// PC GAMER — GAMING
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) review
Oh, how I'd love to give the 2026 G16 a higher score. It really is a fantastic machine, and very difficult not to like. But at its current price, it simply doesn't make a whole lot of sense. When the already-price-inflated Razer Blade 16 is hundreds of dollars cheaper in virtually the same spec, the little Asus becomes difficult to argue for—although perhaps future discounts might bring it back into contention.
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The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2026 is a fantastic 16-inch gaming laptop. There you go, review over, we can all go home. But wait, because it's got a serious flaw that should make you hold your fire before pressing the order button. And that flaw, as those familiar with the ongoing memory crisis may have already guessed, is the price.
Asus has sent me a 64 GB DDR5, RTX 5080-equipped machine for testing, and the same-specced model is currently listed for an astonishing $4,800. Cheaper models with more reasonable amounts of RAM are available—but even the 32 GB, 1 TB version is currently listed at Best Buy for $4,400.
I'm sorry, but that's simply too much to pay for an RTX 5080 gaming laptop. Even one as lovely as this. Particularly as the phenomenal Razer Blade 16 (2026) in RTX 5080 trim is $400 cheaper, with the same Intel Panther Lake-based chip.
If you can find the new G16 for the same money as the Razer Blade 16 during the sales, the choice becomes a lot more difficult. The Asus machine is a worthy competitor, what with its excellent chassis design, stunning 240 Hz OLED display, and superb portability. It's a gaming laptop I've enjoyed testing, particularly as it's capable of knocking the MSI Stealth 16 AI+ for six in certain gaming benchmarks.
Better still, it's got excellent battery life. This is a machine I would happily take on the road with me, gaming in bliss as I go. But when it's this expensive, I can't give it the wholehearted recommendation my heart desires.
Money matters, and when the G16 is listed for such teeth-chattering prices, I have to dock some precious points off the score.
The memory crisis has affected gaming laptops particularly badly in recent months—and by the looks of things, it's not going to get better any time soon. My hope for the G16 is that the sales periods will bring it down to more reasonable figures, in which case you'll find me shouting its virtues from the nearest rooftop. But as things currently stand? It's simply too pricey to gain a top spot.
✅ You've got the cash to splash: If money is no object, then the new Asus G16 is a fantastic gaming laptop well worth considering. The Razer Blade 16, however, is the better of the two.✅ You want something truly portable: As 16-inch gaming laptops go, they don't come much more backpack-friendly than this.