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Asus ROG Pelta: one-minute review
The ROG Pelta is another banger device from Asus’ gaming division. Compatible across most platforms with wired (via USB-C, no 3.5mm in-line sound) and wireless (Bluetooth and 2.4GHz dongle) connectivity, the Pelta gets the important things right and skips the over-the-top extras.
The headphones, which are a step down in price and features from the flagship ROG Delta II, axe things like an extensive battery life, full-range size adjustment, extra cushioning and excessive RGB (though you’ll still find a programmable, glowing ROG logo on both sides).
Simplifying the things that made the Delta II such an attractive headset into a more affordable unit makes sense when it feels like everything is getting expensive around us. The same microphone and 50mm audio drivers are used between the Delta II and the Pelta, so you’re not missing out on sound and performance, but perhaps you’ll miss the comfort and battery life boasted by the top model.
Moreover, the greater points of adjustment present on the Delta II would have been welcome on the Pelta, as it can be difficult to find that comfort sweet spot when you only have three size options instead of telescopic arms. The microphone will also be tiresome if you’re the type to remove it when it’s not in use, as its plastic exterior needs to align perfectly with that of the headset if it’s to make a successful connection.
Finally, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack for audio between your machine and your headphones (again, unlike the Delta II), so if you want to connect this thing over a wired connection, you’ll need to settle for a USB-C cable. Not a huge issue, but it may be a dealbreaker for some users.
For me, though, I’ve been very satisfied with this headset and its feature set. I’ve enjoyed it for the features it offers, including a useful pause/play button on the side and a slider that toggles between Bluetooth/off/2.4GHz, and I’d happily continue to use it instead of my Logitech G Pro X2 headset.
Asus ROG Pelta: price and availability
- How much does it cost? $129.99 / £124.99 / AU$269
- When is it available? Available now in US/UK, coming soon to Australia
- Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, Australia and other regions
Coming in at a much lower price point than the ROG Delta II headphones (those were priced at $229 / £219 / AU$369 when they released late last year), the Pelta streamlines a lot of what made the top-end ROG headset so good. In our ROG Delta II review, we criticized the headphones for perhaps being a bit feature light, and the Pelta keeps this up but at a much more attractive cost.
That being said, even the ROG Pelta is in hot competition with more feature-rich rivals, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 ($129.99 / £129.99 / AU$299) and its companion app. The Pelta, though, doesn’t give the impression it’s losing out on the features front.
Asus ROG Pelta: Specs
|
Type: |
Wireless over-ear |
|
Drivers: |
50mm titanium-plated diaphragm |
|
Weight: |
10.89oz (309g) |
|
Connectivity: |
Bluetooth, 2.4GHz with ROG SpeedNova, USB-C |
|
Sensitivity: |
-40dB |
|
Impedance: |
32ohm |
|
Frequency range: |
20Hz – 20KHz |
|
Frequency response: |
100Hz – 10KHz |
Asus ROG Pelta: Features
- 50mm titanium-Plated Diaphragm Drivers
- Immersive stereo sound
- Great physical buttons on the left cup
The Pelta recontextualizes the ROG headset offering. The Delta II was already skimping on extras when it was released last year, but the Pelta adapts the Delta II’s impressive upgrades (in particular its titanium drivers) into a much more affordable package.
That means, for the most part, you’re getting the same high-end beast but cheaper. The 20Hz – 20KHz audio frequency response is the same across both units, as is the 100Hz – 10KHz microphone.
I’ll swear by the sound quality and microphone quality of the Pelta. It’s rich, deep and loud, maintaining high-quality sound to its loudest volume and allowing for a lot of customization in ROG’s Armory Crate application. Though heavy bass does suffer compared to a headset like the Logitech G Pro X2.
The 900mAh battery capacity is impressive, offering up to 90 hours with lighting off and 60 hours with it on. Using the headset casually across four weeks, between games and watching TV shows and Twitch streams, I only needed to charge it twice while having the RGB enabled. It’s an acceptable battery life and a welcome downsize from the enormous 1,800mAh battery in the Delta II.
The microphone is removable and can be bent around freely, though I found putting the microphone back into the jack could be a pain if you don’t align it just right, due to its unique triangular shape.
Finally, the buttons present on the headset feel very sensible. A volume wheel is there with a decent amount of travel for your fingertip, alongside a microphone off/on button and, my favorite, a pause/play button. Given I’d been using a keyboard that doesn’t have media controls during my testing period, this has been a fairly useful feature and one that I hope more headsets adopt. The off/on slider is mixed with a connection toggle – the central position selects off, sliding up selects Bluetooth, and down selects 2.4GHz. A soundbite played through the headset will indicate if it’s turning on or off and if it’s connecting to either the dongle or Bluetooth.
Just keep in mind that the ROG Pelta uses a USB-C dongle – in case you don’t have a free USB-C port on your device, this may present itself as an issue.
Asus ROG Pelta: Sound quality
- High-end audio in a cheap unit
- Terrific adjustment options
- Good but not the best deep bass
Carrying over the audio quality from Asus’ top gaming headset, the ROG Pelta doesn’t disappoint where it matters. The standard stereo sound profile is well balanced for all kinds of audio-visual media, which of course includes games, but it’s also fit for music streaming, TV shows and movies. Sound is crystal clear even with the volume cranked to maximum, though bass depth may leave you craving something with a bit more punch.
Asus’ ROG Armory Crate app offers a decent user experience for making sound quality adjustments. For the most part, I set the headset to the ‘communication’ sound profile as it offered the balanced mix I preferred the most (as I switch between a racing, shooting, RPG and sim game quite readily), though I was pretty blown away with the depth of the FPS preset, which made projectiles and explosions in Marvel Rivals really jump out at me. Still, finding the mode that set the best experience across all uses kept me from constantly dipping in and out of Armory Crate, so that’s what I did.
Of course, you don’t merely have to use a preset. There are plenty of sliders to fiddle with so you can tailor the sound to your ears, and there’s also some useful sliders for bass boosting, voice clarity and voice compression.
The microphone quality was a bit middle-of-the-road, but I didn’t expect breathtaking clarity. The much more expensive Logitech G Pro X2 has the same microphone arrangement and produces similar results. You’ll have no problem being understood with this microphone, but it’s certainly not broadcast spec.
On the whole, the headset’s sound quality is immersive and had no trouble bringing the worlds of Avowed, Marvel Rivals, Forza Horizon 5, The Headliners and other games to life.
Asus ROG Pelta: Design
- Comfortable ear cushions
- Only three points of adjustment
- Microphone can get a bit annoying
I’m content saying that these are extremely comfortable headphones, particularly for long gameplay sessions in the summer. My home doesn’t have air conditioning, and I’ll typically play games at my computer for hours, often leading to discomfort in and around my ears from the sweat and the constant contact. The ROG Pelta headset hasn’t been irritating my skin as much as other headsets have in the past, and I feel like I can play for longer durations with its comfortable cushioning.
Still, design is another area where the Pelta took a noticeable step down from the Delta II. It features slightly lower-end mesh fabric cushioning around the ears (as above, I personally found this fine), along with only three points of size adjustment for the headband as opposed to the telescoped design you’ll find on many other high-end headsets. This means that it can be difficult to find that comfort sweet spot and, unlike telescoping headsets, you’re stuck with the one size you’ve selected unless you go through the (admittedly easy) process of removing and reapplying the headband. This is no dealbreaker and, indeed, the sizing options are far reaching enough to satisfy a good range of users.
The only other thing that irked me on the design front was the microphone. It’s surrounded by a triangular plastic casing and needs to be inserted at the exact angle. It’s not easy if you aren’t looking at the port while plugging it in, and it’ll feel firmly inserted even if the jack isn’t making proper contact with the port. This led to some audio technical difficulties on Discord a couple of times, but once you catch it, it’s easy to identify.
The inclusion of a red light on the end of the microphone boom to indicate if you’re muted or not is also a great feature and I appreciated it being there.
Should you buy the Asus ROG Pelta?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
Other headsets may boast more features, but the Pelta takes a good selection of extras and masters them. |
5 / 5 |
|
Sound quality |
For the price you pay, you’ll get top-end sound quality, but you may have a desire for more bass or a cleaner mic. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Design |
Comfortable for long gaming sessions, the Pelta is only held back by a finicky mic and a lack of much adjustment. |
4 / 5 |
|
Average Rating |
The ROG Pelta is an extremely competitive headset that you’ll love for its simplicity. |
4.5 / 5 |
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
Also Consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Asus ROG Pelta |
Asus ROG Delta II |
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 |
Razer Barracuda X Chroma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$129.99/£124.99/AU$269 |
$229/£219/AUS$368 |
$129.99 / £129.99 / AU$299.95 |
$129.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.95 |
|
Drivers |
50mm Titanium-plated diaphragm |
50mm Titanium-plated diaphragm |
40mm Neodymium magnetic drivers |
40mm Razer TriForce drivers |
|
Active noise cancelation |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Battery life |
90 hours |
110 hours |
60 hours |
70 hours |
|
Weight |
10.89oz (309g) |
11.2oz (318g) |
9.5oz (266g) |
10.05oz (285g) |
|
Connectivity |
2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB-C |
2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, 3.5mm |
2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB-C |
2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB-C |
|
Frequency range |
20Hz – 20KHz |
20Hz – 20KHz |
20Hz – 22KHz |
20Hz – 20kHz |
How I tested the Asus ROG Pelta
- Tested for four weeks
- Used across various Windows PCs
- Mostly used for gaming, also used for watching TV and music streaming
From the moment I received the Asus ROG Pelta for review, I immediately got to work testing them. I used the headset across a mix of Windows devices and my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra phone, but I primarily used them for gaming.
The games I tested the headset with include Marvel Rivals, Avowed, The Headliners, Forza Horizon 5. Across these games, I changed up my audio settings with the ROG Armory Crate app, and used both the Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections, along with the wired connection. I would play games and watch shows for hours on end with the Pelta headset and often wear them while doing housework and cooking.
- First tested in February 2025
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zac.kelly@futurenet.com (Zachariah Kelly)
