Gaming laptops promise portability and power, but they come with their own set of frustrations. The worst part isn’t even the inevitable overheating, which leads to thermal throttling and FPS drops. No, the real issue is the forced reliance on manufacturer-provided bloatware—control panel utilities that are often clunky, inefficient, and, frankly, terrible
Manufacturer Bloatware: A Necessary Evil?
Every major gaming laptop brand ships its devices with proprietary software meant to help users control performance, cooling, RGB lighting, and more. Unfortunately, these utilities are often bloated and poorly optimized. Whether it’s Lenovo, Dell (especially for the Alienware series), or Asus, choosing the worst among them is a tough call.
However, Asus has taken things to another level with its Armoury Crate software. This utility is designed to serve all Asus devices, including gaming laptops, standard laptops, portable devices like the ROG Ally, and even desktop PCs. If you own an Asus laptop, you are essentially forced to use Armoury Crate to control essential functions like cooling, charging, performance, RGB lighting, and sound settings. While alternative utilities like G-Helper exist, a utility of some kind remains necessary for full control over your machine.
The Uselessness of Game Visuals
One of Armoury Crate’s features is Game Visuals, the successor to the equally pointless Splendid Color feature. This tool allows users to switch between preset color accuracy modes for different applications, such as gaming and movie watching. While the concept might seem useful, it rarely offers any noticeable improvements.
Many users have reported issues with this feature, particularly with the shortcut key (Fn + V) used to toggle between visual modes. After a recent update, this shortcut has stopped working for many Asus laptop users. Strangely enough, if you install Armoury Crate, open it, and then decline the terms and conditions before exiting, the Fn + V shortcut still functions. However, the moment you agree to the terms and conditions, the shortcut stops working—suggesting an artificial restriction imposed by Asus.
Asus Artificial Restrictions
Digging deeper into Asus’ official FAQ section for Armoury Crate, it becomes clear that the shortcut (Fn + V) is deliberately disabled for certain laptop lineups, particularly the TUF series. This limitation seems to apply arbitrarily, as it remains functional for ROG series laptops. There’s no clear reason for this restriction other than manufacturer control.
How to Restore the Fn + V Shortcut
If you’re using an older Asus TUF laptop and need the Fn + V shortcut to work, there’s still a potential fix. Instead of relying on Armoury Crate, you can head to the Microsoft Store and download an application called Game Visual. After installation, the Fn + V key combination should work again after a system reboot. However, if it doesn’t, then unfortunately, you may be out of luck.
Conclusion
Gaming laptops are powerful machines, but the reliance on manufacturer software can make the experience frustrating. Armoury Crate, while essential for controlling various aspects of an Asus laptop, introduces unnecessary bloat and artificial restrictions. If Asus and other manufacturers truly care about user experience, they should prioritize functional, lightweight software solutions that enhance, rather than hinder, the gaming experience.
For now, if you’re stuck with Armoury Crate, workarounds like installing Game Visual from the Microsoft Store might help. But until manufacturers start listening to user feedback, dealing with bloatware will remain one of the biggest downsides of gaming laptops.