That One Time When Kojima and ASUS Made a Tablet…

There’s a very specific kind of thrill that hits you when hardware starts borrowing its soul from video games — not just slapping on a logo, but genuinely understanding the vibe. That’s exactly what happened at CES 2026, where ASUS and Hideo Kojima unveiled the ROG Flow Z13-KJP, a limited-edition machine that feels less like a product tie-in and more like a machine pulled straight out of Death Stranding — with a few knowing winks to Metal Gear Solid along the way.

At the core, nothing has changed — and that’s probably for the best. This is still the same ROG Flow Z13 we’ve already seen: a Surface-style 2-in-1 that blurs the line between tablet and gaming laptop, tipping the scales at around 1.2 kg and packing genuinely serious power. Inside sits AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395, with CPU, GPU and memory sharing the same silicon in a unified architecture that can scale all the way up to 128GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It’s paired with a 70Wh battery and integrated Radeon graphics that punch well above their weight. In other words, the hardware foundation was already solid — Kojima didn’t need to rewrite it.

Where things get interesting is the shell. The Flow Z13-KJP is drenched in Ludens symbolism, carbon fiber textures, sharp industrial lines and subtle gold accents that instantly recall Death Stranding’s near-future aesthetic. Look closer and you’ll spot design nods that feel unmistakably Metal Gear–adjacent — the kind of details longtime fans will clock instantly, without ASUS ever having to spell them out. The detachable keyboard is slightly larger than the standard model and leans hard into a white-black-gold palette, with gold-tinted WASD keys that feel more ceremonial than functional. It’s excessive in the exact way Kojima fans expect.

Functionally, this is still a very capable gaming machine. You get a 13.4-inch IPS touchscreen with a 180Hz refresh rate, generous brightness, and enough responsiveness to handle both shooters and creative work. Ports are refreshingly practical: two USB4 Type-C ports, USB-A, HDMI 2.1, a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD slot — no dongle anxiety here. ASUS is also preparing a matching set of accessories, including a mouse, case, headset and desk mat, all styled to match the Kojima Productions aesthetic. Availability and pricing remain a mystery, but make no mistake: this will be scarce.

This is a love letter to Ludens — players, tinkerers, creators — and to that specific overlap between high-end gaming hardware and auteur-driven game design. For fans of Death Stranding and Metal Gear Solid, it feels less like a PC and more like a piece of world-building you can actually boot into Windows.

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