Updated April 13, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. ET: The ROG Flow Z13 is available now. Information about where to buy it has been added to the bottom of this article.
What you need to know
- The ROG Flow Z13 is a tablet with a kickstand very much like a Surface Pro.
- Unlike the Surface Pro, this packs a 12th Gen H-Series Intel Core i9 and RTX 3050 Ti dedicated graphics.
- It's compatible with the ASUS ROG XG Mobile for additional graphics horsepower.
The dream of having a Surface Pro built for gaming is finally a reality. ASUS has pulled the curtain back on the ROG Flow Z13, which, much like its Flow X13 from 2021, is changing the game.
Where the Flow X13 squeezed a gaming laptop inside a sleek Ultrabook, the X13 goes even further and squeezes a gaming laptop inside a Windows 11 tablet with a kickstand. And we're not talking about light gaming on integrated graphics, propped up by some flashy RGB. Just take a look at the main specs on this thing.
| Category | ASUS ROG Flow Z13 |
|---|---|
| Display | 13-inches, 16:10 4K 60Hz w/ 85% DCI-P3 1080p 120Hz w/ 100% sRGB Gorilla Glass Dolby Vision |
| Processor | Up to Intel Core i9-12900H |
| Graphics | Up to NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti |
| Memory | 5200MHz LPDDR5 |
| Storage | Upgradable PCIe 4.0 SSD |
| Battery | 56Wh |
| Weight | 1.1kg (2.4 lbs) |
There are ways it differs from the Surface Pro, of course, but if you've been dreaming of that form factor for your next gaming portable, this is it. Despite the constraints of building in a tablet, ASUS still went with a full-fat H Series Core i9 and a dedicated GPU in the form of the RTX 3050 Ti. And it's hardly a chunker at 12mm thick and 1.1kg (2.4lbs) in weight, either.
There are touches on the ROG Flow Z13 that remind you it's an ASUS product, notably the glass window over the motherboard shining brightly illuminated by RGB. Unlike the majority of tablet devices, this one not only uses standard PCIe 4.0 storage, but the SSD is upgradable as well.
The hardware package opens up a number of doors for on-the-go gamers, not least cloud gaming from something like Xbox Game Pass. Because it's a tablet, it has a full touch display, which means touch-friendly games can be enjoyed when you're not pushing the NVIDIA graphics to the limit.
The Flow Z13 is also compatible with the ROG XG Mobile, the external GPU launched with the Flow X13. This means access to an NVIDIA RTX 3080 or, now, with the latest addition, an AMD Radeon GPU as an alternative. The XG Mobile is the companion to turn the Flow Z13 into a full desktop machine, with additional connectivity and display outputs on hand.
The ROG Flow Z13 is available now, starting at $1,800.
Want a Surface Pro with a bit of gaming DNA injected under the hood? Then you'll want to check out the 2022 ASUS ROG Flow Z13.
