Not content with just wanting to put an ROG gaming device into each and every gamer’s hands, ASUS has just announced the availability of the ROG Collection. There are three different shirts and three kinds of bags in the inaugural set, which caters to the gamer lifestyle.
The shirts are your standard fare ribbed collar crewnecks which are unmistakably ROG-branded. There is no real tech in these shirts so don’t expect them to be made of Dri-Fit or a material that allows you to somehow game better. It’s just your good old comfy cotton shirt and that’s not a bad thing, as being comfortable when sitting or moving is still the basic must-have in a shirt. Overall, these are the pieces of the collection that are more lifestyle statements than actual functional pieces of gear.
The bags are what made us take a second look. These are designed with nylon and hard rubber materials that make the outside of the bags waterproof – at the very least water resistant – which is perfect to keep your gaming gear dry and safe.
Only the Shuttle II has a shot of the inside. It looks like it has one main compartment that goes all the way to the bottom, smaller pockets on the inside front panel, and a sleeve sewn onto the back part of the bag. If this version of the Shuttle is anything like the previous generation model, then for sure the bag can comfortably fit any of the ASUS ROG laptops up to around 17 inches without much pushing and tugging. The inside front pouches look like they can fit a laptop power pack but not much else.
On the outside of the bag we have a top zipper container which might also be padded like the previous Shuttle, perfect for your sunglasses or other delicate gadgets like your Zenfone. At the sides we have two zipper compartments to hold cables and other items. The one thing that we think is lacking would be side pouches for your water bottle. After all, hydration is important for gamers (and for everybody, actually).
The next bag in the collection is the XRanger. The big brother of the Shuttle II, the XRanger looks to be like it would satisfy the tactical needs of someone who likes to have a flexible every day carry (EDC) backpack and a gamer’s all around backpack. There is a front main and a back main compartment which can hold any kind of ROG laptop up to 17 inches, and an admin compartment at the very front. This is where you would put smaller items like pens, keys, a small notebook, your phone, and a powerbank.
On the sides you have two zipper pouches for your sunglasses case or cables, with one side having an open mesh pouch for your coins and receipts. The bag also has compression straps with snap buckles for when you need to keep all the stuff inside from moving, which is perfect for traveling. The best part of the bag in our opinion would be the straps. Built with a yoke-like system, the style of straps for the bag allow even weight distribution, which is great when you’re carrying all your gaming gear and then some. Unfortunately, there seems to be no hand strap to be able to lift the bag off the floor, a feature also missing from the Shuttle II.
Finally, we have the Ranger Messenger. The smallest of the three bags in the collection, the Ranger Messenger looks to be the most element-proof. The wide main flap looks like it has a hard rubber/matte plastic panel which is perfect to keep the rain out of the contents of the bag. The cone corner of the flap is fastened by a standard snap buckle and you have a red support strap to keep the bag snug on your body when moving, like a sternum strap. Like the XRanger, we don’t have clear photos of the interior of the bag to know how many compartments/pockets it has, but we have been told that for its size, it can fit a 15-inch gaming laptop with no problems.
The photo does however, show us a flapped pouch with an ROG logo cover that may be fastened with a button or velcro. The pouch itself looks like it can be clipped on and off the main body of the Ranger Messenger. This is great for small carry items like a flashlight or an extra powerbank. The main strap is made from the usual heavy duty nylon, and the curious thing about this bag is the main handle, which looks like a leather strap. We don’t know why ASUS put that little texture change there but we’re guessing it’s for added comfort when using it to carry the bag.
Overall, these bags look really good and streamlined. They can easily be used in multiple carry situations. The sleek silhouette of the bags can fit in an office environment but the bags themselves are also rugged enough to keep up with traveling while making sure your laptop and other gadgets are safe. The one thing that wasn’t mentioned in the write-up of the bags is if the bottom parts of all the bags in the ROG Collection have ample padding to protect a pricey investment, like a laptop or even a camera and its lenses.
The ROG Gamer Collection of shirts and bags are now available in all ASUS concept stores located at SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA, and SM Cebu. Here are the prices for the individual items:
ROG Lifestyle Shirt P1,495.00
ROG Game On Shirt P1,495.00
ROG Mechanic Shirt P1,495.00
ROG Ranger Messenger P3,995.00
ROG Shuttle Backpack II P4,995.00
ROG Xranger Backpack P5,995.00
ROG Ranger Suitcase P9,995.00
JD Pablo Editor-in-Chief
JD Pablo is the current Editor-in-Chief of twenty8two. Enjoys video games, pizza, banana bread, and tea. Takes coffee black.
