ASUS today announced two new additions to its gaming keyboard lineup: the ROG Azoth 96 HE and the ROG Falchion Ace HFX ZywOo Edition. Both keyboards are equipped with ROG HFX magnetic switches, with the latter being the championship-winning weapon of choice by the renowned Counter-Strike pro.
ROG Azoth 96 HE
First up is the ROG Azoth 96 HE, where ’96’ stands for 96% layout, and ‘HE’ means Hall Effect switches, in this case the hot-swappable ROG HFX V2 magnetic switches and a Hall Effect sensor for customizable actuation between 0.1 to 3.5mm with 0.01mm-step precision. The keyboard supports tri-mode connectivity, including ROG SpeedNova 8K wireless, wired USB, and Bluetooth, along with support for five simultaneous device connections.
The new Azoth keyboard also features a 1.47-inch full-color OLED touchscreen, flanked by a three-way control knob for adjustments and monitoring; inside, the chassis incorporates a gasket mount with six-layer dampening with materials like PORON, IXPE, and silicone layers to reduce vibration and improve typing comfort, packaged by a metal top cover and translucent keycaps. In terms of availability, the ROG Azoth 96 HE will be available in Malaysia starting January 2026, with pricing unannounced so far.
ROG Falchion Ace HFX ZywOo Edition
The second model introduced is the ROG Falchion Ace HFX ZywOo Edition, named after and developed in collaboration with Counter-Strike pro Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut of Team Vitality. Expectedly, FPS pros usually prefer small keyboards for maximum mouse space, so this model adopts a compact 65% layout, along with pre-lubed 4.0mm ROG HFX magnetic switches featuring built-in Rapid Trigger toggle for faster key resets. There’s also the Speed Tap mode (aka SOCD) that allows instant directional input changes for fast counter-strafing and jiggle peeking.
As an esports-ready keyboard, 8000Hz polling rate is a must here, while the construction includes integrated five-layer dampening and a silicone gasket mount for a quieter, cushioned typing experience. Additional features include dual USB-C ports for connecting two systems, multiple tilt angles, and a dust cover that doubles as a tray mount. (Annoyingly, Microsoft’s Copilot key took over the spot of where Right Ctrl key used to be.) ASUS says the ROG Falchion Ace HFX ZywOo Edition is expected to be available in Malaysia in December 2025.
Pokdepinion: At this point, tactile switches are slowly getting phased out with so many magnetic switches for competitive gaming out there.
