ASUS’ Kojima Productions Gaming Laptop Is a True Collector’s Item (Review)

Legendary video game developer Hideo Kojima and his Kojima Productions studio have partnered with ASUS on a gaming laptop – or, more specifically, a gaming 2-in-1 laptop. I’ve spent the last few weeks with the ASUS ROG Flow Z13-KJP laptop and it’s a fairly impressive unit that combines functionality with performance, but the real selling point is the laptop’s design that will be a boon for gaming collectors.

Kojima Productions recently celebrated its tenth anniversary alongside the release of Death Stranding 2, so it makes sense that Kojima’s ASUS laptop is built around the game as well as the company’s “From Sapiens to Ludens” slogan – which essentially means from humans to those who play. No matter what drawbacks the ROG Flow Z13-KJP may have, anyone who is a fan of Kojima and his games will undoubtedly be thinking about picking up this 2-in-1 laptop, as it’s a unique piece of hardware that’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

Score: 4/5

Pros	Cons
A top of the line 2-in-1 laptop with strong specs	More of a collector’s item than a go-to gaming laptop
One of the best collaborations on the market	Heavier than expected
Collector’s item for hardcore Kojima fans	Fan noise can be loud with intensive games
Comes with a very cool carrying case	Battery can drain fast depending on tasks

What Is The ROG Flow Z13-KJP?

The term Ludens comes from the book Homo Ludens by Dutch professor Johan Huizinga who believed in play as part of modern culture and society. It’s where the idea of “those who play” comes from. That’s certainly the goal of the ROG Flow Z13-KJP, which brings that philosophy to life in real form. But in performance, it’s goes beyond that – and both ASUS and Kojima Productions want you to know that with ROG’s own slogan “For Those Who Dare” featured prominently on top of the shell.

The Kojima Edition of the ROG Flow Z13 is fundamentally the same as the ROG Flow Z13 laptop that ASUS released a year ago. The version I tested came with an impressive 128 GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage, AMD Radeon 8060s (4 GB), and an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395. All of that makes it a strong, hefty device – it is a bit heavier than expected, but still in line with most gaming laptops.

It’s still an average size and good enough for playing most games, whether on the go or at home, but it’s not an old-school gaming laptop that people are used to. Its functionality as a 2-in-1, with a foldable keyboard folio, makes it a middle ground for people who may not want a traditional handheld nor a traditional gaming laptop. Coupling that with a Kojima Productions theme, it meets the best of both worlds (with what’s currently on the market), though it’s not all the way there yet. It’s not perfect, but it’s the closest thing we have.

ROG Flow Z13-KJP Performance and Usage

I played a handful of Steam indies and RPGs (and one RTS) to see how the system could run across a variety of game types, all of which were largely fine. Nothing stood out as overly impressive, but rather acceptable for what the system is. I’d expect 99% of gamers can get by with this laptop and feel happy with their experiences, but they shouldn’t expect to blow past traditional gaming laptops with high-end specs.

Oddly, the most intensive game I tried was actually Fortnite. While I could go higher than 120 FPS (refresh rate on the laptop goes up to 180), I stayed at that level and ran mid-tier graphics to emulate a relatively standard PC experience. The Flow Z13-KJP was able to run the game, but there were graphical issues that crept up over time and the fan became loud and overworked. That doesn’t mean the experience was bad, but clearly there was a limitation (which should be expected).

Beyond gaming, I also used the laptop for work for about a week. I had video calls going, upwards of 20 Chrome tabs across multiple windows, Slack, Discord, and a few other programs all running simultaneously. At times I was worried I was pushing it too far when I heard the fan for a brief moment, but overall it held up. It performed well and it became something I preferred over my MacBook.

The ROG Flow Z13-KJP aims to satisfy virtually everyone – laptop, tablet, gaming platform, work device, everything – and it succeeds for the most part, but it may be stretched thin in trying to hit all quadrants. It’s a strong gaming laptop, but it has limits; it’s a portable device that can run intensive programs, but its battery drains somewhat fast; it’s a tablet that can be detached from its keyboard, but alone the tablet may be too heavy for a casual user. There are pros and cons on all fronts here. Ultimately it may come down to how it works as a Kojima Productions device.

How Kojima Is The Flow Z13’s Kojima Edition?

Hideo Kojima has made some weird games – we all know that – and the ROG Flow Z13-KJP feels like it’s in line with Kojima’s own philosophy. Immediately when you turn on the laptop, an eerie sound plays for two seconds, then the Kojima Productions logo appears. Nothing else happens until you’re at the home screen, but those two things alone show how Kojima Productions want you to feel part of their world from the moment you start the device.

From there, it’s a standard laptop, but the outside is where it shines. Everything from the texture to colors makes the Kojima Edition one of the most impressive collaborations I’ve ever seen. According to Kojima Productions, they pushed the ROG team hard on “perfecting the anodized gold color, laser-etching colors, and the usage of carbon-fiber on a dented area.” It feels like it was pulled straight out of Death Stranding, particularly the back of the tablet with its air-vent design, embossed pattern, and futuristic design. It’s a laptop that feels like how it looks – metallic, heavy, and a tad otherworldly. It’s as if it came straight out of an armory.

One of the coolest elements of this collaboration isn’t even the laptop but the sturdy, white case that comes with it. As Kojima Productions describes it, it’s something that’s straight out of the world of Death Stranding. “From the very beginning, we envisioned including a carrying case, something that feels aligned with the PC, a case that would be natural for Ludens to carry. We had to go through a major direction change midway and there were several twists and turns, but we think we were able to achieve a futuristic impression, aligned with Ludens’ suit, something that doesn’t look like an ordinary laptop carrying case.”

Not only is it a case that can be easily displayed while you’re using the laptop, but it has a functional purpose. The laptop slots in perfectly and is well protected in it. Now I didn’t try this myself, but based on the quality of the case, it seems like it can be dropped on a hard surface and the laptop wouldn’t be damaged. I still wouldn’t recommend trying it on purpose. And unfortunately, the one downside of it is that there’s nowhere to put the sizable charger, so while you can carry the laptop around in the case, you’ll be restricted to its rather limiting battery life.

What’s The Bottom Line?

The ROG Flow Z13 Kojima Edition is ultimately a collector’s unit for a specific type of fan. The components will be obsolete in a few years – as would any electronic device, to be sure – so I wouldn’t expect it to gain value over time, but it’s an item that’s not supposed to. If you want a gaming laptop that is unique beyond measure, this is for you. If you’re hoping to get this laptop and display it (if you have that kind of money), it’s also for you. But if you’re hoping to find a groundbreaking gaming device that can replace an upper-tier PC or a console, you may need to think twice.

A 2-in-1 is already a relatively niche device for a specific consumer base: someone who doesn’t want a handheld and someone who doesn’t want a full-fledged laptop. Coupling that with a Kojima Edition makes it even more niche, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I can say that those who are interested in this product, especially Kojima fans, will absolutely be happy with it, but it’s unlikely to push boundaries for anything other than collaborations. Then again, that’s not really the purpose of this laptop; Kojima Productions simply wants consumers to… play.

“What Ludens symbolizes is the technologies that support us and take us to the next future. We want people to live and walk around, carrying Ludens. We want them to engage in creative activities, utilizing Ludens. We envision that, when you wear the Ludens’ creative suit, it’ll encourage you to go out and adventure, and it’ll help you push the boundary a little further. We hope Flow Z13-KJP will do the same.”

ASUS ROG Flow Z13-KJP is available today for $3699.99 at select online retailers. It also comes included with the PC port of Death Stranding 2: On The Beach which will be redeemable via Armoury Crate – code is applicable only on Steam.