Asus ROG Invites Gamers to the Open-Ear Audio Party

Open-ear audio is a big thing now, but if you’re not into the trend, I’ll back off for a second. “Open-ear” is a type of audio product design (usually wireless earbuds or headphones) that does not block out ambient noise. The idea here is that you can still be slightly aware of your surroundings and be comfortable listening for long periods of time without stuffing a silicone tip inside your ear.

I’ve tried a few open wireless earbuds at this point, and there’s a lot to like about them; They’re great for biking, making calls, and exercising, but until now, gaming hasn’t been a category in which you’ve typically found open-ear options. However, don’t worry; It has Asus ROG on it.

With two new open-ear products introduced at CES 2026, the Asus ROG is bringing the benefits of open-ear audio to gamers. The more unique of the two is a pair of open earbuds called the ROG Setra Open Wireless Earbuds, which wrap around your ear instead of inserting into the ear canal and blocking everything, like other open earbuds.

Of course, the open ear design is not enough for a pair gaming Earbuds, so Asus ROG also includes a 2.4GHz dongle that gives you the same ultra-low latency wireless connection as Razer’s competing gaming earbuds. This latency is huge when you’re gaming, as every millisecond counts from a competitive standpoint. Other gamer-focused features include a detachable neck strap to stabilize the earbuds and physical buttons, for those who don’t want to fiddle with touch controls in the middle of a match. Asus says you’ll get 16 hours of battery in Bluetooth mode, but there’s no estimate for when you’ll be listening with 2.4GHz.

If earbuds aren’t your thing, there’s also a wired-only Hi-Fi headset with an open-back design in collaboration with China-based audio company HiFiMan. Called ROG Kithara, this headset features 100mm planar magnetic drivers and a microphone that uses MEMS technology. I haven’t tried a MEMS microphone, though. to pass Tried wireless earbuds that use MEMS drivers for sound, and I’m a big fan of those, so my expectations are high in terms of mic clarity.

Since these headphones are wired only, they come with a variety of attachments that make them compatible with many different wired jacks, including 4.4mm balanced, 3.5mm, and 6.3mm. These are also open-back headphones, so there’s no active noise cancellation (ANC) here – which requires a seal around your ears – but I think these headphones sound great.

Although Asus hasn’t confirmed pricing for any of these open-ear products yet, it says they’ll be available for retail in early February.

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