Asus today announced its Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rapture GT6 as “the first ROG mesh WiFi system optimized for gamers.”
If you know Asus routers, this is not its first Wi-Fi hardware designed for gamers, far from it. But the GT6 does have a few things to stand out from the company’s existing crowded gaming pool.
In all, the ROG Rapture GT6 seems a natural progression.
ROG Rapture GT6: A new class of hardware
You can quickly build a gaming mesh system today using existing Asus hardware.
All you need is a gaming router, such as the latest GT-AXE16000, or any in the chart below, and build an AiMesh system by adding more hardware.
| Model/Name | Multi-Gig Port |
Gaming Private Network | Game First/ROG First | VPN Fusion |
Game Boost | Gaming Port | Open NAT | Mobile Game Boost | Gear Accelerator | GeForce Now | Aura RGB LED Lights |
| GT-AXE16000 | 1×2.5Gbps 2x10Gbps |
WTFast | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| GT-AXE11000 | 1×2.5Gbps | Outfox | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GT-AX11000 | 1×2.5Gbps | WTFast | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GT-AX6000 | 2×2.5Gbps | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GT-AC5300 | None | WTFast | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| GS-AX5400 | None | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GS-AX3000 | None | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| RT-AX88U | None | WTFast | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| RT-AX89X | 1x10Gbps 1xSFP+ |
No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| RT-AC88U | None | WTFast | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| RT-AX86U | 1×2.5Gbps | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| RT-AX86S | None | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| RT-AX82U | None | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| RT-AX92U | None | WTFast | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| RT-AC86U | None | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| RT-AC68U | None | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| TUF-AX5400 | None | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
However, gaming is not an explicit offer among the company’s purpose-built mesh system, namely the ZenWiFi product line. You can still play games with them, but some features are not there, and the hardware might not have the bling to match.
That’s where the new Rapture GT6 fits in. It’s the first canned mesh system that comes with the signature ROG design and features made to arouse gamers specifically. It’s supposed to be a legit gaming system, however way you define “legit” in this case.
ROG Rapture GT6: Designed to be bold yet functional
Like most ZenWiFi mesh sets, the new ROG Rapture GT6 includes two identical mesh-ready units. Use one as the primary router, and the other will work as a satellite to extend the coverage.
In the appearance department, though, Asus says the new kid on the block is “built with premium form and function in mind.”
Specifically, each GT6 has no external antennas — similar to the case of all existing ZenWiFi hardware — and adopts a “futuristic style highlighted by an Aura RGB logo, slashed vents, and the ROG tagline For Those Who Dare etched into one side.”
Additionally, top and bottom ventilation grills are aligned with the heatsinks inside to create “convective effects and heat dissipation.”
Finally, the router’s top is transparent, revealing the component on the inside. My guess is it’ll also have some cool lighting to match, similar to the case of the ZenWiFi Pro ET2 or XT12.
While all the new design touches above might amount to pure bling, there’s something the GT6 has on the inside that will make a significant impact as a mesh system: the support for the UNII-4.
ROG Rapture GT6: First purpose-built mesh with UNII-4
UNII-4, also known as the 5.9GHz band or the final frontier of Wi-Fi 6, is the newly available portion of the 5GHz band. It allows for a third and only clean 160MHz channel which works excellently as the backhaul in a fully wireless mesh system.
UNII-4: What 5.9GHz band is, and why it’s hot
The GT6 is not Asus’s first UNII-4 supporting hardware. The company has recently enabled this on the ZenWiFi XT8 via firmware, and its upcoming ZenWiFi Pro XT12 and GT-AX11000 Pro also have it.
However, as a purpose-built mesh set, the GT6 is the first announced so far to have the support for the 5.9GHz portion.
When it comes to gaming, nothing beats network cables — you should get your home wired — but for homes that must use a fully wireless mesh, UNII-4 is the best wireless alternative.
ROG Rapture GT6: Hardware specifications
| Model | ROG Rapture GT6 | ZenWiFi XT8 |
| Mesh-Ready | Yes (2-pack) AiMesh |
Yes (2-pack) AiMesh |
| Dedicated Backhaul Band | 5GHz-2 | 5GHz-2 |
| Wired Backhaul | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 6.78 x 3.1 x 6.96 in (17.23 x 7.81 x 17.68 cm) |
6.29 x 2.95 x 6.35 in (16 x 7.5 x 16.15 cm) |
| Weight | 1.94 lbs (880 g) | 1.56 lb (716 g) |
| 1st Band (channel width) |
4×4 5GHz-1 AX Up to 4804Mbs (20/40/80/160MHz) |
2×2 5GHz-1 AX Up to 1200 Mbps (20/40/80MHz) |
| 2nd Band (channel width) |
4×4 5GHz-2 AX Up to 4804Mbs (20/40/80/160MHz) |
4×4 5GHz-1 AX Up to 4804Mbs (20/40/80/160MHz) |
| 3rd Band (channel width) |
2×2 2.4GHz AX up to 574 Mbps (20/40MHz) |
2×2 2.4GHz AX up to 574 Mbps (20/40MHz) |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11ac/n/g/a/b | 802.11ac/n/g/a/b |
| Data Rates (up to) |
802.11a/g: 54Mbps 802.11b: 11Mbps Wi-Fi 4: 300Mbps Wi-Fi 5: 1733Mbps Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz): 574Mbps Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz-1): 4804Mbps Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz-2): 4804 Mbps |
802.11a/g: 54Mbps 802.11b: 11Mbps Wi-Fi 4: 300Mbps Wi-Fi 5: 867Mbps Wi-Fi 6 (2.4GHz): 574Mbps Wi-Fi 6 (5GHz-1): 1201Mbps Wi-Fi 6 (5GHz-2): 4804Mbps |
| Mobile App | Asus Router | Asus Router |
| Web User Interface | Yes | Yes |
| AP Mode | Yes | Yes |
| USB Port | 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 | 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Gigabit Port | 3 x LAN | 3 x LAN |
| Multi-Gig Port | 1x 2.5 Gpbs WAN | 1x 2.5 Gpbs WAN |
| Link Aggregation | Yes | No |
| Dual-WAN | Yes | Yes |
| Processing Power | TBD CPU, 256MB Flash, 512MB DDR 4 RAM |
1.5GHz quad-core CPU, 256MB Flash, 512MB DDR 3 RAM |
| Release Date | TBD | January 2020 |
| US Retail Price (at launch) |
$599.99 (2-pack) | $450 (2-pack) $250 (single router) |
Single 2.5Gbps port. Familiar features and settings
Besides that, Asus says the ROG Rapture GT6 has smart antennas and RangeBoost Plus to supposedly increase its Wi-Fi coverage. The networking company claims a 2-pack can handle up to 5800 ft2 (539 m2).
The GT6 comes with a single 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig port, like the case of the ZenWiFi XT8, and supports Link Aggregation. So it’s a bit tight on the port department — by now, I’d hope that all new routers have at least two Multi-Gig ports, like the case of the GT-AX6000 or ZenWiFi Pro ET12.
One thing is for sure: the ROG Rapture GT6 will share all the standard features and settings found in all Asus routers, plus those available in the company’s gaming hardware.
As mesh hardware, the GT6 uses AiMesh, meaning it’ll also work with other supported hardware, such as the privacy router or a satellite node.
So it’s going to be a familiar beast.
Asus Wi-Fi hardware: All you need to know
Availability and pricing
Asus says the ROG Rapture GT6 will be available in the last quarter of 2022 with a $599.99 price tag.
Overall, the new gaming hardware seems to be a souped version of the ZenWiFi XT8, which, as mentioned above, also recently got the UNII-4 treatment.
I’ll update this post as I learn more. So check back if you want to find out how this new gaming mesh pans out when it’s available for purchase.