Last week at IFA 2026 TP-Link announced two new Wi-Fi 8 routers—the Archer 9 Ultra and the Deco 8 Ultra—though the actual price and release date aren’t yet known, other than availability being later this year.
While TP-Link claimed these are the first Wi-Fi 8 routers to be revealed, this isn't quite the case: Asus showed off its Wi-Fi 8 ROG Rapture GT-BN98 at Computex in June, and we were there having a proper gawk. This is a premium gaming router that’s loaded up with features and game optimisations, and with classic completely-OTT ROG looks.
Asus also showed its more mainstream ZenWiFi BN12 at Computex for normal people. Pricing and availability have not yet been announced—though review samples of the ROG Rapture GT-BN98 are expected to be available very soon, so it’s not far off.
Wi-Fi 8 isn’t so much about boosting speed over Wi-Fi 7: stability under heavy load is the main objective of the new standard, as we continue to saturate the Wi-Fi airwaves with ever more demanding uses.
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