Even though WiFi 7 routers and devices with WiFi 7 connectivity are still in a minority, and even if the WiFi 8 standard has not been fully agreed upon and ratified yet, that hasn’t prevented Asus from unveiling the first WiFi 8 router, which it intends to launch at an as of yet unspecified date in 2026.

Earlier in January, Asus took the wrapping off the very futuristic looking Asus ROG NeoCore WiFi 8 router at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2026), marking the company’s first public demonstration of Wi-Fi 8 technology transitioning from a conceptual stage toward real-world application.

Due to the novelty of the technology in the first Wi-Fi 8 routers, the price of the first ones to launch is currently expected to be above $500. The first Wi-Fi 7 routers were expensive too, but have come down in price to under $100 already.

The announcement underscores Asus’ intention to lead with advanced wireless networking solutions tailored for high-density, low-latency environments and emerging AI-centric usage models.

It’s not the theoretical maximum bandwidth or speed of the data rate itself that’s improved from WiFi 7 to WiFi 8. WiFi 8 (802.11bn) and WiFi 7 (802.11be) both have a max data rate of 46Gbps and a bandwidth of 320MHz. Rather it’s more about the stability of the highest end transfer rates that WiFi 8 has set out to solve. Which should effectively provide a better internet connection for heavier loads with big data.

The ROG NeoCore represents a shift beyond traditional peak throughput metrics. Based on draft Wi-Fi 8 specifications, preliminary performance testing indicates significant improvements over Wi-Fi 7 in everyday network conditions: up to twice the mid-range throughput, wider coverage for Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, and up to six times lower 99th-percentile latency when operating in multi-access-point and multi-client scenarios.

These gains are attributed to smarter spectrum coordination and more efficient device cooperation rather than raw increases in theoretical peak speeds.

Asus positions Wi-Fi 8 as a foundation for future connected ecosystems where reliability, predictable responsiveness, and seamless handoff between access points are critical.

According to Asus, the architecture aims to mitigate common real-world challenges—such as signal degradation at intermediate distances, interference in dense environments, and contention among numerous connected devices—by improving spectrum efficiency and dynamic scheduling.

The NeoCore initiative also reinforces ASUS’s pattern of early adoption and leadership in successive Wi-Fi standards, following its established roles in Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 product rollouts.

Asus plans to commercialize its first consumer Wi-Fi 8 routers and mesh systems throughout 2026, aligning product availability with broader ecosystem support as the Wi-Fi 8 standard continues toward final ratification.