ROG Harpe II Ace /ROG Falchion Ace HFX

[LordAbdul]

Hello everyone,
I recently bought the ROG Harpe II Ace and I am also using the ROG Falchion Ace HFX. Since switching to the new Gear Link / web configuration system I am having serious problems with both devices and I honestly cannot use them the way they should work.

First, the ROG Harpe II Ace. The mouse shows up in the software but when I click it I am forced to use Gear Link instead of normal Armoury Crate configuration. Inside Gear Link I cannot assign a button to switch profiles, which is something very basic for me. I also cannot assign any macros to any mouse button. Even after installing all extensions and creating macros on the website and saving them successfully, those macros do not appear as assignable functions for the mouse buttons at all. It feels like the mouse simply does not support macros through Gear Link even though the macro system exists. Settings also do not save properly. Some settings only apply after restarting the PC or after opening the Gear Link website again and reconnecting the mouse. This is extremely frustrating compared to my old ROG Gladius III Wireless which worked perfectly for over two years.

Second, the ROG Falchion Ace HFX. Since I started using Gear Link my keyboard profiles are stuck on default and the profile switching section is greyed out. The software tells me to change Windows Dynamic Lighting settings to switch profiles. On Windows 10 I did not have these lighting or profile problems, but on Windows 11 everything behaves differently. Even when I disable or change the Windows lighting settings, the keyboard profiles remain stuck on default and I still cannot switch profiles. Lighting customization is also extremely limited. I cannot freely set individual key colors and I am forced to use predefined effects. Previously I had macros created in Armoury Crate, but after switching to Gear Link they are gone. Macros created on the Gear Link website appear for the keyboard but still do not appear for the mouse.

I understand that ASUS may want to offer a web based configuration without installation, and that is fine as an option. However I do not understand why users are forced to use Gear Link without the choice to use a full installed software solution instead, especially for high end devices. I paid around 220Euro for the Falchion Ace HFX and about 170 Euro for the Harpe II Ace. These are premium priced products and currently I cannot use basic functions like proper macros, profile switching via buttons or full lighting control.

System info:
Windows 11
Armoury Crate version 6.4.7.0

I would really appreciate any help, clarification or workaround. I want to know if this is intended behavior, a limitation of Gear Link, or if something is broken on my system.

Thank you in advance.

[Nate152]

Hello LordAbdul

You can use Armoury Crate with the ROG Falchion Ace HFX. The Harpe II Ace uses Gear Link and can be accessed through Armoury Crate.

You'll want to turn off windows dynamic lighting and use the Armoury Crate device lighting for the Falchion Ace HFX. You can create and save the profiles and access them by pressing Fn + A,S,D,F,G,H.

To use macros, there should be a macro button at the top of the Gear Link page, you'll have to go to companion to use macros. 

[LordAbdul]

Hello, thank you for taking the time to reply and for showing how to control the keyboard lighting and how to access Gear Link through Armoury Crate. I appreciate the help.

Regarding the Falchion Ace HFX, I was already able to set basic lighting through Windows Dynamic Lighting, so I understand the basic lighting control now. However, it is still disappointing that I cannot create full per-key lighting profiles the way I could previously. This is not my main issue though, it is more of a limitation that I find frustrating but manageable.

My main issue is still with the ROG Harpe II Ace. I followed the instructions and created macros on the Gear Link website. The macros are saved correctly and I can see them listed there. However, when I go into the mouse button assignment section, there is no option to assign macros to any button at all. The only options available are single keyboard key, mouse function, multimedia, quick access which is greyed out, or disable. There is no macro option anywhere in the button configuration.

Because of this I cannot use macros on the mouse, I cannot assign a button to switch profiles, and I cannot even use SpeedShift effectively since there is no way to assign advanced functions. This is the main problem for me. I spent a lot of time creating macros because they are essential for my workflow and usage.

I fully understand offering Gear Link as a web based configuration option, but I do not understand why users cannot choose between Gear Link and a full Armoury Crate configuration like on the keyboard. These are premium devices and I would really like to understand if this is an intentional limitation of the Harpe II Ace or if something is wrong on my system.

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thank you again for your help.

[Nate152]

To do per key lighting, you'll want to turn on windows dynamic lighting and open Aura Creator.

As for macros, I don't usually use them. But, if you're able to create a macro and assign it to a keyboard key, you can then assign that key to your Harpe II Ace.

[LordAbdul]

Hello, thank you again for your reply and for taking the time to explain the lighting setup and the macro workaround idea. I appreciate the effort and I did try exactly what you suggested.

I created a macro on my keyboard and assigned it to a specific key. When I press that key directly on the keyboard, the macro works perfectly. Then I assigned the same keyboard key to a mouse button using the “keyboard function” option in Gear Link. However, when I press the mouse button, it only types the normal letter instead of triggering the macro. So unfortunately the workaround does not work on my system.

Because of this I still cannot use macros on the Harpe II Ace in any practical way. There is also still no option in the mouse button assignment menu to directly assign a macro or to assign a button for profile switching. The only options available are single keyboard key, mouse function, multimedia, quick access which is greyed out, or disable.

I understand that Gear Link is a new configuration system and I respect the design direction, but I am honestly confused because this is a premium device and currently it offers significantly less configuration freedom compared to older or even cheaper models that fully support Armoury Crate. I would really like to understand if these limitations are intentional for the Harpe II Ace or if additional functionality such as direct macro assignment and profile switching via mouse buttons is planned for future updates.

Thank you again for your help and for taking the time to respond.

[Nate152]

After looking a little closer, it seems the ROG Harpe II Ace doesn't support macros.

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