The Asus ROG Phone 9 with a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is a performance powerhouse, but it can't match other $1,000 phones in ways that matter.

The ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro is one of the first phones sporting a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, but is it worth the upgrade?

Over the years, Asus has carved a niche catering to mobile gamers with its ROG smartphone line, focusing on things you won't find in phones from the big dogs. That includes a second USB-C charging port for landscape mode so the cable won't get in the way while gaming.

I booted up the game Mortal Kombat Mobile on the new Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, and the tutorial that led me into Scorpion pulling off a Fatality against Sub-Zero shows the fiery character slicing through his opponent's skull like butter.

ASUS has launched the ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro, and the Pro model lets you play games on the rear lighting system.

The ROG Phone 9 Pro doesn't change too much from its predecessor, but you get exciting hardware and a new camera at the back that takes great photos. Combine that with a clean software, and you get the ultimate gaming phone.

Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro price is set at EUR 1,200 (roughly Rs. 1,00,000) for the 16GB RAM + 512GB storage model. The Asus Phone 9 starts at EUR 1,099 (roughly Rs. 98,000) for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage model. The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition costs EUR 1,500 (roughly Rs. 1,33,000) for the sole 24GB RAM + 1TB storage variant.

You can even play games on the ROG Phone 9 Pro's back with its backlighting and Air Triggers. It also has a headphone jack.

Even if you're the most hardcore gaming fan out there, chances are you don't own one of the best gaming phones on the market. It's a massively niche sector, with very few players remaining in the game.