Asus has begun a quiet global rollout of its 2026 ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop, with retail listings now appearing across Canada, France, Hong Kong, Italy and the United Kingdom. The company’s official website also signals an upcoming launch in the United States, marking a gradual worldwide introduction for the refreshed 16-inch machine.
A processor shift at the core
The most significant architectural change separating the 2026 model from its predecessor is the move to Intel’s Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus. While both the new and previous flagship configurations retain a 24-core layout, Asus estimates the updated processor will deliver approximately 7 percent higher CPU performance compared to the 2025 edition equipped with the Core Ultra 9 275HX. This generation-over-generation lift places the G16 in a more competitive position against other high-end mobile workstations and gaming rigs debuting this year.
Display gains and panel options
Asus has also revised the screen specifications for the new model line. The top-tier configuration now offers a 1600p IPS panel with a 300 Hz maximum refresh rate, though that peak is only accessible when the discrete GPU operates in Ultimate mode. Under standard graphics switching, the refresh rate caps at 240 Hz, matching the ceiling of the 2025 version. More affordable configurations pair a 1200p resolution with a 165 Hz refresh rate, although brightness remains limited to 300 nits — a figure that trails behind several premium competitors in this category.
Configuration and regional pricing
The ROG Strix G16 2026 arrives with multiple hardware combinations across different markets. In the United Kingdom, initial pricing is set at £2,599, discounted from a listed £2,799 for models featuring a GeForce RTX 5070 8 GB laptop GPU, 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. Canadian buyers see a similar RTX 5070 configuration at CAD 3,299 through Best Buy, while Asus’ own storefront lists the same machine at CAD 3,699.
Elsewhere, Asus offers further GPU choices. A GeForce RTX 5060 variant starts at €1,899 in the Eurozone, while stepping up to the GeForce RTX 5080 pushes the price to €3,599. In Hong Kong, the RTX 5080 configuration is listed at HKD 28,998, roughly equivalent to $3,698. These pricing tiers reinforce the G16’s positioning as a premium-tier gaming portable, spanning a wide band from upper mid-range to near-halo specifications.
Sources: eshop.asus.com, rog.asus.com, rog.asus.com, rog.asus.com, uk.store.asus.com, www.bestbuy.ca