A blue watercooled PC.

Could Asus’s Budget-Friendly Compact PCs Crack The Console Market?

No, not the one from the featured image.  Sorry.

Asus intends to make compact PCs more affordable as they plan to roll out a new desktop line under its Republic of Gamers banner.

Called the ROG Strix GL10CS, the PC will mark the first time that the ROG banner has been associated with a product that is not pitched at enthusiasts with the budget to afford high-end hardware.

The website states that “[t]he PC gaming renaissance is expanding the community to include more everyday players with broader interests, and we’re welcoming them into the Republic of Gamers with our most accessible desktop to date. The new ROG Strix GL10CS focuses on the fundamentals to enable exhilarating gaming experiences at affordable prices.”

Additionally, it says that “[t]he ROG Strix GL10CS gaming desktop establishes a new entry point into the Republic of Gamers. It has the essentials you need and the performance you crave at a price you can actually afford. Check with your local ROG representative for details about configurations, pricing, and availability in your region.”

Gamers will be able to customise their own PC with either an Intel Core i7-8700 or Core i5-8400 processor, 8GB of DDR4-2666 RAM (upgradeable to 32GB), Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics cards ranging from the 1030 2GB to the 1060 6GB, and a variety of hard drive options.

Going for the top end of the available customisation options should provide gamers with a great PC for 1080p gaming that can also perform at 1440p.

The pricing of these compact PCs will be pivotal in determining whether they can help Asus crack the console market.  To be clear, Asus have never intimated that they’re trying to build a PS4 beater here, but any time that a hardware developer tries to make PC gaming more accessible we can’t help but hope that it encourages more gamers to experience PC gaming.

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Written by John

I'm a 36-year-old gamer, clinging onto the gamepad despite real life responsibilities trying to pull me kicking and screaming away. You can follow me on Twitter: @johnlevelsup.

Current setup: Gaming PC with a 1080 Ti, Xbox Series X, Steam Deck, and retro consoles, on a Gigabyte M32Q monitor, sitting on a Flexispot E7 standing desk.