Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16, a dual-display gaming wonder, gets refreshed for CES 2022

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16
Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 (Image credit: Asus)

Asus' catchphrase for the refreshed ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is "two screens, zero boundaries." Why? The Zephyrus Duo 16 is equipped with an eye-catching, dual-display design that makes content-creation work and gaming feel more seamless and interactive.

The newly refreshed ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 (just in time for CES 2022) features "ahead of the game" performance with brand spankin' new internals and Pantone-validated displays with 3ms response times, Adaptive Sync, Dolby Vision support, and more.

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 2022

One of the most striking features of the ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is the ScreenPad Plus, the 14.1-inch secondary screen with a 4K option. You can run your favorite apps on the ScreenPad Plus while you game or you can multitask between two programs for peak productivity. 

Asus ROG Zephyrus DUO 16

Asus ROG Zephyrus DUO 16 (Image credit: Asus)

When one lifts the ROG Zephyrus Duo 16's lid, the ScreenPad Plus also rises at a 13-degree angle for maximum airflow and ergonomics. While settled at its full height, both screens sit flush with each other, allowing users to enjoy a near-bezel free experience for top-of-the-line immersion. There are two options for ScreenPad Plus: 1080p at 240Hz or 4K at 120Hz.

Asus ROG Zephyrus DUO 16

Asus ROG Zephyrus DUO 16 (Image credit: Asus)

Now let's talk about the main display. Asus upgraded the panel to a 16:10 aspect ratio, which begets more screen real estate thanks to its ultra-thin bezels and 91% screen-to-body ratio. The new ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 has two main-display options: a mini-LED screen and a Dual Spec panel.

The mini-LED, QHD display, as you might have guessed, uses mini LEDs to deliver 1,100 nits of peak brightness. Boasting 512 dimming zones for a an eye-catching HDR experience, the mini-LED display — offering a 165Hz refresh rate — produces rich, stunning contrast. Thanks to adpative image processing software, adaptive dimming and backlight boosting, users can enjoy accurate visuals sans the onslaught of the halo effect.

The Dual Spec panel, an ROG exclusive, is an awesome display that lets users choose between two modes: 4K at 120Hz and 1080p at 240Hz. The former is best for users seeking high-fidelity, immersive experiences while the latter is ideal for gamers in need of ultra-fast reaction times (e.g. esports). In 240Hz mode, ROG's Pixel Acceleration kicks in. This technology scales FHD imagery using four physical pixels for every one digital pixel. As such, Dual Spec panel users can enjoy the best of both worlds: a high-refresh rate display with crisp visuals.

The ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 comes with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX GPU and an up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU. It also features up to 32GB of DDR5 memory and up to 2TB of PCIe Gen 4x4 storage in RAID 0 configuration. With such powerful hardware, Asus also improved the ROG Zephyrus Duo 16's thermal solution. Previous generations used liquid metal thermal compound for high-efficiency heat transfer. For 2022, the ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is now equipped with thermal grizzly conductonaut extreme liquid metal, a material that increases thermal conductivity 17 fold.

Asus ROG Zephyrus DUO 16

Asus ROG Zephyrus DUO 16 (Image credit: Asus)

ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is packed with a variety of ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, an RJ45 Ethernet port and a microSD card reader.

The refreshed dual-display machine is expected to launch in Q1 2022. Pricing will be shared at a later date.

Kimberly Gedeon

Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!