Asus RoG Rapture GT6: Two-minute review

There are quite a few high-speed routers that are designed specifically for gamers who need lightning-fast response times for their online action, but there aren’t many options on the best mesh Wi-Fi system lists that are able to combine top-of-the-range gaming performance with the wide coverage area required for larger homes.

The Asus RoG Rapture GT6, which is part of the manufacturer’s Republic Of Gamers (RoG) specialist brand, isn’t the first such mesh system that I’ve come across, but it’s certainly the fastest, providing tri-band Wi-Fi 6 with a top-speed of 10Gbps that should satisfy even the most demanding gamers. 

The mesh network features of the two-pack system that I reviewed here should also be able to cover large homes of up to 5,800 sq.ft in size (or six or more bedrooms, according to Asus). And, if you need the best gaming router that will meet your lofty coverage needs, it’s hard to beat.

The Asus RoG Rapture GT6 certainly doesn’t look like a conventional router - in fact, the two routers look more like small thermo-nuclear devices waiting for Bruce Willis to come along and disarm them (it’s the blue wire - it’s always the blue wire!). In fact, the sturdy and chunky routers are so solidly-built, they each weigh in at around 0.9kg (1.98lbs) each.

The routers are available in either black or white - although, just for the lolz, Asus sent us one of each - with a sharply angular hexagonal shape, and an assortment of garish logos and slogans carved into the plastic panelling that exhort you to annihilate your online enemies with extreme prejudice. 

Most gaming routers have an intimidating array of external antennae that are designed to boost transmission of the Wi-Fi signal (and also to look as scary as possible). However, the chunky design of the GT6 manages to hide no less than nine separate antennae inside the body of each router. 

These are also angled to point in different directions in order to spread the Wi-Fi signal as far and wide as possible. And, of course, like all good gaming gear, the GT6 routers include a number of fancy lighting effects that can be selected from within the Asus app and beamed through the large RoG logo on the front of each router.

The Asus RoG Rapture GT6 isn’t taking any prisoners. It provides tri-band Wi-Fi 6 transmitting on the 2.4GHz as well as two separate 5.0GHz frequency bands with a maximum speed of 10Gbps. That should be fast enough even for hardcore gamers, and the use of tri-band Wi-Fi is always a good option for gaming as it allows you to reserve one of the 5.0GHz bands to your gaming rig while everyone else has to jostle for space on the other two bands.

Wired networking is also top-of-the-range, with a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port provided for high-speed Internet connections and three Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired networking. You can also combine - or ‘aggregate’ - two of these Ethernet ports to provide a 2Gbps Ethernet connection for your gaming PC or console. A USB-A (3.2) port is also provided so that you can port a USB storage device and share it with other people on your home network.

Despite its plethora of features, the Asus RoG Rapture GT6 is quite straightforward and easy to set up. One of the routers actually has a label that says - “I’m the main router - start here!” - along with a QR code for downloading the Asus Router app for iOS or Android. The app then lets you scan another QR code in order to automatically connect to the GT6’s Wi-Fi network, and also prompts you to create a new name and password for the network for additional security. 

For convenience, you have the option of merging the three frequency bands into a single network, but there’s also a choice to create three separate networks - which, as mentioned, will allow gamers to devote one of the 5GHz bands just to their gaming activities. Once the first router has been set up, the app also looks around to detect the second router - which it calls a ‘node’ - and automatically links the two routers together in order to create a wide-reaching mesh network. 

The app provides a good range of basic features for home users, such as network monitoring and diagnostics, and parental controls to protect young children online. For more advanced users, the GT6 also lets you open up a web browser interface that gives access to additional features, such as the ability to designate one of the Ethernet ports as the main ‘gaming port’ so that it gets priority for maximum performance and bandwidth.

To be honest, I was almost embarrassed to connect the Asus RoG Rapture GT6 to our humble broadband connection. However, I do have an office at the back of the building that is an ideal candidate for a high-speed mesh upgrade, as the Wi-Fi in that part of the building is very unreliable. With that in mind, I connected the first GT6 router to our normal router, and then placed the second router about halfway along the corridor leading to that office.

Computers and other devices located in the same room as our normal router generally manage to get the most of our 150Mbs broadband, achieving 150Mbps on the Ookla speed test and 19MB/s when downloading games from Steam. As expected, the GT6 simply maintained those speeds for devices in the same room, so the next step was to carry our laptop into that back office to repeat those tests. 

At this point, the GT6 simply shrugged and rolled its eyes at me, effortlessly maintaining rock-steady speeds of 150Mbps on Ookla and 19MB/s on Steam on all three frequency bands, with the routers’ smouldering red lights glaring at me the whole time as if to show their contempt for our feeble office broadband.

Asus RoG Rapture GT6: Price & availability

• How much does it cost?  $599.99 / £549.99 (about AU$900) 
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and the UK  (Australia TBC) 

If your home has that many bedrooms then you’re probably not too worried about the cost of the Asus RoG Rapture GT6. Even so, that sort of performance and wide-ranging mesh Wi-Fi doesn’t come cheap. 

You can’t buy the GT6 direct from Asus so you’ll have to shop around to find the best prices, but the two-pack that I reviewed here typically costs $599.99 in the US, or £549.99 in the UK. It hadn’t gone on sale in Australia at the time of this review, but those prices are equivalent to approximately AU$900. 

We also noticed that it is possible for customers in the UK to buy a single GT6 router on its own, for £297.08. This option doesn’t currently seem to be available in other regions.

• Value: 4 / 5 

Asus RoG Rapture GT6: Specs

Should you buy the Asus RoG Rapture GT6?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Asus RoG Rapture GT6: Also consider

How I tested the Asus RoG Rapture GT6

• Tested it full-time for 3-4 days
• Used the Ookla Speed Test app and by downloading large game files from Steam

The Rapture GT6 is a mesh networking system that includes two routers. I connected the first router to our existing broadband router, and placed the second router in a hallway close to the Wi-Fi deadspot in our back office. I then used it as our main router, full-time for 3-4 days.

For general Wi-Fi performance we used the Ookla Speed Test app. I also tested real-world download speed by downloading large game files from Steam.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

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First reviewed July 2023

The Steelcase Karman is pretty unique compared to the other chairs on my "best office chair" list. This chair is mostly mesh, has a flexible frame, and conforms to and moves with my body - making it as much a physics lesson as a chair, as Steelcase utilizes weight activation to help respond to whoever is seated, allowing for the best seating position possible.

Unboxing and First Impressions

Unboxing the Steelcase Karman could not have been a more effortless experience. I opened the box to find the chair fully assembled, ready to go without any tools needed. I pulled back the box flaps and quickly saw the product fully assembled and ready to be used. I was impressed with the red/blue color in person, as I didn't expect it to look as unique as it does.

Even as I was taking this chair out of the box, I noticed it was very flexible. I'm about 6ft 1in and about 210lb, and sitting in this chair the first time, admittedly, after four or five times of sitting in it the first time, I still did not get used to the flex. After about the fifth time sitting in the chair, I relaxed and let the chair do what it was designed to do.

Design and Build Quality

The Karman chair has what Steelcase refers to as "LiveBack" built into the chair's backrest. This technology balances the user's body weight across the chair while supporting the user's spine, granting comfort and fit in a way that a standard, rigid seat cannot do. Part of how Steelcase does this is through the previously mentioned flexible frame, which contorts to you, rather than you twisting to the chair. When sitting, I felt as if I became one with the chair, as it became an extension of me, rather than just something I rested my body on.

Steelcase makes the Karman with a unique blend of mesh and fabric that the company calls their "Intermix hybrid" blend. There are many different colors, and all have a unique look. Beyond just looking fantastic, this mix of materials helps the chair breathe while staying incredibly sturdy amidst the bendable frame.

In Use

Having sat in many chairs (even over just the past year alone), some have been incredible, some incredibly disappointing. Most of them, however, have had a rigid frame with cushioning around to soften, or the frame will be around the back with some flexibility and comfort through the mesh in the middle. Steelcase uses a flexible frame that contorts itself, within reason, to my body. It's hard to describe just through words, but having a chair that flexes to you while supporting you is pretty impressive. I can only describe it by saying that the chair almost hugs my spine and back when I sit down.

Another positive feature for the Steelcase Karman is its Comfort Dial. This controls the backrest's resistance as I push back into it to recline. After a few minutes, I could dial this in to be fantastic for my back and preferred settings.

Moving on, the 4D armrests are helpful and not too loose. Frequently, we have seen arms with this much mobility be too flexible and, therefore, not enjoyable to use. However, these armrests are a nice balance of mobile and sturdy. I can adjust the arms to where I want and trust that they will stay there unless I intentionally move them.

As a whole, this chair has taken a little bit to get used to, but once I took some time to dial things in, I genuinely enjoy it. It's very comfortable, and though very different than my other chairs, it's quickly become one of my favorites to switch to throughout the day or use for an entire day. The ability for this whole chair to flex and bend to conform to me is something that I would not have expected from an ergonomic chair, but it's a welcome feature.

Final Verdict

The Steelcase Karman chair is a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture. It remains supportive and comfortable while flexing and bending with your movements. The chair is stylishly unique, lightweight, and comes pre-assembled for a hassle-free setup. Overall, it looks and feels great while providing excellent back support, but this does all come at a high price.

macOS 14 Sonoma: One-minute review

This is a hands-on review of the macOS 14 Sonoma public beta, which means that some features were not available yet for testing, and all new features tested may not be in their final iteration. We will have our full review of the operating system as soon as the final version is out.

Apple opts for epic land- and cityscapes in place of an epic update with macOS Sonoma. While many were hoping for a considerable macOS update in 2023, as it’s been about three years since macOS Big Sur, the last operating system that brought major updates to users, Sonoma, which Apple unveiled during WWDC 2023, is more of an incremental update with useful yet still small changes. 

Are many disappointed by this lack of innovation? Absolutely. But this seems to have become Apple’s new normal, as evidenced by the devices it’s been rolling out that feel more indulgent than necessary. 

Whether or not Apple has completely lost its mojo is a whole other topic for another time, however. I’m here to discuss the new macOS Sonoma that’s still slated for a Q3 release but whose public beta just went live last week. In all fairness to it, it comes with many nifty, albeit minor in the grand scheme of things, features that give users a more seamless experience and a more simplified workflow. And for that, it deserves a shoutout. 

Not to take away from the fact, of course, that this version’s marquee features — namely, the screensaver and the desktop widgets — feel a little late to the party. Third party apps have long been offering similar features. Even Safari’s cool Profiles feature is a little overdue, as something similar has also been around on other browsers like Chrome for a while now. So although I’m glad to have them now, I can’t help but ask, “How did it take Apple so long to get there?”

There’s still a lot to unpack here, however. And while the first iteration of the public beta skips out on some features – I can’t get Reactions to work with Continuity Camera, for example – there are already many that people can utilize now, which is what I’ll be focusing on in this hands-on. That includes the Presenter Overlay modes in Video Conferencing, the new screensavers, and the Widgets now finally on desktop.

macOS 14 Sonoma: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? It's free!
• When is it available? Q3 2023
• Where can you get it? All regions

As we’ve mentioned in the past, Apple has been rolling its operating system available as a free upgrade for anyone with an eligible Mac since 2011. You can now download the macOS 14 Sonoma public beta version for free if you apply for the Apple Beta Software Program. Just bear in mind that as this isn’t the full version, you may encounter some issues while some features may not work well or be available altogether.

If you can wait for the final version of macOS 14 Sonoma, you will have to wait until Q3 2023. There’s no definite date of release yet, however.

macOS 14 Sonoma: Widgets on desktop

It was a little bizarre that when Apple launched Widgets for macOS, it decided to withhold the ability for users to drag and place them on the desktop, which would have been useful as it would have allowed them instant access to their most used or most important widgets. Instead, Apple decided to lock those widgets to the Notification Center column that users would have to access by clicking on the date and time on the Menu Bar.

It’s only with macOS 14 Sonoma that Apple decided to finally roll it out, which definitely feels a little like the company was trying to ration its updates; which in turn makes you think that it’s running out of innovations to offer its customers and keep justifying its products’ steep price tags.

It might be a little late in the game, but I am still happy that we can now drag and drop our favorite widgets to the desktop. To Apple’s credit, this new feature is implemented well. The widgets are designed to snap onto the desktop – though the first one you drop or move to a different part doesn’t; you’ll have to do that yourself without assistance, not that it’s hard – for a cleaner look. 

They also gray out (or as Apple puts it, “fade into the background”) if you have at least one app or window open for a less cluttered look and so that they’re not distracting you from what you’re doing, which I think works pretty well. In addition, their colors adapt to whatever wallpaper you have on for a more seamless look.

So, I guess it isn’t too bad that Apple decided to roll this feature out later.

macOS 14 Sonoma: Screensavers

The second macOS 14 Sonoma feature that Apple seems really proud of are its new slow-motion screensavers. There’s certainly a reason to be proud here, as they are incredibly-shot and beautiful. Absolute stand-outs here, out of more than 25 screensavers that were rolled with the public beta, are the Palau jellyfish and humpback whale underwater shots, and the epic Yosemite and Hawaii landscapes.

The downside is that this new feature really isn’t as exciting as Apple made it out to be. First of all, it’s strange how it took Apple so long to roll them out when even third-party apps have been offering such impressive, high-res screensavers for years. And, a lot of the footage that was shot falls flat. Most of the landscapes and cityscapes were shot with just a bird’s eye view, which means you’ll see much more impressive drone footage on TikTok and Instagram.

It’s a nice new feature, but it’s neither the most groundbreaking nor the most creative.

macOS 14 Sonoma: Video conferencing

Video conferencing on your Mac has just become more fun with two new features: Presenter Overlay, which makes even your home presentations during video team meetings a lot more interesting and professional-looking in just a few clicks, and Reactions, which lets you share quick reactions during meetings via hand gestures. These are probably my two favorite features in macOS 14 Sonoma, though the latter is only sadly available on Apple-silicon powered Macs.

The idea behind Presenter Overlay is to keep you from disappearing during video calls the moment you start your presentation while still maintaining a clean, minimalist and professional look. The thing about presenting during video meetings is whenever someone’s doing a presentation, that screen-sharing essentially dominates the window. 

What Presenter Overlay does is keep you, the presenter, not just visible but also still in the spotlight by overlaying your video recording on top of what you’re presenting in a seamless and professional way. It simply ensures that people can still see your face when you’re sharing an Excel sheet or a PowerPoint presentation, and you have your choice of being dominant on the screen or appearing in a smaller bubble in the bottom corner.

I’m definitely disappointed that we use Google Meet for our in-team meetings because I love this feature so much. Even if I’m not the one presenting, it just makes that aspect of sometimes boring team meetings more interesting, especially with the way Apple designed it. If I were to nitpick, I am not overly fond of the fact that your actual background is still visible in the large overlay, as that definitely ruins the look if you’ve got a crappy one. I’m hoping Apple will fix that later by offering virtual backgrounds on FaceTime.

Meanwhile, the Reactions feature is just fun, if not the most intuitive. There are only eight reactions available right now, but apart from the heart, thumbs up, and thumbs down ones, it took a while to figure out what gestures I’m supposed to be using for the others. For your convenience since I had to scour the internet for these, it’s double v or peace sign for the confetti, one v or peace sign for the balloons, two thumbs up for the fireworks, and two thumbs down for the rain.

Just bear in mind when you’re using it that it currently takes about 2 to 3 seconds to detect your gesture and display the right one accordingly. Also, in the public beta, it doesn’t seem to work yet when you’re using Continuity Camera and recording from your iPhone. 

macOS 14 Sonoma: Other notable new features

While Widgets on desktop, the new screensavers and the new video conferencing features are the definite highlights in macOS 14 Sonoma, there are others that are worth trying out for yourself.

For one, Safari now has Profiles to let you organize your browser history, tab groups, favorites, and more based on whatever mode you’re in. You can have a Profile for everything, from research and work to streaming and shopping, and I found it to be very useful, especially if you want to get a handle on your out of control browser tab usage (we’re all guilty of it). You can even automate things for convenience, like which tabs to initially open and which bookmarks and extensions are made available.

If it sounds similar to what you’re already doing in Google Chrome, that’s because it is. The upside to Profiles, however, is that you don’t need to create a separate Apple account for each profile. 

Also in Safari, you now have the option to lock your private browsing windows when you’re not using them, and it works well. That’s on top of the fact that it also completely blocks known trackers and removes any tracking the websites themselves add. 

In macOS 14 Sonoma, you can also start adding web apps to your Dock, if you want to access some of your most important web pages much like you would your most used apps. Meanwhile, Siri is even more versatile and easier to use as you can now customize its prompt to just “Siri” or set it to both that and the default “Hey Siri”. Same can be said for the search and catch-up functions in iMessage, as searching for messages and catching up to conversations you’ve missed is easier than ever.

You can now also share Passkeys with individual contacts or a group of them, and it’s really easy to do so. Plus, you’re not limited to sharing your current Passkeys; you can also add new ones and share them with people.

Finally, Notes is worth a proper mention as well as it’s been given more functionality. You can now add full PDF files to your notes and have the ability to click through the pages using the available thumbnails, as well as add links to other notes. In the public beta version, you do have to go through the right-click menu and tap Add Link for that option – it’s not available via the Add Link shortcut on the top.

macOS 14 Sonoma: Early verdict

macOS 14 Sonoma is a small update to its predecessor, macOS Ventura, which itself is a small update to macOS Monterey. So don’t expect any super exciting features that will blow you away. In fact, even the key features here that Apple proudly highlights are overshadowed by the fact that they’ve been around for ages in other apps.

However, that also doesn’t mean that you should skip it, especially if you have an Apple SoC-powered Mac. Just like Ventura before it, it brings in some new features and refinements that improve how you utilize your Mac for work. Even some of those minor features like Notes now offering the ability to link to other notes and Safari now giving you the option to create Profiles will prove useful to your day-to-day, as they’ll help keep you organized and minimize the mundane bits of the job, allowing you to simplify your workflow even more – which is the inherent nature of the Mac ecosystem.

I wouldn’t call these necessary updates, to be clear. You can definitely live without things like having the ability to overlay your face while presenting during a video call and a screensaver of an epic drone footage of Yosemite’s peaks in slow-motion. However, many of the features macOS 14 Sonoma has will prove vital to your workflow and experience, and it’s worth checking out at the very least when its final version rolls out.