ASUS ROG Delta S Animate gaming headset review – standout, with a standout gimmick

ASUS ROG has been making gamer-specific technology for a while now and we’ve enjoyed the punchy designs and generally excellent product quality. They’ve now hit the market with the Delta S Animate gaming headset and it’s making headlines with a fully-customizable grid of LEDs on the outside of each earcup.

As the name suggests, the LEDs are capable of displaying moving images, albeit in a monochrome, reduced resolution. We’ve been testing it extensively to see if it holds up to the company’s history of quality, so read on for our full ASUS ROG Delta S Animate review.

 

 

Unboxing and setup

ASUS ROG has done a stellar job on the packaging for this headset. The box unfolds like a suitcase immediately greeting you with a cardboard and foam packing piece which welcomes you to the ‘Elite Republic of gamers community’. Just what we’ve always wanted.

 

 

Removing the welcome mat reveals the Delta S Animate headset itself, comfily nestled in form-fitting packaging. It’s safe to say that your headset will remain pristine in the hands of even the most aggressive delivery man.

Plugging the headset in automatically starts the download for ASUS’s Armoury Crate software, which is pretty seamless and smart in theory. However, we had an issue with the software failing to download. Downloading directly from the ASUS ROG website fixed the issue and the software isn’t strictly speaking necessary to use the headset, but you’ll really want it for customization and EQ reasons.

Design

We were slightly surprising at how reserved the design is, but then we’ve grown used to wild Star Trek-esque gaming peripherals with neon colors and almost comical levels of RGB lighting. The Delta S keeps it quiet with subtle ROG branding located on the headband and righthand side earcup, and we really like it. The only thing that really sticks out about the design is the triangular earcups – until you plug it in and the Mini LED display lights up.

The controls are all located on the left earcup for ease of operation and they feel pleasantly clicky and tactile. The volume wheel is of particular note as it doesn’t function like a typical wheel as such. We can only describe it as a spring-loaded, wheel-shaped volume rocker. It’s a smart design that feels excellent to the touch, and it’s also easy to make small adjustments or crank it up/down by holding it in the corresponding position. Additionally pressing it in mutes/unmutes the mic which is a nice touch and avoids cluttering the limited space available on the earcup.

The detachable mic plugs in just below these controls and is similarly matt black and reserved in design. If you look closely you’ll notice that this echoes the design of the earcups with its lopsided triangular shape, which lends coherency to the overall design philosophy, of which, we’re fully onboard. 

Without hyperbole, this is among the most comfortable gaming headsets out there, and the inclusion of two different earcup pads is the cherry on top here. This combined with the nicely padded headband and the earcups that are actually shaped like ears provided an effortless and all-but unnoticeable wearing experience. Unfortunately, there’s one thing we didn’t like so much. The clamping force is very weak, which is good for comfort but does mean that it has a tendency to wobble around on your head, especially if you’re prone to whipping your head back and forth like a nutcase after being beaten in your competitive game of choice.

The earcups are a standout here, accomplishing a balance between being squishy enough to mold to your head, and robust enough to withstand flattening entirely. The leatherette cushions provide excellent passive noise cancellation and are recommended for competitive gaming. The fabric variants are more comfortable and offer superior breathability over long periods of use. Overall the comfort of the Delta S Animate is outstanding, aside from the weak clamping force.

Build quality

Despite what appears to be an all-plastic construction the Delta S Animate feels sturdy and robust to the touch. The headset has a good amount of bend and flex and both sets of earcup cushions feel squishy and comfortable. All the hinges, swivels, and other such moveable parts of the headset feel like they are built to last, which is good given the high price tag of £220 (with an expected similar USD price). 

The USB Type-C cable is braided and nicely flexible, but the Type-C to Type-A adapter is not as nice, with only standard rubber shrouding. It’s convenient for them to include the adapter as many gamers might not have USB Type-C connectivity on their PC, but they could have made it a better one. Other than the cable, though, the build quality is good news, the headband feels nicely reinforced and the adjustable sections click smoothly between settings and retain their placement reliably unless you, like, throw it against a wall or something.

Gamers tend to deride all-plastic construction as a shameless cost-saving measure, but the plastic used here feels unexpectedly and impressively solid. This decision by ASUS ROG is a clever one, as it allows the headset to have a comfortable weight of 310g/10.9oz, while retaining structural integrity.

Sound quality and gaming performance

In a word? Comprehensive. Out of the box, the headset sounds far better than most other gaming headsets and avoids over cranking the bass, which is a nice change from the norm. The mids are solid and have impressive definition, the bass is powerful and thumpy. The highs do struggle when you crank the volume but this can be mitigated to an extent with the Armoury Crate software. This headset is up there with the best in terms of gaming headset sound quality. Of course, a similarly priced set of studio headphones will dominate these, but as an all-inclusive gaming headset, these are excellent.

The gaming audio performance was tested over the course of a long evening losing at Apex Legends Arenas. The surround performance was excellent and certainly provided a noticeable competitive edge, and the microphone performed well with little pop or background noise noticeable. The FPS preset in Armoury Crate was pretty good, but the ‘Gaming’ setting was found to be better weirdly enough. For the best experience, it’s recommended to pick any preset and dial it in yourself then save it as a custom preset.

Mini LED display & software

This is the main feature of the Delta S Animate, a grid of 247 (yes, it was a pain in the ass to count them) LEDs on each of the earcups which can be controlled to display messages, images, or animations. The LEDs are impressively bright and help inject some personality into the otherwise stealthy design.

The LED display is controlled by the Armoury Crate software and is far more intuitive than a lot of other peripheral suites. It also only takes a medium bite out of your RAM which is significantly less than some do. It comes pre-loaded with a range of default animations which range in quality from ‘actually pretty impressive’ to ‘barely legible what the hell am I looking at’. Of course, it’s a gimmick, but it’s a good gimmick and great fun to play with. You can have a lot of fun displaying images with the LEDs, but there’s very little definition so it can only really handle very simplistic, high contrast images like logos and emojis. It can also show a scrolling piece of text of your choice, apparently with no upper limit, so if you want to have the entirety of The Lord of the Rings readable on your headset, you can do that. 

The Armoury Crate software also offers an impressive amount of EQ customization, outdoing similar competing software suites like Corsair’s iCue and Steelseries’s GG. This is a huge advantage to have as headsets historically have less-than-impressive audio quality out of the box. Being able to dial it into to a pleasurable listening experience with relative ease is a crucial feature many gaming headsets seem to include only as an aside or omit entirely.

Final verdict

The ASUS ROG Delta S Animate is a standout in the world of gaming headsets. It boasts an excellent soundscape and build quality to match. The design is ergonomic, futuristic, and stealthy, belying supreme comfort. We were impressed by the included earcup options but disappointed by the substandard adapter and the weak clamping force.

The LED display is the standout feature of the headset and was fun and easy to configure with the Armoury Crate software. It’s undoubtedly a gimmick that inflates the price of the product, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. Overall, we’d recommend the ASUS ROG Delta S Animate if you’re looking for a truly unique gaming headset with very few compromises.