G16 and the ROG backpack are quite a treat for an athlete wanting to break away from an emotionally taxing life.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The ROG Strix G16 looks straight out of a dream; it’s what every gamers dream of when it comes to a machine that’ll let them play to their heart’s content.

Think of it as a fantasy turning out to be a reality. The only thing you’ll find annoying in this machine is how lackluster the display is. Otherwise, it’s a solid laptop that will make you want to play all day long.

It’s certainly a GadgetMatch for those who want to be competitive in the eSports arena. As long as you can handle the compromises. If you don’t think this one’s for you, there’s the ROG Zephyrus M16 that you might want to check out.

The ROG Strix G16 starts at PhP 109,995.