The Asus ROG Phone 6 is the best smartphone made specifically for gaming you can get, but if you’re really keen to make the most of it — and make games even more satisfying to play — then Asus has a pair of accessories to tempt you. The new Asus AeroActive Cooler 6 joins an updated version of the Kunai 3 gamepad, and both perform quite different tasks. Are either worth getting?
The Kunai 3 gamepad released with the ROG Phone 6 is the same as the Kunai 3 controller released with the ROG Phone 5, but this time it’s available in a new Moonlight White color. The modular controller system is reminiscent of Nintendo’s Joy-Con controller for the Switch. It’s made up of two controller parts, a central charging section, a separate grip, and a skeleton frame made for the ROG Phone 6.
It’s quite a beast on the back of the ROG Phone 6, increasing the weight of the already heavy phone to 360 grams, all of which is slung out over the back. It upsets the balance of the phone, but worse is that the physical buttons aren’t all that reachable. It makes them not very comfortable to press because they’re set very close to the center of the phone and then extended out by a couple of centimeters. Unless you have quite large hands, the buttons will be awkward.
Without the additional fan, the ROG Phone 6 Pro got very hot, and when it had completed the test, the temperature range had jumped from 33 degrees centigrade to 52 degrees centigrade. Furthermore, it reduced the battery from 57% to 43% during the test. After turning the phone off and letting it cool down, the test was repeated, this time with the AeroActive Cooler 6 attached in Smart mode and connected to the charger in case it required the power-intensive Frozen mode.
Kunai 3 Gamepad If the button placement on the AeroActive Cooler 6 is awkward, the button placement on the Kunai 3 gamepad is just about perfect, and its design clearly comes from a team that understands gaming and associated ergonomics. Not only that, because there are three different ways to use the Kunai 3, its versatility makes it suitable for more people. If you don’t find touchscreens responsive or natural enough for serious gaming, this is the gadget for you.
In wireless mode, the controller feels quite small when you don’t hold it with the separate grip, but with it attached, the controller is very well sized and still very light at 198 grams. Connecting with Bluetooth is a little fiddly as you have to hold down the Home button on the controller for a set period of time, but do it for too long, and the controller switches off. I have played Diablo Immortal several times using the wireless controller and have not found latency to be an issue.