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I was pretty hard on the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo when it first hit the CES showfloor earlier this year. Now I've just spent my first weekend with the dual-screened gaming laptop and... my initial thoughts still stand. While this is certainly an impressive machine, I just can't see its value in the enthusiast market (and its likely price tag means this will be an enthusiast-only device). It's easy to see why.
The original roster of Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo (I've had the 2023 model on my desk) rigs hit the sweet spot. They were technically double-panelled, but that second screen simply sat just underneath the main display, a horizontal companion to your big-screen gameplay. For a long time, they sat among the best gaming laptops on the market.
Already got a perfectly good gaming laptop, but envious of that second-screen life? The best portable monitor we've tested so far is the Uperfect Umax 24 - offering up an additional 24.5 inches of screen space with a 1440p resolution and 165Hz refresh rate. It's not quite as slick as Asus's all-in-one rig, but it'll get the job done for a fraction of the price.
Uperfect Umax | $339.99 at Walmart | £289.99 at Amazon
It does, however, mean that the second screen wants to be used for far more than quick Discord messages, system stats, or a walkthrough. It takes up just as much space in my eyeline, looks gorgeous, and can run steadily while gameplay takes place elsewhere.
It's by no means a bad time, and it still adds to the experience compared to a traditional gaming laptop, but arranging these displays vertically feels like a missed trick. Indeed, Lenovo had its own kind-of-dual-screened gaming laptop at CES this year. Instead of sitting one panel atop the other, though, it unfurls its extra display space from the sides. Granted, this is a concept product that likely won't see the light of day - but it's still trending in a better direction than Asus's vertical approach.
Right now, we're only in the pre-order stages of the 2026 Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo in the UK, while the US has no listings whatsoever. That makes the USD price a little tough to gauge, but we do know it ain't gonna be cheap.
In the UK, an RTX 5090 / Intel Core Ultra 9 386H configuration will set you back £5,799.99 at Asus's Store - when we're talking that kind of price, you need to know you'll be using all its features to the max.
So who fits that bill?
Streamers, content creators, and flush productivity powerhouses who also want top-tier gaming in the same device. This is a dual-screened laptop first and a gaming rig second, and happy customers will be the ones whose priorities also align.
Did I ooh and ahh when I got the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo out of the box? Absolutely. Was I showing it off to anyone who cared to see? You bet. It looks, feels, and runs like a true next-generation gaming laptop. You've got some real slick features in that second display, always-on monitoring, handy full-screen macros and keybinding options, and of course, your virtual keyboard. Even the stand is a vibe. Plus, with an RTX 5090 at the helm, you know you're not going to get shortchanged in the performance category.
But that luxury isn't going to swing value in its favor. I've run into some quirks around resolution, scaling, and windowed gameplay with a few games so far (which I hope to have ironed out before my review), but I have generally had a good time here. Playing High on Life 2 with a collectibles guide underneath is nice. I was using Spotify to add Mixtape's songs to a playlist while running through its minigames again - again, it was nice. Was it worth £5,000+? Not by a long shot.
After spending my first weekend with the Duo, I can see it being worthwhile for productivity and streaming purposes. That second screen can stand up to all your usual OBS and Discord controls without impacting performance up top, and that certainly has to be commended. If you're outside of the streaming or high-end productivity sphere, though, don't let these shining lights blind your wallet.
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I'm also testing all the best Asus gaming laptops and plenty more of the best Razer laptops and best Alienware laptops as well.
