The concept of mobile gaming is still a relatively new phenomenon. The idea that a user can have a smartphone dedicated to gaming that isn’t in of itself a console or handheld platform from Nintendo seems very odd – here’s a device that does everything a phone can do, as well as play the same games, so what makes it a “Gaming Phone”, especially if it has almost the same hardware inside? ASUS’s new ROG Phone II, designed under its Republic of Gamers brand, is ultimately a product designed to showcase that there are things you can do with a phone to make it more gaming focused. We take the device (and some of its accessories) for a spin.

Our smartphone reviews here on AnandTech, and in the wider ecosystem, always come from the standpoint of ‘this is a phone’. This mindset implies, both consciously and sub-consciously, that the calling and texting functions on the device should be of primary importance, and should be at the foundation of the device, with everything else layered on top. The ecosystems we have on modern smartphones, particularly Android smartphones, have built around this nascent idea that we are dealing with a smartphone first and foremost, and the ability to take great pictures, slow motion video, access the internet, or create reams of social media content are all secondary in that respect. Perhaps the point should be – would you buy a device that is around six inches, could access the internet, can take great photos, has a large application ecosystem, and can be a creative bastion, but didn’t accept calls?