Asus Adds a Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Gaming Router to the ROG Rapture Lineup

Asus already makes some of our favorite gaming routers, and the company also sells a couple of top-recommended mesh systems. Now, Asus aims to appeal to both categories with a new, distinctive-looking mesh router for the ROG Rapture gaming lineup. 

Called the ROG Rapture GT6, the multidevice mesh gaming setup made its debut today at the Gamescom video game trade fair in Germany and is set to arrive in North America by the end of 2022. With a fancy, tri-band build, full support for the fastest Wi-Fi 6 speeds and an eyebrow-raising design to boot, the system won’t come cheap, with an expected retail price of £600 for a two-piece setup.

The Asus ROG Rapture GT6 Asus

For your money, you’ll get a tri-band system with two 5GHz bands, each supporting speeds of up to 4,800 megabits per second (4.8 gigabits per second) and a 2.4GHz band supporting speeds of up to 574Mbps.

The system will use one of those 5GHz bands as the dedicated wireless backhaul between the main router and its satellite. However, you can wire the two devices together with an Ethernet cable for better performance.  That might be a particularly good idea with the GT6, as each device includes a multigig WAN jack capable of supporting incoming internet speeds of up to 2.5Gbps, while also supporting LAN aggregation, which lets you use multiple Ethernet jacks at once for faster combined speeds.

So, if you were living with a blazingly fast, multigig internet connection, you could opt for a double-wired backhaul that would pass those multigig speeds on to the satellite and then onto your wireless devices trying to connect at range. The system also looks utterly unlike any other mesh router I’ve tested, with a spacey design available in your choice of black or white and a pixelated ROG logo on the front. The build looks more like a small gaming PC than a traditional access point to me, so it might fit in especially well if you’ve already bought into the sort of flashy-looking gaming setup that the ROG lineup is known for.

Then again, if you’re just looking for home networking hardware that doesn’t stand out or clash with your living room decor, you’ll probably want to consider something else.

You’ll set the GT6 up and manage its features using the Asus Router app, which features a nice mix of advanced tricks designed to monitor performance and optimize online gaming.

Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET

As for the features and specs, you can expect the usual strong slate of gaming-centric tricks in the Asus Router app, where you’ll be able to optimize your connection to specific gaming servers, manage lag and port-forwarding settings and a lot more. The GT6 also boasts support for 160MHz channel width, which is key to taking full advantage of Wi-Fi 6 and its ability to move huge amounts of data faster and more efficiently than previous-gen Wi-Fi devices. It isn’t a Wi-Fi 6E system with support for the recently opened 6GHz band, though.

If you want that from an Asus gaming router, you’ll still need to spring for the ROG Rapture GTE-AXE11000, which costs £700.  That said, the GT6 does feature an additional 160MHz channel in the 5.9GHz band that the system can use to expand the backhaul capacity, which could improve mesh performance and speeds at range in bandwidth-hungry households or help stave off interference from nearby networks. “The 5.9GHz band has been set aside exclusively for newer wireless routers, so users with compatible Wi-Fi devices can enjoy less connection interference than before, especially in office or apartment environments where many nearby Wi-Fi 5 networks may be competing for signal delivery,” the Asus release explains.

Other features of note include Asus Instant Guard, which lets you connect to your home network through a VPN while you’re traveling, as well as security scans and parental controls.

GT6 users will get lifetime access to all of that, Asus says.

Look for the Asus ROG Rapture GT6 mesh gaming router to arrive in the US sometime in the fourth quarter of this year.

When we can get our hands on it to see how it performs, we’ll update this piece with our first impressions.

Tags:

chiquito listed on couponmatrix.ukgardening-direct listed on couponmatrix.uklightscouk listed on couponmatrix.uklonely-planet listed on couponmatrix.ukplumbworld listed on couponmatrix.ukpsyche listed on couponmatrix.uk
chiquito listed on couponmatrix.ukAs the largest Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant in the UK, you know Chiquito is doing something right. Grab one of our exclusive Chiquitos vouchers and enjoy a tasty Mexican feast or a delicious cocktail for less. Whether it’s the fresh ingredients, fantastic serving staff or bubbly atmosphere that draws you inside, you’re always in for a treat with a trip to Chiquito.
gardening-direct listed on couponmatrix.ukGardening Direct offers top quality plants at affordable prices, grown under greenhouse conditions and delivered straight to your door. If you’d like to brighten up your garden beds or boost your veg patch, you’ve come to the right place—a Gardening Direct discount code from us will help you save even more on your next garden haul! Whether you’re a gardening novice or have a veritable green thumb, you’ll find the plants, bulbs and seeds you’re after at Gardening Direct.
lightscouk listed on couponmatrix.ukAnd the lord said, let there be Lights.co.uk! When you’re looking for quality lighting products that won’t break the bank, this is the place to be, so grab a lights co uk discount code and illuminate your home for less! With an amazing range of products on offer, all excellent goods at prices you’re sure to love, this is a retailer that doesn’t sacrifice quality for value.
lonely-planet listed on couponmatrix.ukAttention all travel fanatics and world explorers, Lonely Planet provide the ultimate travel guides, travel plans, phrasebooks and magazines to get your adventurous spirit into high gear. From print, to online, to mobile, Lonely Planet provide exceptional reviews, guides, tips and secrets to unravel the world's most remarkable destinations. With Lonely Planet promo codes you can enjoy the world for less. Wherever you want to travel, Lonely Planet will help you have the experience of a lifetime.
plumbworld listed on couponmatrix.ukEnjoy rock-bottom prices for high-grade bathroom suites and fixtures with Plumbworld, Britain’s most competitively priced online bathroom retailer. From showers and baths through to sinks and bidets, find plenty of items to bring down to budget with a Plumbworld discount code. Their quality assembly extends far beyond the bathroom too, with a wealth of kitchen sinks, waste disposals, plumbing items and heating solutions also on the shelf to help keep the cogs of your home turning.
psyche listed on couponmatrix.ukPsyche is so much more than a store: It’s a luxury shopping experience, offering carefully-chosen merchandise from top brands. Your Psyche discount code will give you access to great deals from the likes of Kenzo, Rick Owens, Lanvin, Ami, APC, Kent & Curwen, Maison Kitsune, Moncler, CP Company, Stone Island, Paul Smith, Nudie, Edwin, Belstaff, Versace Couture, Moschino, Aquascutum, Paul and Shark, Boss and Polo - with new names arriving all the time.