Asus ROG has just confirmed that the ROG Phone 6 will be launching next month, 5 July. Widely regarded as one of the best smartphones for gamers, none of the previous ROG devices have made their way to South African shores. Unless you went out of your way to import one.

There is no clear indication that the ROG Phone 6 will be any different but we are cautiously optimistic that this could be the first. That’s because SA media has been invited to the launch. Which, if we’re being fair, happens for products that won’t launch here all the time. But it’s the first time Asus has asked us to check out a ROG Phone launch. If it were to launch here then it will probably take the crown for the best gaming smartphone locally available.

Dare to spend R25k+ on a gaming phone?

The key features to note for this monster are the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and 165Hz display. The chipset was announced last month and claims 15% better power efficiency and increased sustained performance over the now antiquated Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

An AMOLED display from Samsung will improve on the ROG Phone 5’s already impressive 144Hz refresh rate by adding 20 extra refreshes per second. That’s 165Hz in total. We did the math, so you don’t have to.

There’s no doubt Asus will try to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 without setting it, or your hands, on fire.

That’s why the company also makes a plethora of accessories, including an attachable cooler for your phone. More of those accessories, including gaming headphones, will also be revealed at the ‘ROG Phone 6: For Those Who Dare’ virtual event.

If you want to watch in real-time as Asus (hopefully) claims the crown for best gaming device in South Africa, then you’ll need to wait till the event takes place and everything is confirmed. Just head to Asus’ landing page and set a reminder for 14h00 SAST on 5 July. There are only 32 days and 22 hours to go. Sure, we can wait.