Kojima's version of my favorite gaming tablet is up for pre-order, but you can save nearly $1,000 if you drop the swag

Special Kojima Edition Asus ROG Flow Z13 gaming tablet with keyboard and carry case — (Image credit: Asus)

Asus and Hideo Kojima's long-awaited collaboration on the best gaming tablet I've tested to date is now available for pre-order. The Asus ROG Flow Z13 has had the Ludens treatment, with the top-end spec sporting carbon fiber enhancements in a new gold, white, and black colorway. Available now on Asus's own store, this is one premium upgrade.

The 128GB RAM / AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 tablet comes in at a whopping $3,699.99 at Asus - that's $400 more than the same spec without all the regalia. If you don't mind sacrificing Kojima's stamp, though, there are better prices around.

So what do you get for investing in Kojima's creation?

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 has been outfitted with a bunch of Death Stranding and Kojima-esque iconography, but the star of the show is that gold panel running across the back. It's a slick design, that's to be sure, and it's complemented beautifully by a custom (and exclusive) carrying case that looks like it's been ripped straight from Sam Porter-Bridges' hands.

Of course, $3,699.99 is a lot to pay for a piece of merch - you have to really know the tablet itself is for you. Luckily, this rig shot straight to the top of my recommendations as soon as I finished my Asus ROG Flow Z13 review last year.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 tablet screen showing on desktop — (Image credit: Future)

While previous models relied on weaker GPUs like the RTX 3050, this thing takes integrated graphics and runs with them. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chipset uses RDNA 3.5 graphics in that Radeon 8060S package. Considering my mind was blown on the weaker AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 configuration, that's some serious horsepower.

In FHD resolution, my system could run pretty much anything I threw at it (though I did still have to steer clear of Ultra settings in Black Myth Wukong). The ceiling drops a little when it comes to QHD, with numbers dipping just below 60fps in more demanding games at higher settings. In reality, though, I made my way through Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Avowed on this rig and thoroughly enjoyed every second.

So no, you're not getting the same kind of performance as you would one of the best gaming laptops, but if you're looking for something more portable than a full rig and less constricted than the best gaming handhelds, it's certainly worth investigating.

See all gaming tablets at Best Buy

I'm also hunting down all the best gaming phones for more portable play, or check out the best mobile controllers and best gaming earbuds for some on-the-go accessories.

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