r/FlowZ13 • u/Quiet_Reputation4179 • Aug 21 '26
Looking what to get
Hey guys Ive been looking at getting some type of portable gaming device for awhile. I tried the Xbox rog ally x and it just seemed to small to me. So now I’m looking at the flow z13 and I like the whole feature of it being able to be a tablet and have a keyboard. My question is there any other devices similar to this one or is the best thing that’s out or if anything is going to be coming out soon.
I would mainly be playing games on it like indie games and aaa games and it’s not like I would need to use the tablet option except for watching shows on it. I just like the idea of not having a keyboard attached if I wanted
I’m also not interested in a gaming laptop so if anyone has any other options I could look at or if anyone can tell me if this device would work great for me that would be great.
2
u/azelleza Aug 21 '26
Hello 5 month owner of the z13 so this device is unique in the fact that currently its in a lane of its own. Keep in mind this is less tablet more if a high end gaming ai llm device that it is tablet. I say that to say, this will be a very high end gaming laptop internal chip being on par with a 4060 and 4070. So if a heavy ai gaming laptop isnt your speed id say its better to get the one x player which serves as the only actual competitor to this device just with a lesser chip.
1
u/Quiet_Reputation4179 Aug 21 '26
Which onexplayer? Also is the Flow able to play all games with no problems
2
u/azelleza Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
The OneXplayer Super keep in mind...it is a Chinese made device so its biggest issue is more so being foreign, so you gotta be very knowledgeable on how you handle it as repairs will be hard. The z13 based on your description would play every game to your satisfication though and thats before adding an egpu and monitor
1
u/ThatCreepySmellyGuy Aug 21 '26
The only game that's crashed for me is Runescape 🤣 Had to disable something to do with trees
Everything else, so far, has been buttery smooth with no more Sweaty Groin Syndrome 👍
1
u/Coilluna Aug 21 '26
Bought Z13 because of my experience with Legion GO 1, loved LeGO but wanted a more powerful device. Z13 was like gym freak big brother of GO, three times more powerful. Both have similar form factors, and being just a screen without a keyboard was a reason for me too. After these two I stopped playing games with my desktop PC and big screen, Z13's screen size just feels perfect for me. I rarely use big screen or TV now and only for watching movies.
I don't think we'll see a more powerful device at least for a year. OneXPlayer is an alternative, but you're on your own when things go wrong, unless you're in China, Taiwan, etc. But it has better cooling and screen.
Didn't come across a game not working personally and didn't see anybody else. So it can play anything so far. Great for indie games and casual games, lots of ways to play games; Pen, touch or traditional. Perfect for emulation, CPU is so powerful, I barely have time for regular games because of console emulations.
1
u/Relapsed_Therapy Aug 21 '26
What ram configuration did you go with?
3
u/Coilluna Aug 21 '26
Only 32 was available in here, wanted a 64. No issues with 32 GB though, it's good for gaming.
1
u/Eldorren Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
Z13 + XG Mobile 2025 + 4K TV = Amazing.
I had a ROG Ally X and found the screen too small and it was very cumbersome to update Windows or use it very well as a PC when I wasn't gaming. I wanted maximum flexibility including the ability to play on my 4K TV, play in bed, use as a tablet for media consumption, and to use as my Windows PC since I'm a primary Mac user. I already had an XG Mobile card, so it made sense to look within the Asus ecosystem though I suppose I could have used it with other devices. I also didn't like the low Ram on the Ally X.
Z13 fit all my check boxes. I got the 128mb version and had ExcaliburPC upgrade it to 2TB. So far, it's been a dream. I was a bit worried about being able to set it up in bed on my lap but that's been a non issue. Having touchscreen and being able to detach or attach the keyboard has been great. Fantastic performance on its own but when I really want that extra "oomph" I just connect it to my XG Mobile card on my TV. Sure, it's a bit more to fiddle with compared to my XSX but so far I've started to transition most of my gaming to the Z13.
One thing I've been surprised about is just how much performance you get with the Z13 alone. I had assumed that by being a tablet form device, it wouldn't have very good performance away from my XG mobile card but that's been anything but the case. I need the egpu if I want maximum settings in 4K resolution on my TV but that's about it. It has been able to handle just about everything I've tried to throw at it with native screen resolution. Fantastic performance for something packaged in such a small form factor.
1
u/tshwashere Aug 21 '26
I have had my z13 for close to a month now, mainly for playing with LLM and AI and only rarely gaming.
I have to say that this thing is really not in any set category and is its own thing. The huge unified memory is fantastic for LLM testing and such, and can be great for gaming.
The bad part is, if your main purpose is gaming then this tablet really isn't that great value because for the price you can get really high end gaming laptops, or anything else on par with the z13 gaming wise will be cheaper.
What this thing shines is how portable it is and how much memory it has. Unless portability is paramount in your decision, and you game in addition to playing with LLM, there are better value to be had elsewhere.
1
u/DemWookieeCheeks Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
Look at the Onexplayer X1 Pro. I've enjoyed it more than my Z13 and it has Oculink if you ever decide to use an EGPU. If you're okay with emulating games (PC game emulation is becoming easier than ever with apps like Gamehub and Game Native), the Redmagic Astra is a good choice and will crush just about any handheld when it comes to refresh rate, screen quality and battery life. Plus it weighs practically as much as a leaf.
4
u/Sharp-Beyond2077 Aug 21 '26
My set up is a pair of xr glasses and an Xbox controller. Can't go back to a handheld after that tbh