Kojima-branded ROG Flow Z13 looks cool — but it costs up to $900 more than the exact same hardware

• Pre-orders: Asus store is live now. Compare prices — Best Buy is reportedly listing the same-spec Flow Z13 for about $2,799.99 (roughly $900 less than the Kojima edition).
• March 19: Death Stranding 2 PC launch. Look for real-world benchmarks of Ryzen AI Max+ 395 / Radeon 8060S on the Portable preset. That will tell you whether this form factor actually plays the game well.
• Storage and thermals: verify the included SSD size and any upgrade options before you buy — Death Stranding 2 needs ~150GB and a roomy SSD will matter quickly.

TL;DR

Asus’ Kojima-liveried ROG Flow Z13 is a gorgeous collector’s item that lines up neatly with Death Stranding 2’s PC launch and Portable preset. But you’re paying a cosmetic premium — $400-$900 depending on where you shop — for artwork and a case, not for better hardware. If you want the look, buy it. If you want the best price for the same specs, don’t.

Buying the Kojima ROG Flow Z13 is a style choice, not a performance upgrade

Asus and Hideo Kojima’s limited-edition ROG Flow Z13 is now up for pre-order, and it’s exactly what it says on the tin: a premium, eye-catching version of an already capable gaming tablet. What it isn’t is a better performer. The top-tier configuration – Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with 128GB of RAM – is available from Asus for $3,699.99, which is roughly $400 more than the identical spec without Kojima artwork on Asus’ own storefront, and about $900 more than the same spec listed at Best Buy. That price gap is the headline you shouldn’t ignore.

• What you get: carbon-fiber trim, Kojima-themed artwork, a gold/white/black colorway and an exclusive carrying case.
• What you don’t: faster silicon or extra GPU power – the internals match the non-branded Flow Z13.
• Context: Death Stranding 2 lands on PC March 19 with a new “portable” preset and upscaling tech — making this limited tablet relevant to buyers who actually want to game on the go.

Key takeaways

• You’re paying for design and a collector’s package, not extra performance. The Kojima edition’s $3,699.99 price is a cosmetic premium over the $3,299.99 non-branded Asus listing and a much larger gap compared with retailer discounts.
• The timing is intentional: Death Stranding 2’s PC release on March 19 adds real-world use for a portable gaming tablet — the PC port even includes a “Portable” preset aimed at handheld devices (Steam News, PlayStation Blog, PC Gamer).
• If you want value, the same hardware is cheaper elsewhere. If you want a Kojima display piece and exclusive swag, pay up — but understand what you’re buying.

Why the price gap actually matters — and who it’s for

Limited editions are always a balancing act between emotion and math. The ROG Flow Z13’s Kojima treatment is tasteful: carbon-fiber accents, a stylized gold panel and a bespoke carrying case that will photograph well on social feeds. For streamers, collectors and die-hard Kojima fans that’s the point — they want the look and the bragging rights.

But you’re not paying for better thermals, extra VRAM or a faster GPU. The silicon is the same Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with integrated Radeon 8060S RDNA 3.5 graphics as the non-branded model. That means performance expectations should match the regular Flow Z13: very good for 1080p play and respectable at higher settings in many titles, but not a substitute for a full-sized gaming laptop with a discrete high-end GPU.

How Death Stranding 2 changes the calculus — and where Asus loses the talking point

The decision to sell a Kojima-branded Flow Z13 right as Death Stranding 2’s PC specs land is smart packaging. Nixxes’ PC build and Kojima Productions’ announcements (Steam News, PlayStation Blog, PC Gamer) show the game supports a Portable preset and a range of upscalers — DLSS 4, FSR 4, Intel XESS 2 and Guerrilla’s PICO. That makes the idea of a premium handheld-capable tablet more enticing: you could actually play a high-profile Kojima game on a Kojima tablet.

But that’s where the PR gloss ends. The PC requirements also make it clear Death Stranding 2 can be punishing on storage (150GB) and can scale up to GPUs like the RTX 4080 for 4K/60. The Flow Z13’s integrated GPU and tablet form factor will lean on the Portable preset and upscaling tricks to hit acceptable frame rates. In short: it’s a useful showcase companion for the game, not a full-performance solution.

The uncomfortable observation

Asus sold you on a Kojima aesthetic. The press release wants you to feel a connection to Death Stranding. The uncomfortable part is that the same connection costs you hundreds of dollars with no material performance gain. That’s fine if you’re a collector. It’s a worse look if you’re a buyer who confuses limited edition branding with better value.

What to watch next

• Pre-orders: Asus store is live now. Compare prices — Best Buy is reportedly listing the same-spec Flow Z13 for about $2,799.99 (roughly $900 less than the Kojima edition).
• March 19: Death Stranding 2 PC launch. Look for real-world benchmarks of Ryzen AI Max+ 395 / Radeon 8060S on the Portable preset. That will tell you whether this form factor actually plays the game well.
• Storage and thermals: verify the included SSD size and any upgrade options before you buy — Death Stranding 2 needs ~150GB and a roomy SSD will matter quickly.

TL;DR

Asus’ Kojima-liveried ROG Flow Z13 is a gorgeous collector’s item that lines up neatly with Death Stranding 2’s PC launch and Portable preset. But you’re paying a cosmetic premium — $400-$900 depending on where you shop — for artwork and a case, not for better hardware. If you want the look, buy it. If you want the best price for the same specs, don’t.