Asus ROG 9 Pro Camera Review: Does it Finally Capture Gamer Glory?

With the rise of Chinese smartphones, the once-popular gaming phones have largely faded into obscurity. Today, only a handful of brands remain dedicated to creating gaming-centric devices, with ROG, the “faithful companion” of gamers, being one of them. What has allowed the ROG gaming phone to endure? The recently released ROG Gaming Phone 9 Pro (hereafter referred to as the Asus ROG 9 Pro) may offer some insight.

The Asus ROG 9 Pro is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition mobile platform. While many flagship phones now feature this chipset, ROG has higher ambitions. It’s safe to assume that the tuning of the ROG 9 Pro is highly aggressive, boasting 9600MHz LPDDR5X RAM and USF 4.0 storage to enhance its performance.

The ROG 9 Pro follows a SoC-central architecture design, with the processor positioned in the center of the phone for optimal heat dissipation. The top-tier 24GB RAM + 1TB storage version also comes with the Cool Fan X Pro, designed for extreme cooling. The charging port is located on the left side of the device, enabling users to charge while gaming.

The display supports an impressive 185Hz refresh rate, offering an excellent gaming experience. As mobile processors continue to improve, the frame rates of an increasing number of games will rise, and the ROG 9 Pro is poised to be among the first to support this.

The design of the Asus ROG 9 Pro retains elements from its predecessor, but it now features an upgraded AniMe Matrix light display on the back, which adds new interactive features and is sure to appeal to gamers.

In terms of photography, the ROG 9 Pro’s main camera has been upgraded with the latest LYT-700 sensor, offering improved performance and optimized power consumption. The device continues to include the highly praised 3X telephoto lens from the previous generation.

The 5800mAh battery has also been upgraded from the previous model. It should provide enough power for a full day of use and supports 65W fast charging, ensuring quick recovery.

Let’s dive deeper into the ROG 9 Pro and explore its features in greater detail.

Design and Display

The design of the Asus ROG 9 Pro builds on the legacy of its predecessor, maintaining a sleek, cyber-inspired aesthetic. The iconic Fearless Eye logo and beveled lines are prominently featured, giving the device a futuristic feel. The 6.78-inch flat screen provides an ideal size for gaming, offering an immersive experience.

The back of the phone is crafted from nano-level frosted glass, which feels smooth and premium to the touch. Most importantly, it resists fingerprints, so you won’t have to worry about smudges, even during intense gaming sessions.

The front features a Samsung E6 AMOLED flexible display, with a resolution of 2400×1080 and a peak brightness of 2500 nits. This makes the screen easily visible even in bright outdoor conditions, perfect for gaming on the go.

The ROG 9 Pro’s entire display lineup supports an ultra-high 185Hz refresh rate, delivering smooth gameplay with ultra-high frame rates. The LTPO material further enhances power efficiency during everyday use, making the phone both a performance powerhouse and energy-efficient.

At the bottom of the phone, you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack, speaker, SIM card slot, and the main charging port. Additionally, there’s another charging port on the left side of the device, allowing for convenient charging while gaming and connecting to the Cool Fan X Pro for enhanced cooling.

The Asus ROG 9 Pro supports up to 65W fast charging and comes with a 65W charging kit in the box, along with the Cool Fan X Pro.

Packaging Contents:

From left to right: Two phone cases, Asus ROG 9 Pro phone, Cool Fan X Pro, 65W power adapter, and C-to-C data cable.
Below: Warranty card, instruction manual, and Cool Fan X Pro packaging bag.

Back Screen Gameplay

The AniMe Vision light display matrix on the back of the ROG 9 Pro now features 648 mini-LED lamp beads, more than double the number found in the previous generation ROG 8 Pro.

This upgrade also brings several exciting new features to enhance user interaction.

One of the standout additions is the inclusion of mini-games, which can be controlled using the ultrasonic shoulder buttons on the sides of the phone. These games provide a fun way to kill time, adding an extra layer of entertainment.

Beyond games, the Asus ROG 9 Pro offers customization options, allowing users to display personalized text on the light matrix screen. This is a great feature for DIY enthusiasts who want to make the device their own.

Additionally, the phone supports the uploading of GIF animations. As long as the resolution is 266×247 pixels, the GIFs can be displayed on the light matrix screen, bringing even more personality and fun to the device.

Of course, the Asus ROG 9 Pro still supports essential notifications, such as battery level and weather updates, all of which are clearly displayed on the optical display matrix screen for a more informative user experience.

Performance and Gaming

The Asus ROG 9 Pro delivers exceptional performance, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition and manufactured using TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process technology. This year’s chip marks a significant leap forward, with performance improvements that far outpace previous iterations. The Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition, thanks to its 3nm process, has seen a substantial boost in power, eliminating the incremental changes typical of past upgrades.

In terms of architecture, the Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition employs a full-large core design, similar to MediaTek’s approach. It features two 4.32GHz ultra-high-frequency super cores based on the custom Oryon architecture, alongside six 3.53GHz large cores. This configuration unlocks the powerful performance that the Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition delivers.

The CPU includes a total of 24MB of cache: two super cores share a 12MB L2 cache, while the six performance cores share another 12MB L2 cache, which further enhances the chip’s energy efficiency.

Thanks to its new process and architecture, the Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition boasts up to a 45% improvement in both single-core and multi-core performance, while reducing power consumption by 44%. The new Adreno 830 GPU delivers a 40% performance boost, reduces power consumption by 40%, and enhances ray tracing performance by 35%, ensuring smoother gameplay in demanding titles.

Theoretical Performance Test

First, the AnTuTu comprehensive performance test scored the Asus ROG 9 Pro an impressive 3.14 million points, far surpassing other devices using the Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition.

In the Geekbench 6 test, the CPU scored 3120 points in single-core performance and nearly 10,000 points in multi-core performance, reaching 9905 points.

For GPU performance, in the GFXBench 1080p tests under continuous conditions, the results were as follows:

Aztec Ruins OpenGL: 246FPS
Aztec Ruins Vulkan: 313FPS
Racing Chase Frame Rate: 201FPS
Manhattan 3.1 Off-Screen: 318FPS
Manhattan Offscreen: 482FPS
Tyrannosaurus Rex Off-Screen: 731FPS

These results demonstrate that the ROG 9 Pro’s tuning is as aggressive as expected, ensuring top-tier performance for a smooth gaming experience. Now, let’s dive into the device’s gaming performance.

Game Testing

For the game tests, we used the Asus ROG 9 Pro’s X mode, which is optimized for maximum performance. We tested the device on popular mobile games, including Honor of Kings, CrossFire Mobile, Genshin Impact, and Honkai Impact 3. Each game was tested at the highest frame rate and image quality settings, and we monitored the frame rate, power consumption, energy efficiency, and temperature.

Honor of Kings

In Honor of Kings at the highest image quality and frame rate, the ROG 9 Pro maintained a stable average frame rate of 120.13FPS. The Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition handled the game with ease, maintaining full frame rates throughout.

Average power consumption: 3.167W
Energy efficiency ratio: 37.93FPS/W
Maximum temperature: 33.5°C

CrossFire Mobile

In CrossFire Mobile at extreme image quality and frame rate, the ROG 9 Pro delivered a smooth 185.2FPS, effortlessly handling the game at full frame rates throughout.

Average power consumption: 3.782W
Energy efficiency ratio: 48.91FPS/W
Maximum temperature: 32°C

Genshin Impact

With the highest graphical settings in Genshin Impact, the ROG 9 Pro maintained an average frame rate of 60.58FPS while running the entire map, showcasing excellent performance.

Average power consumption: 5.224W
Energy efficiency ratio: 11.59FPS/W
Maximum temperature: 42.4°C

Despite the high power consumption, the temperature remains well-controlled, thanks in part to the phone’s CPU central design.

Honkai Impact 3: Sky Railway

In Honkai Impact 3: Sky Railway with all special effects turned on and simulating a full-time battle scenario, the ROG 9 Pro achieved an average frame rate of 58.45FPS.

Average power consumption: 3.571W
Energy efficiency ratio: 16.36FPS/W
Maximum temperature: 35.5°C

These results underscore the impressive gaming capabilities of the ROG 9 Pro, demonstrating its ability to maintain high performance while managing power consumption and temperature effectively.

Cameras

The ROG 9 Pro continues the design from the previous generation, featuring a large-sensor main camera paired with a 3X optical telephoto lens, addressing the common shortcomings of gaming phones when it comes to photography.

The main camera has been upgraded to a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-700 CMOS sensor with a 1/1.56-inch photosensitive unit. This improvement enhances both energy efficiency and the overall photo-taking experience.

The 3X telephoto lens uses a 32-megapixel OmniVision OV32C CMOS sensor with a 1/3.14-inch photosensitive unit, a GBC arrangement, and supports OIS (optical image stabilization).

The ultra-wide-angle lens is a 13-megapixel OmniVision OV13B CMOS sensor with a 1/3-inch photosensitive unit and a free-form lens design. It offers a 120° field of view (FOV), providing a wider perspective.

Now, let’s take a look at the ROG 9 Pro’s camera performance through actual samples.

Main Camera Sample

The main camera delivers a realistic style, with the higher dynamic range of the LYT-700 sensor making the photos appear more vibrant and lifelike. Additionally, the improved ISP (image signal processor) of the Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition enhances the overall imaging quality.

Telephoto Sample

The telephoto lens produces slightly darker images, giving the photos a unique and appealing aesthetic. Even at 10X zoom, the details remain sharp and clear, showcasing the power of the telephoto lens.

Night View

The night-time imaging performance is impressive, with the photos displaying clear and detailed results even in low-light conditions. The ROG 9 Pro captures night scenes with remarkable clarity, making it a strong performer in challenging lighting environments.

Ultra-Wide-Angle Sample

The 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera produces images with a style similar to that of the main camera, offering a natural and realistic look. There’s no noticeable distortion at the edges of the photos, providing a clean, wide-angle shot.

Battery Life

The Asus ROG 9 Pro features a 5800mAh battery, supporting up to 65W wired fast charging and 15W wireless charging, with compatibility for the Qi 1.3 standard.

Below are the test results for the ROG 9 Pro’s charging capabilities and battery life.

Charging Test

The test began with the battery at 1% while the screen was off. The charging times were as follows:

10 minutes to reach 26%
20 minutes to reach 49%
30 minutes to reach 70%
40 minutes to reach 89%
49 minutes to reach 100% (full charge)

Battery Life Test

The ROG 9 Pro offers three power modes: Power Saving Mode, Balanced Mode, and X Mode. For this test, we used the commonly employed Balanced Mode.

To assess battery life, we used the Battery Dog, a professional testing tool developed by Fast Technology.

During testing, a 20% power usage test is performed by default. Additionally, all test categories—including CPU high voltage, multi-threading, AI recognition, image browsing, video playback, and web browsing—are evaluated. This approach simulates real user scenarios to closely replicate actual power consumption.

For consistency and accuracy, Battery Dog automatically adjusts the screen brightness to 50%, disables auto-brightness, and sets the volume to 30%.

In Balanced Mode, the ROG 9 Pro achieved a battery life of 7 hours, 6 minutes, and 58 seconds during testing. This translates to approximately 9 hours of battery life on a full charge, which is sufficient for daily use.

Conclusion

The Asus ROG 9 Pro gaming phone not only maintains exceptional performance and gaming capabilities but also introduces exciting new features, including the AniMe Vision light display matrix screen.

The overall design continues the look of the previous generation. The frosted glass on the back feels smooth and resists fingerprints, helping to manage the issue of sweaty hands during extended gaming sessions. The straight-edged body also enhances the gaming experience.

The AniMe Vision light display matrix has been upgraded with 648 Mini-LED lamp beads. This improvement allows for a richer display and introduces new interactive features, such as mini-games like Snake and Aircraft Wars. It also offers customizable text and GIF displays, allowing you to personalize the phone according to your preferences.

The 6.78-inch Samsung E6 AMOLED flexible screen, with a resolution of 2400×1080 and a maximum refresh rate of 185Hz, ensures an excellent experience for both daily use and gaming. With a peak brightness of 1600 nits, the phone remains highly visible outdoors, even in direct sunlight.

Powered by the flagship Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition chip, built on TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process and featuring an all-large-core design, the ROG 9 Pro offers remarkable performance. Aggressive tuning results in an AnTuTu score of 3.04 million. Games like Genshin Impact and Collapse run seamlessly with consistent frame rates, and the CrossFire mobile game reaches up to 185 frames. With the SOC placed at the center of the device, it boasts an optimized heat dissipation system, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted gaming experience.

The 3X optical telephoto lens remains, while the main camera has been upgraded to the LYT-700, offering lower power consumption and improved dynamic range, enhancing both gaming and photography experiences.

The battery capacity has been increased to 5800mAh, providing about 9 hours of battery life—adequate for daily use.

Overall, the ROG 9 Pro enhances the AniMe Vision experience while maintaining an unparalleled gaming performance, making it a perfect fit for ROG enthusiasts. The camera and battery life are also top-notch, ensuring a great overall experience. Whether you’re a mobile gamer or a mainstream user, the ROG 9 Pro comes highly recommended.

Visit JD.com and search for “ROG9” to pre-order the phone now and enjoy three benefits: 12 interest-free installments, one-year screen breakage insurance, and two years of unlimited battery insurance. Students will also receive a B Station quarterly pass. The phone is in stock now, and you can receive it as early as tomorrow!