Gaming

I traveled with the ROG Flow Z13 (2025)

Work, play, chill.

Published

April 19, 2025

A big privilege and challenge of the work I do is that I get to travel quite a bit. Sometimes it’s for an entire week, while other times it’s for just a few days. Despite having gone on many such trips, it’s still always a challenge figuring out my tech loadout for each one. That wasn’t the case for my latest two trips as the ROG Flow Z13 (2025) simplified things for me.

You see, I no longer have the bandwidth to game as much as I did in my youth. But every now and again, I get the urge to zone out, stay in the moment, and just press buttons. This is why I’m always excited about PC gaming handhelds. It’s a category that I’m keeping my eye on and one that still has plenty of room to grow.

But it’s these ‘portable’ AAA gaming machines that have complicated my tech loadout quite a bit. They’re not exactly compact and I’ve had to expand and retool my carry-on setup because of them. Unfortunately, I don’t always find time to play during these trips. So, they end up essentially, becoming dead weight.

Then, a few things happened that led to me taking the ROG Flow Z13 on the trips with me. First, the MacBook I use for work started to show signs of aging. I had to start getting used to using Windows again. Soon after, the ROG Flow Z13 came into my life.

Simplifying my tech loadout for travel

My tech loadout has varied somewhat over the last year and a half of my work travels. For instance, I’ve carried a different laptop on nearly every trip. Whatever I was reviewing at the time, that’s what I ended up carrying.

Then, there’s the usual two to five smartphones– an iPhone, main Android, and whatever else I’m reviewing or need to take sample and/or comparison photos of. I’ve also started carrying a tablet for each trip. Save for one trip where I carried an 11-incher, I have mostly settled with the iPad Mini 7 as my main travel tablet.

Then there are the essential accessories like powerbanks, power bricks, cables, and more. Most of which are Anker things which I will talk about more in detail in a separate article.

Only after packing the essentials do, I decide if I will bring with me a PC gaming handheld or not. Deciding whether to do so or not depend on a number of factors. These include how hectic the schedule is, how long the flight is, do I have a lengthy layover, and what not.

In 2025, I’ve mostly sacrificed gaming and have just gone with a media-consumption loadout. The urge to push buttons hasn’t been as much. Additionally, the laptops I’ve reviewed of late aren’t geared towards gaming, so I didn’t even bother playing on them.

Everything changed when the ROG Flow Z13 (2025) arrived. Everything’s an exaggeration, but it did simplify my tech loadout for travel. With it, I left behind the PC gaming handheld and just carried a Bluetooth controller instead.

Like carrying a gaming console

I got the ROG Flow Z13 roughly a couple of days before one of my work trips. So, outside of setting things up and installing some games, the first time I actually used it was during the first night at the hotel.

In my excitement, I posted the setup on my IG story – the ROG Flow Z13 hooked up to the hotel TV via HDMI and neatly tucked to the side, Steam Big Picture mode on and controlling everything with the GameSir Super Nova controller.

I belatedly realized that I looked like someone geeking out about connecting a ‘gaming laptop’ to the hotel TV. What I failed to communicate due to my overeagerness to post is to fully explain what’s at the heart of it all– the ROG Flow Z13 which is, in fact, a gaming tablet and not a laptop.

This was SO COOL.

Why does that distinction matter? With laptops the engine of it all is located underneath the keyboard. The bulk of the heft is situated there. Meanwhile, with the tablet, all that processing power is packed right behind the display. This means the ROG Flow Z13 is literally just a slab with a kickstand whereas a regular gaming laptop has more of a clamshell like form factor.

The slab form factor means a keyboard that can be taken away. This opens up the ROG Flow Z13 to a variety of stances for various ways of content consumption methods. More on that later.

Unique form, unexpected power

Let’s first focus on its main draw– gaming.

Do a quick look-up of the ROG Flow Z13 (2025) and you’ll learn that it’s billed as “the most powerful PC gaming tablet.” That’s a unique proposition made possible by what’s at the heart of the machine– the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor.

What the processor with a mouthful of a name allows is high performance gaming without the need for a dedicated GPU. That’s virtually unheard of. If you look at the spec sheet, you’ll see that the Flow Z13 (2025) only has integrated graphics. Usually that’s the tell that the machine you’re looking at isn’t built for demanding gameplay.

The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor bucks all of that as it has been tested by many other reviewers to deliver a gaming performance akin to having an RTX 4060 GPU. That’s nothing to scoff at. An RTX 4060 is better than the PS4 and Xbox One and can somewhat be comparable to the PS5 and Xbox Series S.

We’re not the benchmarking type so if you’re skeptical, just check out this video from Digital Foundry and extensive benchmarks by Gadget Pilipinas.

Current gen console level for travel

Not needing the GPU made the form factor possible. The processor is able to pump out enough power to deliver quality gaming while keeping it a PC gaming tablet. This is the true evolution of the Flow Z13.

Previously, the Flow Z13 needed to be hooked up to the ROG XG Mobile. It’s ROG’s own eGPU that I admittedly thought was fascinating when it was first introduced with the ROG Flow X13. The novelty got the better of me. In practice, it can be a clunky set-up. While the 2025 edition of the Flow Z13 can still be hooked up to the latest ROG XG Mobile, it’s no longer a “need.”

This is why I was geeking out so much. I practically traveled with a machine that’s smaller than the PS5 but can appropriate its performance especially with the right settings.

And the kicker is that it’s not just a gaming machine. It’s great for work and all kinds of video viewing.

Work and chill machine

Stromile Swift highlights, anyone?

Having a machine that can handle play, work, and chill time is such a boon for travel. Whether I choose to carry it around or make it my home-base machine, the ROG Flow Z13 (2025) is great for any and all of these. Its versatility is off the charts.

The ROG Flow Z13 (2025) generally won’t leave you wanting for ports but I wish they could fit in a full-size SD card slot in the next one.

I typically don’t do much on my laptop anymore. I’ve developed a personal workflow where I can get a lot of work done just on a foldable smartphone and/or a tablet. Having the ROG Flow Z13 made me excited to make it as my main work machine though.

I do a lot of typing, and the keyboard feels great to type on. There’s more than enough click, and the travel feels satisfying despite the overall footprint feeling thin.

However, I wish that outside of the POGO Pins, it can also be connected via bluetooth. That would have unlocked a few other setup possibilities for it.

I need to catch-up on Season 2 of Shangri-la Frontier

With the keyboard removed though, the ROG Flow Z13 becomes this really chill video viewing machine. It’s great for watching the regular 16:9 videos.

솔직하게, si, c’est moi. Si, c’est moi, si, c’est moi. Yes, it’s STAYC Isa.

But stand it up and it becomes this oversized K-Pop fancam viewing machine. It’s not out of this world or anything but you gotta admit it’s pretty darn cool.

Still pretty hefty

While it’s a 13-inch tablet, it still has a fair amount of bulk and heft. Carried with the keyboard, it weighs a little over 1.2Kg. That really isn’t a lot on its own but on the first trip down, I stupidly decided to carry it along with its pretty hefty power brick with a tote bag.

It wasn’t any flimsy tote bag but a pretty rugged one. The problem was more with weight distribution. In addition to the aforementioned, that day I also carried my Sony a6500 along with a couple other phones. These contributed to the weight significantly which isn’t great for a sling or shoulder bag.

Whipped it out at an airport lounge too and got a good bit of work done. This was the second trip and carried it on a backpack this time.

The ROG Flow Z13 (2025) is best carried on a backpack. Totes, Messenger bags are fine but will cause some strain after some time. Keeping this in mind, I decided to buy a shoulder-pad reinforcement as I’m bullish about not carrying a backpack anymore.

I didn’t make the same mistake on my next trip. I left behind the hefty power brick and instead decided to carry the Anker 140w GaN charger. It’s good enough to charge and power the device at a respectable speed tdp when gaming.

Is the ROG Flow Z13 (2025) your GadgetMatch?

Personally, the ROG Flow Z13 (2025) fits seamlessly into my lifestyle. It’s a perfect match for the kind of work, chill, and play loop I throw myself into.

The AMD Ryzen AI+ 395 processor powering this machine is promising. It’s already impressive as it is, but it’s bound to get better over the years. I’m excited for its potential and what other possible form factors it can manifest into in the near future.

It’s a SuperSwipe for me but its USD 2799.99/ PhP 174,995 price makes it a little tough to recommend. I can think of a few other ways to spend that sum that would satisfy my personal work, chill, and play loop in a different way on a platform I’m more comfortable working on. So, for now, it’s objectively just a Swipe Right.

Still, it’s a unique device. There’s literally nothing quite like it in the market right now that offers the same overall package. That’s why it deserves the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.

ROG Flow Z13 specs

CPU: Up to AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with Radeon 8060S Graphics
Display: 13″ ROG Nebula Display (2560×1600, 180Hz/3ms touchscreen)
Memory: Up to 128GB LPDDR5X-8000
Storage: Up to 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
Connectivity: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
I/O: 2x Type-C USB4 (DP 2.1 + PD 3.0), 1x Type-A USB 3.2, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x microSD (UHS-II), 1x 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: 70Wh
Dimensions: 30 x 20.4 x 1.29~1.49 cm
Weight: 1.2kg (without keyboard cover)

Gaming

Nintendo’s latest toy is Super Mario Wonder’s Talking Flower

It tells the time and jokes around randomly throughout the day.

Published

January 23, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Late in 2024, Nintendo announced the Alarmo, the quirkiest alarm clock we would’ve grabbed immediately if alarm clocks were still a big thing. Today, the company has announced its next clock-like toy: the Talking Flower from Super Mario Wonder.

To me, the Talking Flower was a welcome addition to the franchise’s burgeoning cast of characters. The occasionally appearing character delivered timely quips that broke the monotony of the level’s music or provided meaningful tips.

However, there is a good number of players who find the flower irritating and mute the character altogether. If you’re part of this group, then Nintendo’s latest clock isn’t for you.

The new Talking Flower doesn’t have its own clock display. It only has a speaker, but it can announce the hour “mostly accurately,” according to Nintendo.

It’s an odd product. The brand wants the flower to be glitchy. Besides being “mostly accurate” with the time, it can also randomly blurt out alerts in one of its handful of available languages, outside of what the user set.

Further, it can comment on the weather and play music. It can also say “words of encouragement and silly quips” randomly throughout the day. The Talking Flower certainly has the spirit of the character it’s modeled after.

As for input buttons, it only has a single button. One press makes it say something outside of its scheduled prompts. Holding the button for two seconds silences the thing.

The Talking Flower will ship out on March 12. It will sell for US$ 34.99.

Gaming

You can now race as teams in Mario Kart World’s Knockout Tour

The free update is rolling out now.

Published

January 23, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Mario Kart World needs little to no improvements. The latest entry in the legendary racing franchise introduced players to the open-world format. Taking advantage of that new format, the game also has a unique new mode called the Knockout Tour. Today, Mario Kart World is getting a surprising-but-welcome update which adds a team option to the survival mode.

In stark contrast to Mario Kart’s usual gameplay, Knockout Tour introduces a battle royale element to the game. The mode strings together a series of races seamlessly leading from on to the next via the open-world format. Players are eliminated for placing at or near the bottom after every leg, eventually leading to a three-way race to finish first.

Prior to today’s announcement, players race for themselves. But now, via a free update, players can now compete in two teams of twelve, three teams of eight, or four teams of six. They must still survive individually, but points are now collated based on teams.

The number of points derives from finishing position. Finishing in P1, for example, will bag the player a total of 50 points for that leg. Meanwhile, eliminated players get only a single point. At the end of the entire tour, everyone’s points are tallied up, and the win is awarded to the team with the most points.

The new mode can be raced locally or online. If the pool lacks players to round out the teams, the game will provide AI opponents.

The update is rolling out now and is for free.

Gaming

Now playing: Final Fantasy VII Remake INTERGRADE on Switch 2

Final Fantasy VII Remake, handheld again

Published

January 23, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade | Nintendo Switch 2

There are two ways I ended up playing Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on the Switch 2: handheld, and docked. And in many ways, that split mirrors what this release is really about—flexibility, familiarity, and a little bit of re-learning.

Relearning muscle memory

Let’s get the small friction point out of the way first. Button prompts. Even after all this time, my brain still defaults to PlayStation glyphs. Triangle means something very specific to me in Final Fantasy VII Remake, and retraining that muscle memory on a Nintendo layout took a bit longer than expected. That’s not the game’s fault—it’s just the reality of revisiting something you’ve deeply internalized on another platform. And honestly, it’s something I’ll just have to get used to as more of these previously PlayStation-first titles land elsewhere.

Once that adjustment period passed, the bigger surprise came quickly—especially in handheld.

Midgar in the palm of your hand

Without even stacking it up against the PS4 or PS5 versions, the Switch 2 version already looks impressive on its own. In fact, it looks really good. There’s a moment of quiet disbelief when you realize you’re holding Midgar in your hands, running locally, and still retaining that sense of scale and atmosphere the remake is known for.

I’ve played Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on devices like the ROG Ally and Legion Go, and the feeling here is similar. Not in raw power comparisons, but in that same sense of admiration—Square Enix managing to package something this dense, cinematic, and emotionally loaded into a handheld experience without it feeling compromised at first glance. That same awe of seeing this classic reimagined is still intact, even on a smaller screen.

Living with 30fps

Performance-wise, the most noticeable limitation is the 30fps cap. It’s there, and anyone coming from a 60fps playthrough will notice it immediately. That said, it never felt like a dealbreaker to me.

Command inputs still land cleanly, combat remains responsive, and nothing about the experience felt sluggish. If you’re sensitive to frame rate shifts, this might take some adjustment. But in motion, and especially in handheld, it rarely pulls focus away from the game itself.

Streamlined progression, real relief

One feature that quietly made a big difference for me is the new Streamlined Progression option. Being able to start with maxed-out stats, unlimited resources, and reduced friction is a genuine quality-of-life win—especially for players who’ve already finished the game once and don’t necessarily want to grind their way through Midgar again.

It turns Intergrade into a smoother re-experience, letting you focus on the story beats and combat flow rather than progression systems you already know by heart.

The storage reality check

The less glamorous reality check comes with storage. At roughly 90GB, this is a heavy install, particularly if—like me—you lean heavily toward digital purchases. I had to delete three games just to make room.

If you have the option to go physical on Switch 2, that might be the more practical route, especially as more large-scale ports make their way onto the platform.

A familiar journey, made portable

Contextually, this release matters beyond just another port. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade arriving on Switch 2 is part of Square Enix’s broader push to bring the entire remake trilogy to more platforms, with the final entry already in development.

It also reinforces Intergrade as the most accessible entry point into the series—bundling the main campaign with the Yuffie-led EPISODE INTERmission, and now offering features that lower the barrier for newcomers while respecting returning players’ time.

At US$39.99, it lands at a price that feels fair. Whether you’re completely new to Final Fantasy VII Remake or just want a portable version of a game you already love, this is an easy recommendation—storage caveats aside.

Overall, this is an impressive Switch 2 port. Not perfect, not trying to outmuscle the PS5 version, but confident in what it is. Seeing Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade run this well, this comfortably, on a handheld still feels a little surreal—and that alone makes it worth playing again.

If you’re looking for deeper technical breakdowns and direct comparisons with the PS4 and PS5 versions, Digital Foundry continues to do excellent work on that front. But as a lived-in experience, this one already earns its place on the Switch 2.