Asus teams up with Kojima Productions
Asus ROG has joined forces with Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions for a limited edition hardware lineup that leans heavily into style and sci fi flair. Announced at CES 2026, the collab reimagines several Asus gaming products with a white and gold design inspired by Kojima Productions' mascot, Ludens.
If you are into PC gaming, cool looking setups, or you are just a Kojima fan, this collection is basically fan service in hardware form. It does not reinvent performance, but it certainly turns heads.
The range includes custom versions of:
- ROG Delta II gaming headset
- ROG Keris II gaming mouse
- ROG Scabbard II mouse mat
- A themed carry case with Death Stranding style vibes
- The ROG Flow Z13 gaming tablet and laptop hybrid
Each piece features white and gold accents, along with Ludens branding and a shared tagline that fuses both companies' identities.
Design inspired by Ludens and Kojima’s movie like style
Hideo Kojima is known for his cinematic approach to games, from the dense jungles of Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater to the striking landscapes and stark color palette of Death Stranding. That same obsession with strong visuals carries into this collaboration.
Ludens, designed by long term Kojima collaborator and Kojima Productions lead artist Yoji Shinkawa, is a futuristic knight like figure that represents the studio. For this collection, Shinkawa explains that he wanted to create gear that feels like it actually belongs to Ludens, with each device carrying a bit of that high tech explorer aesthetic.
Visually the lineup is a very clean white and gold affair. The Ludens iconography is subtle but present, and the hardware looks more like luxury sci fi props than standard gaming peripherals. If you are building a themed setup or streaming backdrop, these would stand out immediately on your desk or in shot.
Asus and Kojima Productions also cooked up a combined tagline: they merged Kojima Productions' phrase "From sapiens to Ludens" with Asus ROG's "For those who dare" to create "For Ludens who dare." This line is printed across the whole range, wrapped around the headset band, along the side of the mouse, on the edge of the Flow Z13, the base of the carry case, and the center of the mouse mat. It gives the collection a unified, collector's edition feel.
One of the most eye catching pieces might actually be the carry case. It has a Death Stranding like delivery style design, looking like something a porter would lug across a rain soaked future. Combined with the white and gold Z13 inside, it pushes the fantasy that this is gear for a spacefaring tech adventurer rather than just a normal gamer.
ROG Flow Z13: flashy gaming tablet with mixed performance value
Underneath the custom design, the highlight of the collaboration is the ROG Flow Z13, a tablet laptop hybrid positioned as a portable gaming and productivity machine. The special Kojima edition keeps the same core hardware as the standard Flow Z13 AI Max 390 model, which currently sells for around 2000 dollars.
On paper the Flow Z13 is loaded with strong CPU performance thanks to its Ryzen AI Max chip. For productivity or creative workloads like development or content creation, it can handle a lot. For a Kojima Productions developer or someone working on the go, it would be a capable portable workstation.
However, when you look at it purely from a gaming point of view, it is not the clear winner at its price. The GPU side of the system is weaker than you might expect for a premium gaming device in this range. In testing, it falls behind traditional gaming laptops that cost a similar amount, and it is also not as convenient or focused as a dedicated handheld gaming PC.
That is where some disappointment creeps in. For many gamers, a ROG Zephyrus, a Strix G16, or even the ROG Ally and Ally X would have been a more exciting foundation for a Kojima collab. Those devices are better known as pure gaming powerhouses or ultra portable handhelds, and wrapping them in the Ludens white and gold livery would have made a stronger case for people who care most about frames per second.
As it stands, the Kojima Flow Z13 is more of a style and fandom piece than a performance upgrade. You are paying for looks, branding, and limited edition status rather than a new level of gaming power. If you already liked the Z13 concept as a flexible tablet laptop for work and some gaming on the side, this version just makes it much cooler to look at.
As for pricing and release, Asus has not revealed exact numbers or a specific launch day yet. The collection is expected to roll out in the first quarter of the year, and given that the standard Z13 model is already two thousand dollars, you can safely assume the Kojima edition will command a premium. The peripherals will likely be more affordable entry points if you just want a taste of the Ludens look without going all in on the tablet.
If that sounds too steep, nothing is stopping you from recreating the vibe with a couple of well placed stickers and some gold accent paint on your existing setup. But for collectors, Kojima superfans, and anyone building a themed streaming rig, the official Asus ROG x Kojima Productions gear will be a tempting centerpiece.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/asus-has-announced-a-sweet-new-kojima-productions-collab-but-i-wish-it-picked-a-better-laptop/
