Asus has confirmed that the hammer-shaped, solar-powered portable PC gaming battery it recently teased on social media isn’t, in fact, an April Fools’ joke, but an actual, real product. The Asus ROG Mjolnir is named after Thor’s hammer in Norse mythology, and a teaser post on X (formerly Twitter) about it on April 1 said it would “illuminate your path with the lightning summoned by it.” So that’s obviously completely serious, and we can’t understand why anyone would think it was a joke.
Asus has form here, originally announcing the ROG Ally on April Fools’ Day, with the Ally later turning out to be not only a real device but also one of the best handheld gaming PCs available. This time, we’re not sure Asus’ April Fools gotcha is quite so compelling, but it certainly looks like an interesting concept.
Asus hasn’t revealed any specific details about the device but, as far as we can see, the Asus Mjolnir is a seriously hefty portable power supply unit for PC gaming on the go. There are four power sockets lined up on the side, which would enable you to plug in a PC and monitor, as well as two other devices, and there are also two USB-C ports and a pair of USB-A connectors.
There also appears to be a display above all the power connectors, which will presumably tell you how much power you’re drawing, and how much life is left in the battery. Asus’ original April Fools’ Day post on X also hinted that solar power could help keep the battery topped up, saying it would enable you to “harness the energy of the sun to charge your devices.”
There’s no way a device of this size would be able to get enough energy from the sun to power a gaming PC, but it’s possibly an extra option if you’re using the device outside. The handle has also piqued our curiosity, with Asus’ “illuminate your path” line possibly hinting that it doubles up as a light for gaming outside when it’s dark.
A follow up post the next day (pictured above) then showed the Asus ROG Mjolnir in all its glory, with the caption “not an April Fools’ joke” appearing at the bottom of the image, and stating “IT’S REAL GAMERS” in the post. This isn’t the first time Asus has used the Norse God of Thunder to brand its components, as the company has been making PSUs with the Thor brand for years.
We’re looking forward to finding out more about the Asus ROG Mjolnir as more information becomes available, with Asus hinting that more details will be provided at the Computex tradeshow in June 2024. In the meantime, check out our guide to the best gaming laptop options if you’re looking to play games away from the mains.