In early 2022, Asus brought to India a device that refuses to apologize for what it is: the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, priced at Rs. 79,999, is a machine built entirely around the act of gaming. With 18GB of RAM, a 144Hz display, and trigger buttons engineered for the hands that hold it, it represents a rare philosophical commitment in consumer technology — the choice to be extraordinary at one thing rather than adequate at everything. Whether that commitment constitutes wisdom or extravagance depends entirely on who is asking.
Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate: Gaming Beast With Camera Compromises
A device so thoroughly engineered for one purpose that it almost feels absurd
Mark
Why does a gaming phone need 18 gigabytes of RAM? Isn't that overkill?
Mimi
It probably is, for most people. But Asus is building for a specific user—someone who wants zero compromise, who wants the phone to never slow down even if they're running multiple apps while gaming. It's more about sending a message: this is the ultimate version.
Mark
The camera seems like the weak point. Why would Asus compromise there?
Mimi
Because they chose their battle. Every design choice on this phone serves gaming. The side charging port, the triggers, the cooling system—those all matter for gaming. A better camera would add cost and complexity without improving frame rates. For the target user, that trade-off makes sense.
Mark
At nearly 80,000 rupees, who actually buys this?
Mimi
Hardcore mobile gamers, mostly. People who play competitive games seriously and want every advantage. Also collectors of premium tech. But honestly, the base model at half the price probably serves 90 percent of gaming needs.
Mark
Does the cooler actually make a difference?
Mimi
Yes. The phone gets warm during intense gaming, especially on the metal frame. With the cooler attached, it stays comfortable longer. The trade-off is the fan drains battery faster, so you're choosing between comfort and endurance.
Mark
What about the monochrome display on the back?
Mimi
It's a nice touch—shows alerts, animates when games launch. It's not essential, but it reinforces the gaming identity. It's the kind of detail that appeals to someone who wants a phone that looks like it means business.
Mark
If someone has this much money, why not just buy a flagship phone and a gaming tablet?
Mimi
Fair question. But this is a single device that does one thing exceptionally well. For someone who games on the go constantly, that focus matters.
The Pulse
- The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate enters a market where most phones try to be everything, and instead bets its entire identity on being the best gaming device money can buy in India.
- At Rs. 79,999 — nearly double the base model — the price demands justification, and the phone answers with benchmark scores and gaming sessions that barely dent the battery.
- The 238-gram frame, heavy and unapologetic, and a camera system that trails far behind traditional flagships at the same price point create real friction for anyone seeking a daily all-rounder.
- The AirTriggers, side charging port, and clip-on AeroActive cooler form a specialized ecosystem that has no direct competitor — but also no compromise built in.
- The verdict is landing clearly: the base ROG Phone 5 at Rs. 49,999 serves most people better, while the Ultimate exists as a premium artifact for the hardcore few who know exactly what they are buying.
In early 2022, Asus brought to India a device that refuses to apologize for what it is: the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, priced at Rs. 79,999, is a machine built entirely around the act of gaming. With 18GB of RAM, a 144Hz display, and trigger buttons engineered for the hands that hold it, it represents a rare philosophical commitment in consumer technology — the choice to be extraordinary at one thing rather than adequate at everything. Whether that commitment constitutes wisdom or extravagance depends entirely on who is asking.
Asus arrived in India in early 2022 with a phone that asks a pointed question: what if a device stopped pretending to be good at everything and committed entirely to gaming? The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, at Rs. 79,999, is that commitment made physical — 18GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 888 processor, a 144Hz AMOLED display, and a second USB-C port on the side so a charging cable never crosses your hands mid-game.
Only the Ultimate reached Indian shores, skipping the standard and Pro variants available elsewhere. It comes in a single color — Storm White — with 512GB of storage and a design that makes no effort to hide its purpose. The rear panel features a small PMOLED screen that displays custom graphics, while AirTrigger buttons sit on the right side and back, falling naturally under the index fingers in landscape mode. A clip-on cooler with its own physical triggers ships in the box. The phone weighs 238 grams and feels every bit of it.
Performance is where the device earns its price. AnTuTu returned over 837,000 points, and the 300Hz touch sampling rate makes the interface feel immediate. Running Battlegrounds Mobile India at maximum settings for 25 minutes consumed only 8 percent of the battery. In a video loop test, the battery lasted more than 17 hours. The included 30-watt charger brought the phone to 45 percent in 30 minutes, though the hardware supports 65-watt charging.
The cameras tell a different story. The 64-megapixel primary sensor produced daylight shots that looked promising until examined closely, where grain appeared. The ultra-wide introduced edge distortion, and video without optical stabilization shimmered even at 1080p. For a device at this price, the gap between its gaming capability and its photographic output is wide and deliberate.
The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is not a phone for everyone — it is barely trying to be. For those who want specialized gaming hardware with no direct rival, it delivers completely. For everyone else, the base ROG Phone 5 at Rs. 49,999 offers far better value, and traditional flagships at this price offer far better cameras. The Ultimate is a premium paid willingly, or not at all.
Asus has built a phone that asks a simple question: what if you stopped pretending gaming phones need to be good at anything else? The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, which arrived in India in early 2022, is the answer—a device so thoroughly engineered for one purpose that it almost feels absurd. It carries 18 gigabytes of RAM, a Snapdragon 888 processor, a 144-hertz display, and a second USB-C port on the side so you can charge while playing without the cable crossing your hands. The phone costs 79,999 rupees, roughly double the price of the base model, and it delivers on its promise of raw gaming dominance. The question is whether that promise is enough.
Asus released three versions of the ROG Phone 5 when it first launched, but only the Ultimate made it to India. All three share the same core DNA: shoulder-mounted trigger buttons called AirTriggers, a massive 6.78-inch display with a 20.4:9 aspect ratio, and a design language that screams "this is a gaming device." The Ultimate takes that philosophy to its logical extreme. You get 512 gigabytes of storage, 18 gigabytes of RAM, and a single color option: Storm White. The standard ROG Phone 5 starts at 49,999 rupees with 8 gigabytes of RAM and 128 gigabytes of storage. A middle option, the ROG Phone 5 Pro, sits at 69,999 rupees with 16 gigabytes of RAM and 512 gigabytes of storage. The price jump to the Ultimate is steep, and whether it's justified depends entirely on what you value.
The phone itself is a brick—238 grams of metal frame and Gorilla Glass 3, with a matte finish on the back that resists fingerprints. The design carries forward from previous ROG phones, but Asus removed the metallic vent that appeared on earlier models. Instead, there's a small monochrome PMOLED display at the center of the rear panel that lights up with custom graphics and alerts. The AirTriggers sit on both the right side and the back, positioned so your index fingers rest on them naturally when holding the phone in landscape. A clip-on cooler with its own physical triggers comes in the box, along with a 30-watt charger—though the phone supports 65-watt charging. The device feels premium, but it also feels heavy. If you dislike large phones, this won't change your mind.
Performance is where the Ultimate justifies its existence. The Snapdragon 888 processor, paired with 18 gigabytes of LPDDR5 RAM and 512 gigabytes of UFS 3.1 storage, bulldozes through everything. In benchmarks, it scored 837,004 points in AnTuTu, among the highest observed. Geekbench 5 returned 1,120 in single-core and 3,693 in multi-core testing. The 6.78-inch AMOLED display runs at up to 144 hertz with a 300-hertz touch sampling rate, making the interface feel fluid. When Battlegrounds Mobile India was loaded with HDR graphics and extreme frame rates, the phone ran without lag or stutter. During a 25-minute gaming session, the battery dropped only 8 percent. With the AeroActive cooler attached, the phone stayed comfortable, though the spinning fan drained the battery faster. In a video loop test, the battery lasted 17 hours and 28 minutes. Charging from empty to 45 percent took 30 minutes with the included charger; reaching 86 percent took an hour.
The cameras, however, reveal the compromise at the heart of this device. The triple rear setup includes a 64-megapixel primary camera, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 5-megapixel macro lens. Daylight photos appeared good initially, but zooming in revealed grain. The ultra-wide captured a broader field of view but with distorted edges and visible artifacts. Close-ups were sharp with good subject separation and depth effects. Portrait mode had solid edge detection. Low-light performance was competent—the phone automatically switched to long exposure in dim conditions, producing results similar to a dedicated Night mode. The 24-megapixel front camera saved selfies at 6-megapixel resolution through pixel binning. Video recording maxes out at 8K for the rear camera and 1080p for the front, but without optical stabilization, walking footage showed shimmer even at 1080p. For a phone at this price point, the camera performance lags behind what you'd find in traditional flagship devices.
The verdict hinges on a single question: are you buying a gaming phone or a phone that games? If you want the former—a device engineered specifically for performance, with trigger buttons, a high-refresh display, stereo speakers, and enough processing power to handle anything—the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is the best option available. It has no direct competitors. But if you want an all-rounder that happens to game well, you can find slicker flagship phones at this price. The base ROG Phone 5 at 49,999 rupees offers substantially better value for most people. The Ultimate is for those willing to pay a premium for specialization, knowing they're sacrificing camera quality and carrying a heavy device in exchange for gaming dominance.
Notable Quotes
The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is an all-out gaming smartphone with dedicated high-end hardware. Asus hasn't cut any corners when it comes to performance.— Review assessment
If you want a purpose-built gaming phone and you don't mind splurging, the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is the best you can get in the market right now.— Review conclusion
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