Having spent two weeks with the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP, I can safely tell you this is the best gaming two-in-one tablet/laptop on the market in 2026.
And it really better be, because it is commanding a king’s ransom in Canada with a price tag just short of $5,000.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP is a full reskin of last year’s ROG Flow Z13, but with extensive and extremely tasteful design tweaks done by Kojima Productions’ Art Director Yoji Shinkawa, who very simply states of his work that he “wanted to create a gadget that belongs to Ludens, and I integrated that into this PC design. Parts and designs are inspired by Ludens and has its essence.”
This special-edition device helps Kojima Productions celebrate 10 years of creating the strangest yet most satisfying gaming experiences. Most recently, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach — which comes bundled with the device.
Powerful and Porter-able
For a substantial payment, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP is the most powerful you can put in your hands.
The suitably ASUS-like-named AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo) serves as the CPU, while the integrated Radeon 8060S brings it to life as a GPU — and they both do it wonderfully.
To give you some metrics, I first put it through Cyberpunk 2077 — which, five years later, is finally a good performance test on PC. After running the in-game benchmark tests a couple of times, I was able to get the game running on “Ultra” settings with “Low” ray tracing at a constant 29-35 FPS. For me, it certainly wouldn’t be my main choice, given that my custom-rig mid-range desktop PC with a Ryzen 5 3600x and an NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti delivers 55 to 60 FPS at the same settings. Yet, I still can’t get over the fact that this is how the game performs on a PORTABLE device.
Playing the OG Death Stranding on this device just felt right… and it looked right, giving me 45-60 FPS on “Ultra” settings with “Low” raytracing. I will make one note here, which is to say that while Death Stranding is a game that already has some visual fuzziness, there were times where the Radeon 8060S and AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo) would step in to keep performance optimal, and I would notice a little extra fuzz, or slight visual pop-in. But have I mentioned this is a PORTABLE device?
Oddly enough, I felt most at home with this device while gaming on the go with Age of Empires: Reforged — which, let’s be honest, would be at home on pretty much any gaming tablet or two-in-one gaming tablet/laptop on the market. But at a solid 110 FPS with everything maxed out, an external mouse, and the magnetic keyboard case, I felt ready to go wherever I was.
Look, [quite literally] the onboard 13.4-inch, 1600p, “ASUS ROG Nebula” IPS display provides a hearty 2,560 x 1,600 (16:10 aspect ratio), a beautifully bright 500-nit panel, and deep, HDR10-capable blacks that make it the most vividly beautiful display I’ve ever seen on a tablet. I really have no words to describe what it is to lay your eyes upon this screen. There was one instance when I went to wake the device up and saw one of those Microsoft-changing Bing backgrounds of an aquarium, and I sat there for at least 10 minutes, transfixed by the sheer honesty of the colour reproduction. Yet there will be those who ask why ASUS continues the recent industry trend of moving away from OLED and AMOLED displays.
In fact, it’s a question I would love to ask ASUS themselves. My first thought is that ASUS intends this to be the most powerful of PORTABLE devices — and it appears many companies have begun to favour cheaper, high-performance IPS displays over their more expensive and finicky OLED counterparts, which cost more for higher picture quality. Yet surely, for nearly $5,000, ASUS could get away with a Dynamic AMOLED display here and sacrifice a little of the 180Hz refresh for 120Hz, but with a little more oomph.
For Ludens who create
What we cannot go any further without talking about is the pure overpowering of the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP. In short, you are paying the big bucks because this device is the “Big Boss.”
There is absolutely no need for 128GB of LPDDR5X memory running at up to 8,000Hz and a 1TB NVMe drive. Because everything below the hood is integrated as part of this device’s PORTABLE [yes, I am going to keep highlighting that] nature, you can get pretty crafty in BIOS, and even begin to challenge low-to-mid-range desktop specs. Although for the princely sum you are paying for this, that is the least you should be expecting.
However, there really is no need for much power when it comes to what modern video games could throw at this device. So, my only answer to the question of “why so much power?” Rests in what I feel is ASUS’ current mantra: power to the creator!
It’s no secret that ASUS has spent the past few years creating for creators — those who want to edit photos and videos at work and stream when at play. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP really feels at its best when you are multitasking, and that’s because it barely seems to feel the weight of handling multiple complex tasks.
The look of the Ludens
Let’s talk about what is the biggest offering of the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP: it’s one-of-one good looks.
In case you haven’t been able to tell yet, ASUS’ performance choices put this device beyond being a consumer-market staple. As incredible as this package is, it’s just really tough to justify an overall need for.
And that’s where its Kojima-ness comes in. For us gamers, the name Kojima carries the weight of a name like Armani or Westwood [remember when Square Enix tried to make her clothes a gamer thing?] carries in the fashion world. For decades, players who care about looking classy while gaming have emulated Kojima and his characters, as he created countless eyeglass frames that defy physics, or focused on “physics” with characters like Quiet…
You are spending three months’ worth of my rent on the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP for “Kojima Kitsch.”
And, oh boy, Kojima Productions and Shinkawa deliver! They have taken a somewhat office-manager-looking device and turned it into something that looks like it should be worshiped on an altar by apes.
The greys found on the original device have been traded for godly gold and just a splash of carbon fibre.
Meanwhile, the keyboard case and kickstand take on harsh new angles that call back to Kojima’s glasses and everything he has ever done to a straight edge.
Additionally, Shinkawa makes this very well-known. This is one for the Ludens — as the top gold mirror plate is emblazoned with “For Ludens Who Dare,” one fan grill has been covered in carbon fibre, while the other now displays a gold and glitchy pyramid-like etching, and ports, as well as the magnetic keyboard case, get a very Kojima-approved typography.
For the gold you put down as a transaction, you also get a hard plastic briefcase that carries over the custom skinning and provides a really nifty way to display this device… on a pedestal for a group of apes when you are not using it.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP is one full package in terms of appearance!
For Ludens who like the quiet
Let’s leave off on my largest complaint: sound quality.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP packs a couple of 2-watt speakers with Smart Amp Technology and Dolby Atmos, and supports hi-res audio. Sadly, right out of the box, things are flat and tinny, and they don’t get much better even with more play.
This was a big no for me, as I love using my Samsung Galaxy Tab 11 Ultra for bass practice, as it gets pretty bassy with some EQ adjusting. I find the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP to simply be too flat.
Verdict
In case I have to say this outright, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — KJP is good, very good. It’s also expensive, very expensive. In Canada, this device simply appears to make sense only for larger creators and richer collectors, and that is what it is. It’s a shame, because this device reinvents gaming on the go.
[ASUS provided a launch retail unit for this review.]
Update [02/17/2026] ASUS responded to our review to provide a statement regarding the question of using an IPS panel. In an email, a representative for the company writes, “For the ROG Flow Z13, our priority was to deliver the best overall experience in this extremely compact 13-inch form factor. Because the main components sit directly behind the display, thermal management becomes especially important, and OLED panels are more sensitive to heat in this type of design. Using IPS allowed us to maintain the thin, portable form factor the Flow Z13 is known for, while still delivering a fast, high-quality display experience that supports performance, responsiveness, and battery life.”
I was shocked to see in it’s just under $5,000 CAAD?
In Australia, RRP is $6,999 AUAD or $6,700 CAAD. Sad.
Canada and Australia usually share many price points. It’s surprising to see this tablet that much more expensive in Australia, though.