Although its name is a mouthful, the Asus ROG Falchion Ace 75 HE, debuting at CES 2026, ticks a lot of the boxes for a modern gaming keyboard. You get magnetic switches (Asus’ own factory-lubed HFX V2, to be specific), 8K polling, Rapid Trigger, a web-based configuration utility (important because all gaming peripheral software is awful), and of course, RGB. The only thing I find lacking here is a battery for wireless operation. But considering the high polling rate, magnetic switches, and plethora of RGB, you’d probably want to keep a charging cable close by, anyway.
The keyboard’s stand-out features are a programmable touch bar on the back left edge (which we’ve seen in previous Falchions), and a small jog wheel near the upper-right corner. The latter isn’t for volume adjustments or scrolling documents, but for fine-tuning the actuation point and rapid trigger sensitivity on all keys or a specific key, without having to jump into software or even enter the web interface. The idea, it seems, is to get the actuation point close to where you want it via the browser interface, then fine-tune it from there. That said, it would be nice if there were a tiny two-digit readout near the wheel that would actually tell you what number you’re setting things to with the wheel.
This feels like an important feature on a modern magnetic gaming keyboard. Because no one wants to keep jumping in and out of a game until things feel right. And when you aren’t gaming, you might want an easy way to turn the sensitivity down so you can type without the frustrations of super-sensitive switches. This works well with the keyboard’s layout, as well. At 75%, it’s nearly as compact as 65% models, while still offering up arrow keys and one column of useful keys to the right of the backspace button for work. There’s also an easily flippable switch on the rear right corner that lets you turn Rapid Trigger on and off.
While I didn’t get enough time with the keyboard before heading to CES 2026 to do a full review, I did spend a couple of days with it, playing Borderlands 4 and editing / writing as 2025 wound down.
The lubed ROG HFX V2 switches feel smooth and pleasing, and I noticed effectively no key wobble. Their actuation range, between 0.1 and 3.5mm, is a bit shorter than most other HE keyboards / switches, which have a range of 0.1-4mm, but I certainly didn’t miss the extra distance. I slightly prefer those in the Keychron K8 HE for their slightly softer sound and more cushioned feeling when bottoming out, but I’d have no major complaints switching to the Falchion Ace 75 HE and its ROG HFX V2 switches – for gaming or for work. And if I were meticulously dialing in actuation points for my favorite games, I would prefer the Asus ROG keyboard because it makes it easier to turn some of those features off when I’m doing things other than gaming, thanks to the adjustment wheel and the Rapid Trigger switch.
That said, I don’t particularly find the touchbar on the rear of the Falchion Ace 75 HE particularly intuitive or ergonomic. Perhaps I need more time to get used to it, and I do like that you can change it via the Web interface to control volume, media playback, lighting intensity, and other features. But you have to reach back behind the top edge of the keyboard and tap or swipe. There’s also a button back there that lets you toggle between modes. Using this feature feels awkward, and I sometimes found myself accidentally pressing the first few function keys when trying to skip a song on a playlist. I may find it more intuitive with time, but it feels like having the same touch area on the left side of the keyboard, rather than the back, would be a better choice, since you wouldn’t have to reach up and over the Function keys to use it.
The switches are also swappable, although with all magnetic keyboards, compatible options are pretty limited. Aside from the HFX V2 that comes with this keyboard, Asus lists an HFX V2X switch, alongside a “3rd Party Golden Switch,” which appears to be the same HFX V2 switch, made by TTC, just without the Asus branding. Asus also says that the switches from Asus’ other recent HE keyboard (the Falcata and Azoth 96 HE) will also work. In case you have multiple high-end keyboards from Asus and want to swap your switches around.
The Falchion Ace 75 HE feels very solid and premium, thanks to a metal top and bottom plate and PBT doubleshot keycaps. Asus says it will be available in black or white, for $219 at Best Buy starting in January, and comes with a nice carrying case for those inclined to travel with their favorite keeb. I just can’t help feeling that those keyboard travelers might also appreciate an internal battery, so they aren’t always tethered to a cable.
