Asus ROG Strix Go 2.4 Headset Review

It’s not easy for a headset to stand out from the pack these days. Times change and what’s fashionable today is gaudy tomorrow. The real key to success in this market is to offer something that’s not just easy on the eyes but also happens to have a few features that are essentially future-proof. That’s the core idea behind the Asus ROG Strix Go 2.4, which aims to provide not just bang for your buck in the multi-platform headset market, but a luxurious amount of comfort as well.

Does it succeed at doing that? Absolutely, but there’s a caveat along the way.

Before we get to that asterisk, let’s take a look at the device itself. For what it costs–around R2000-ish depending on where you buy it–there’s no denying that the Strix Go is a product that looks like a premium device. Heck, even compared to my Sony WHX1000M3 cans, side by side you’d swear that the Asus tech is the more expensive hardware. The Strix Go comes bundled in a durable carrying case, one that houses the headset, its numerous cables, and detachable microphone in a shell that feels like quality.

First impressions really do matter, and on that point, the Strix Go puts its best foot forward. The headset itself consists of a squishy memory foam-padded band, matte black plastic oval-shaped earcups, and the very subtle application of the Asus logo. The cups themselves–which admittedly work very well for normal or smaller-eared individuals–are incredibly comfortable and housed inside a leatherette-coated shape. Combined with a lightweight design of just 290 grams, and the Strix Go is something that you can easily wear all day during a gaming session or a simple bus ride to your destination.

The pièce de résistance of the Strix Go is its wireless capabilities, which all come from a handy dongle that can be inserted into any device with a USB-C port. On PC, I had to use the included converter which resulted in some weird Lego as I inserted it into my USB port, but hey it worked out just fine. On Switch, it was as easy as inserting the dongle, and off I went for a few bedtime sessions, entirely untethered by cables that in any other instance would have looked like a midnight rope bondage scene with older gear.

On a technical level, the headset uses Asus’s 40mm “Essence” Neodymium drivers, with the default setup focused on mid-range sounds over deafening bass sounds. That’s my personal preference for audio as well, so no complaints on that side! Other games I tried out included Psychonauts 2, Destiny 2, 12 Minutes, and Gears 5 on my PC, as well as a bunch of other titles on my PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch, using a combination of wired and wireless setups.

On the left cup, you’ll find a number of functions, including a 3.5mm port for a wired connection, a switch to toggle between wired and wireless mode, a media control button for working through tracks, a volume wheel, and a small built-in microphone, separate from the voice-catcher that can be plugged in. Both microphones work well enough, with the built-in having acceptable communication features while the noise-canceling boom mic was capable of filtering out any unwanted background noise. Like my cat headbutting my face while purring like a maniac, for example.

The overall quality was terrific, and really noticeable during scenes that were dialogue-heavy, providing some fantastic clarity to narrative sequences in particular. The advertised virtual 7.1 surround sound seemed to be a bit hit or miss though, as the spatial awareness you’d expect from this feature just wasn’t up to scratch when compared to other headsets that make better use of the simulated audio technology. After all, nothing compares to the real deal.

Here’s the biggest catch though: The Strix Go is rated for “Hi-Res Audio” that allows it to reach a ceiling of 40,000 kHz, but that range can only be achieved when you use it in a wired mode. When used in wireless mode, the frequency won’t go beyond 20,000 kHz, which is still fairly decent in terms of gaming. Depending on your own audiophile needs, higher-quality audio obviously demands that the device be tethered, undercutting its entire purpose as a wireless headset.

It’s worth noting that there’s a lot more to audio than just numbers though, and to be fair the Strix Go worked perfectly in wireless mode for just about any video game that I played, whether that was Forza Horizon 5 or Aliens: Fireteam Elite. At the very least, the only real difference is a slight loss of more subtle and nuanced sounds. Still, going wired may be the only option if you’re a bit of an audio snob. Hi Geoff!

If you are looking to use this headset primarily for your PC, then it’s well worth tweaking the headset through the Asus Armory Crate program. From here you can mess around with audio settings, adjust the microphone settings, and fiddle with the virtual surround sound options. To do all this though, you have to use the Strix Go in its wireless mode, but the final results did carry on over to my wired mode testing. For those of you still using the legacy ROG Armory program, the good news is that the headset still supports the older software.

As for how long a wireless session will last you? A heck of a long time! Asus is advertising a 25-hour battery life for the Strix Go, and in my own testing, it was pretty close to that benchmark. Easily lasting several days of use before a recharge was needed, there’s a big battery tank in this headset and it can easily be topped up in no time flat thanks to USB-C fast-charging. The headset is irritating when it lets you know that the battery is low, regularly shouting at you every ten seconds while you’re trying to get that last round finished, but at least functions like this can be adjusted in the Armory app on PC.