ASUS’ old Gundam router still connects with fans

Fergus Halliday - Digital Content Editor

Last updated 01 June 2026

If you go looking for a router recommendation online, the way that hardware looks often doesn’t get much of a look-in from networking enthusiasts.

But for a category that is technical and specific, it’s fascinating how often aesthetics get deployed as a way of selling consumers on a given modem, router or other piece of networking equipment. If the popularity of Netgear’s aggressively angled Nighthawk line or the softer and more living room-friendly curves of mesh systems like Amazon's eero is any indication, it might be the case that the way that a given router looks might matter more than most people care to admit.

It’s hard to pin down a better example of this than ASUS’ RT-AX82U Gundam Edition. Launched back in 2021, this variant of an older WiFi 6 router that originally launched back in 2020 boasts a design laser-targeted towards the overlap between networking enthusiasts and fans of the long-running "cool robot" anime franchise.

The exterior of the RT-AX82U comes in two colour variants. One of these pays homage to the titular mech from the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. Meanwhile, the other evokes the series’ iconic anti-hero Char Aznable.

If you trawl websites like Reddit, it doesn’t take long to find the testimonials and other declarations of zeal for the Zeon-themed router.

“The original AX5700 is cheaper and faster, but so what, this special edition is freaking beautiful and it’s about Gundam,” wrote one Redditor.

That sentiment might be a rare one in the router space, but it's more common when it comes to the wider fandom around the Japanese media franchise.

NYU professor Anthony Dominguez pointed to Gundam’s first protagonist, a potentially relatable teenage genius engineer named Amuro Ray, when WhistleOut Australia asked about how products like the ASUS RT-AX82 fit into the broader history of the franchise’s multimedia empire.

“When the original Gundam aired in 1979, Amuro reflected a particular male otaku whose hobbies extended beyond consuming anime but could also include working with computers," said Dominguez. "In Japan, it was at this point in time that PCs were just taking off. NEC would release the PC-8001 the same year Gundam aired and two years, followed it up with a more accessible variant, the PC-6001.”

What’s more, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the overlap between the protagonist of the original series and networking enthusiasts.

“There’s absolutely an overlap between people who are fans of Gundam and people who are deeply literate about technology.”

Dominguez said that the way the RT-AX82U evokes the design of the series’ most popular mobile suits is far from an accident.

“Anime as big as Gundam have no shortage of merchandise (just look at something like Neon Genesis Evangelion). There are Gundam-themed toothbrushes, there was a Gundam-themed café where you could eat and drink Gundam-themed food, and of course, Gundam model kits.”

“The colour scheme of the original Gundam Mobile Suit (RX-78-2) was a result of the production company wanting it to have more flair in order to sell toys,” he explained.

Asked whether the aesthetics of Gundam make it easier to sell a product as technical as a router, Dominguez agreed.

“The relationship between the layperson and their router comes down to memorising their WiFi password. The majority of people won’t be able to tell you the specs on their router because it’s ultimately about whether their internet works or not. Which is to say that routers are a relatively niche product that are aimed at those users who are already tech savvy.”

“I think by collaborating with Gundam, ASUS is able to draw in a customer base who normally would not shop for routers but are more interested in a Gundam product, especially if it looks cool,” he said.

Telstye analyst Alvin Lee told WhistleOut Australia brand collaborations like ASUS' Gundam router could help network gear manufacturers stand out in a competitive market. He pointed to the company’s most recent Australian Residential Broadband Study and noted that over three-quarters of Australian home routers came from ISPs, and most effectively for free.

“That creates a structural barrier to entry for any challenger brand.”

“Where Australians do consider an alternative, the study found it’s driven by solving functional problems such as dead zones, slow speeds or security gaps,” he said.

While Lee noted that established networking brands have already built trust around exactly those outcomes, gaming is one of the key segments where a licensed brand could make a stronger case.

“The study [identified] demand for custom gaming network features as one of the fastest-growing improvement priorities among Australian home broadband users. Gaming brands resonate in that segment in ways that traditional networking brands have been slower to build,” he said.

It’s difficult to know how much the success and enduring appeal of ASUS’ Gundam collab speaks to that versus the larger willingness by fandom to latch onto licensed products. However, in either case, it’s easy to wonder how much more willing consumers might be to keep up with the latest in home WiFi if brands could point to more than just a spec sheet.

Fergus Halliday

Digital Content Editor

Fergus Halliday is a journalist and digital content editor at WhistleOut Australia. He’s written about technology, telecommunications, gaming and more for over a decade. He got his start writing in high school before interning at magazines like CRN Australia and freelancing for publications like the AU Review, Gizmodo, Kotaku, GamesHub, Press Start, ScreenRant, Superjump, Nestegg, and more.

Read full bio