ASUS announces its first WiFi 8 router coming this year, the stylish ROG NeoCore

ASUS showcased its first Wi-Fi 8 concept router, the stylish ROG NeoCore, at CES 2026 a couple of weeks ago. And even though Wi-Fi 7 routers are still fresh on the scene, the company plans to launch its first Wi-Fi 8 router sometime later this year.

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So then, you might be wondering what Wi-Fi 8 brings to the table compared to Wi-Fi 7. Well, unlike a speed upgrade, the latest wireless technology is all about connection stability and responsiveness. This means speeds won't degrade as quickly as they do on current Wi-Fi networks, and it improves the connection for low-power IoT devices like, say, smart lights and switches.

There are also efficiency and scheduling improvements, so the overall latency and throughput on a network with multiple devices will feel faster and more responsive. "WiFi 8 is not just about chasing peak speed - it's about making every connection smarter and more reliable," said Tenlong Deng, Corporate VP & General Manager of Wireless and Networking for ASUS.

• Read more: ASUS's new TUF Gaming BE9400 is a 'high-performance' Wi-Fi 7 gaming router

According to ASUS, its Wi-Fi 8 routers, like the ROG NeoCore concept, deliver "2X higher mid-range throughput, 2X wider IoT coverage, and up to 6X lower P99 latency" compared to Wi-Fi 7. This makes it the superior choice for homes and small offices with multiple devices, cloud gaming and computing, AI workloads, and even industrial applications. This is achieved through new technologies such as UEQM Unequal Modulation, new MCS (Modulation and Coding Schemes), and more.

On paper, both Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi share a lot of the same specs, from a max data rate of 46Gbps to wide-band 320 MHz broadcasting and 4096-QAM modulation. The updates are definitely of the behind-the-scenes variety, but with more and more devices connecting to the same network in a home, it definitely sounds like the right kind of upgrade.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that the ROG NeoCore is one of the funkiest-looking routers we've seen.