I’m a controller‑first, single‑player guy. Keyboard‑and‑mouse is a sometimes food: weekdays on a MacBook Pro for work, nights on a PC for games, weekends for writing and video editing. So the ROG Harpe II Ace—an ultralight 48‑gram, semi‑symmetrical mouse tuned for esports—isn’t my natural habitat. The real question is whether the Harpe II Ace can genuinely compete with heavyweights like Razer’s DeathAdder V4 Pro and Logitech’s G Pro Superlight 2 X. Short answer: mostly, yes.
Design and build
The Harpe Ace II’s shape is low‑slung and neutral. It doesn’t dictate your grip; it gets out of the way. Versus the DeathAdder V4 Pro’s sculpted, right‑handed shell, the Harpe Ace II feels less prescriptive and more nimble. The DeathAdder plants your palm like a lounge recliner—big hump, generous flares, pure comfort for long sessions.
The Harpe Ace II is a well‑cut running shoe: slide in, forget it, glide. As a tall palm‑gripper with big hands, I still find the Razer more relaxing for marathon writing or edits, but ASUS’s bio‑based nylon shell feels premium and rigid, with no creaks, and the large PTFE feet deliver that glassy, low‑friction glide. The finish is warm-touch rather than slippery, and the build has the “grown‑up” polish the original Harpe Ace lacked.
There’s nothing really to complain about fit and finish besides the fact that you need to flip the mouse to switch DPI. Other than that, I’m enamored with the white finish and RGB’d scroll wheel. It’s a great addition to any white themed setup.
Features and connectivity
ASUS packs proper pro tech: the 42K ROG AimPoint Pro sensor with track‑on‑glass, crisp ROG Optical Micro Switches rated to 100 million clicks, and SpeedNova 8K wireless. But the everyday win is tri‑mode connectivity: 2.4 GHz RF, Bluetooth, and wired USB‑C. I leave the dongle in the gaming PC, pair Bluetooth to the MacBook, and flip between them with the underside switch in a second—no re‑pairing, no dropouts, no ghost inputs.
Bluetooth is perfect for productivity—quiet, stable, responsive enough for my work in Figma, Web browsing, and photo work. This is not a productivity mouse though and I quickly found myself back to my Logitech MX Ergo S for the daily activities and then the Ace II for gaming.
2.4 GHz tightens everything up for games and that you can get 8K polling over wireless just like the Deathadder V4 Pro is a huge win. Intriguingly, Asus achieves this with a regular micro dongle where Razer opts for that fangled dome setup. Wired USB‑C is my “whoops, forgot to charge” fallback that also lets me play while topping up.
Software is refreshingly simple: You have the choice of either Asus Armoury Crate or the new Asus Gear Link web‑based app if you prefer not to deal with bloatware. You can tweak DPI steps, lift‑off distance, debounce, and Zone mode in a browser and get back to life.
Performance
The 42K sensor tracked flawlessly across surfaces, including tempered glass. Most of us will never be able to use that high a DPI but the benefit lies in greater precision, smoothness and tracking at lower DPI. SpeedNova’s 8,000 Hz polling reads great on a spec sheet, but unless you’re grinding aim trainers, it’s invisible. True eSports prodigy’s will notice it but us mere mortals won’t ever tell the difference.
What you do feel are the clicks: ASUS’s optical switches are crisp and consistent without the soft wobble I sometimes notice on Razer. The scroll wheel is smooth and quiet rather than sandy, and overall latency over 2.4 GHz feels instant in real play. In twitchy shooters, the Harpe Ace II disappears in my hand and puts the reticle exactly where I intend—no fight, just aim and go.
In slower, story‑driven games or anything leaning hard on right‑click—aim, parry, scope—the DeathAdder’s fuller, sculpted grip and wider click area feel more assured. For Doom the Dark Ages, I preferred the Harpe Ace II; for Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, I leaned Razer. Logitech’s G Pro Superlight 2 is the neutral middle child—less mass than Razer, more conventional than ASUS, excellent tracking, and dead‑simple reliability—if its shape fits you, it’s a safe pick.
Battery life is better than expected for 48 grams. On Bluetooth with sleep enabled during the workday, I get multiple days per charge. Flip to 2.4 GHz at higher polling for gaming nights and endurance drops—as you’d expect—but I still get several long sessions before reaching for USB‑C. A quick dinner‑time top‑up is usually enough to return to full. Razer’s DeathAdder V4 Pro claims up to 150 hours at standard polling and, in my testing, edges the Harpe II on conservative settings. Practically, both feel “always ready.” The Harpe II’s power behavior is polite—no naggy pop‑ups or aggressive throttling when low—and the charge‑while‑play option keeps downtime minimal.
Conclusion
At $239 AUD RRP, the Harpe II Ace is priced smartly under many flagships while delivering top‑tier tracking, strong wireless, and that featherweight build that basically vanishes. On pure comfort per dollar, the DeathAdder V4 Pro at $299 AUD remains compelling for palm‑grippers who live on shortcuts and long sessions. On lowest mass, Logitech’s Superlight 2 at roughly $279–$299 AUD still speaks to the “give me the least possible mouse” crowd. But on multi‑device workflow, software sanity, and price, ASUS makes a strong case.
The Harpe Ace II is an ultralight that behaves like a grown‑up daily mouse: great sensor, clean web‑based software, tri‑mode convenience, and a shape that won’t fight you. Quibbles? Top‑side DPI switching still isn’t as simple as Razer’s profile cycle, and the side buttons feel a touch small for long fingers. If your priority is comfort‑first, the DeathAdder is still the couch‑potato champion. If you want precision, glide, and a multi‑device life that doesn’t require babysitting drivers, the Harpe II Ace at $239 AUD is easy to recommend—and easier to forget, in the best way, because it just lets you get on with it.
Asus ROG Australia kindly provided the Harpe Ace II to PowerUp for the purpose of this review
