It's been almost a year since we last reviewed ROG's peripherals. Our last set was ROG's Electro Punk series gaming headset, keyboard, and mouse. This time, I will be reviewing the Moonlight White series comprising the ROG Strix Go Core Moonlight White headset, ROG Strix Scope NX TKL Moonlight White keyboard, and ROG Strix Impact II Moonlight White mouse.
ROG Strix Go Core Moonlight White Headset
Opening the box, you will find the headset itself with a 3.5 mm jack along with other accessories including a 3.5 mm mic/audio splitter cable, a detachable boom microphone, and a quick-start guide.
As the name suggests, the headset presents a premium and clean look with its white body with grey accents on the leather covering the headband, the inner side of the hinges, the earcups, and the inside of the earcups. I actually appreciate ROG going for the grey colour choice, giving it a warmer and softer tone instead of going for the typical black and white combination. However, the lack of RGB lighting may be a turn-off for some gamers who love all the lighting effects. If you're a minimalist and don't mind its non-RGB character, you would find it a pleasant-looking headset.
Weighing just 252 g, I love how it sits lightly on my head over extended hours and still doesn't give me any pressure. One of the reasons why I can rarely wear headsets for a long period of time is the discomfort I feel on my wide jaws despite the soft material ear cups. Usually, I will feel the pain kicking in after a few hours and it gets worse especially when I snack some tidbits in between gaming or watching Netflix. But this one fits just nicely around my head.
The Strix Go Core headset supports a wide range of devices, including your smartphone, PC, laptop, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and even PS5. Thanks to its 3.5 mm jack, you only need to just plug it in - no tedious pairing process or whatsoever.
Unfortunately, it does not feature active noise cancellation technology, not even for its microphone so, it gets pretty annoying when someone is chattering in the background. I've tried that even at a high volume, I can still hear some ambient noises surrounding me. Coming to its audio quality, I have to say that it did fine in its role as a gaming headset role or even for watching Netflix. But it lacks a bit of oomph in its audio for music listening.
Overall, it is designed for gamers to put on comfortably for long hours, especially for those with big jaws (like me). Performance-wise, it did alright with the audio and bass. Although it does come down with the lack of RGB lighting and active noise cancellation technology. Minimalists like me might not be bothered by the lack of RGB but we'd definitely appreciate it if there's ANC feature.
Visit the official product page here.
ROG Strix Scope NX TKL Moonlight White Keyboard
The Moonlight Series keyboard comes with a sturdy white chassis topped with a brushed aluminum top plate that adds a touch of durability like a charming white knight ready for a tough battle, in my opinion. As someone who loves simplicity, the matte white and grey finish comes off with a clean look that actually puts me in a calming mood.
When you plug the keyboard in, the default lighting is white, and since the keys are mostly white, I wouldn't say that I was incredibly impressed. You can switch over to the RGB scheme, which would probably impress you more as it did to me. The RGB lighting effects can be switched directly onboard so installing its software for RGB settings is just optional. Additionally, certain keycaps include front-edge side prints to indicate which keys have dual use, which comes off as pretty convenient for new users who are trying to get used to the layout.
As its name suggests and the fact that it's targeted towards FPS gamers, it has a dimension of 356×136.2×39.7 mm, excluding a numpad. The tenkeyless form factor is meant for FPS gamers to make more space for their mice to glide around. Also, while it doesn't come with a wrist rest, I have no problems using the keyboard for hours of work and a few for gaming - it's still within a comfortable range.
Although the keycaps are made of ABS plastic, they're high quality, so the key legends shouldn't fade over time. The rubber feet are very grippy and the incline feet feel very sturdy so, you won't have to worry keyboard sliding off when you're too excited during a game.
However, when I use it for typing (like this review I'm writing now), I can't help but feel frustrated due to the short key travel distance. To be honest, I prefer longer key travel. I can't even count the number of times that I've made typing errors due to accidental taps on nearby keys. Or maybe it's just because my fingers are too fat. But then again, I experience a similar but less often problem when I was playing games.
Overall, the ROG Strix Scope NX TKL Moonlight White keyboard is a well-performing gaming keyboard. It doesn't cause wrist fatigue even without a wrist rest. It has excellent RGB lighting especially when paired with its white tone keys. Also, the detachable cable makes it easy for you to bring it around in a bag easily and you won't have to worry about the scratches on your keyboard. But you might want to reconsider it if you're not a fan of short key travel keyboards.
Visit the official product page here.
ROG Strix Impact II Moonlight White Mouse
The ROG Strix Impact II has a "lightweight build and ambidextrous style", as claimed by ROG. While the mouse lives up to the 'lightweight build' claim at just 79 g, it's not completely ambidextrous as its thumb buttons are locked in place on the left. That said, it's not going to be as pleasant for lefties compared to right-handed users.
Measuring 120 x 62.5 x 39.5 mm, it has a matte white finish with grey accents like its counterparts in the Moonlight White series. You will notice the RGB lighting that shines through both the scroll wheel and the ROG logo on its body. The light also shines through the headlight-style strips on each side of the cable but it's not very noticeable when you're gaming. Overall, it doesn't look very flattering but rather a very simple and straightforward gaming mouse.
As for its performance, it features a 6200 DPI sensor that can scan and track around 220 IPS with a maximum acceleration of 30 G. It also has a built-in pivot button mechanism for fast response and accurate performance. As for sensitivity, it has a four-level DPI button that allows you to adjust the sensitivity settings quickly. You can also customise features like button configuration, DPI settings, and angle snapping of the mouse via Armoury Crate. Additionally, you can also adjust the lighting and Aura Sync settings to your own liking.
Something that I like about it is how pleasant it feels in my grip especially when it moves effortlessly when I'm playing games. Thanks to its push-fit switch socket design, you can easily change the switches to suit your preferred resistance. I also appreciate that the rubber cable didn't drag much the whole time I was using the mouse whether during working or gaming as I find it messy when mouse cables glide around heavily. I have no issues with the buttons too as they deliver fast and tactile clicks.
The mouse is an ergonomic performer. It is very light and has a good grip. Unfortunately, while it comes with a simple but pretty colour tone, I can't help but notice the lack of its premium feel as compared to its counterparts in the series. It functions well enough, but you can probably find better gaming mice within the same price range. On the other hand, if you're a collector of the series, it will complete the peripherals set beautifully.
Visit the official product page here.
All in all, the ROG Moonlight White series peripherals are a set of well-performing gadgets for gamers albeit with a few downsides. How do you like the series so far? Would you buy it? After all, white is the new black.
