The ROG Strix Nyjah Huston Special Edition is a bespoke laptop for a one-of-a-kind skateboarder
At ROG, we don’t just build great products. We’re also constantly pushing the envelope, always looking for new ways to create out-of-this-world experiences for gamers and enthusiasts.
That’s why, today, we’re excited to announce something a little different. Our designers have collaborated with skateboarding legend Nyjah Huston to build a one-of-a-kind concept gaming laptop: the ROG Strix Nyjah Huston Special Edition.
Born in California, Huston began skateboarding at the tender age of 5 and quickly became a household name in professional skateboarding. He’s now the top ranked athlete in Street League Skateboarding, and he’s earned 19 X Games medals since 2009, including 13 golds. More impressive still, Huston is in line to represent the United States at the 2021 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo. He also has a long history in gaming, having been featured in multiple popular skateboarding games.
To create our concept gaming laptop for Huston, we started with the ROG Strix SCAR series as a foundation.
The Strix SCAR series is engineered from the ground up to give esports players an uncompromising experience in competitive tournaments. These laptops incorporate ultra-high-refresh displays, including the world’s fastest laptop display on the Strix SCAR 17, which boasts a 360Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. Under the hood, the SCAR series is powered by top-of-the-line NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 30 Series GPUs and AMD Ryzen™ 5000-Series Mobile Processors, advanced cooling technology with liquid metal, ultra-responsive optical-mechanical keyboards, and bold designs inspired by athletic gear.
A design that melds skateboarding and esports
The experience of the ROG Strix Nyjah Huston Special Edition starts with the unique, customized packaging. The box doubles as a skate park for fingerboards, and two fingerboards are included with the laptop.
We elevated the athletic Strix SCAR design by adding design elements that highlight both Huston’s brand and skateboarding culture at large. And because city exploration is an integral part of street skateboarding, we created a design that’s reminiscent of a city’s concrete structures.
Huston’s logo is the centerpiece of the display lid. Its three-dimensional shape and textured finish evokes the look and feel of a skate park. A “katana cut” RGB slash lights up behind it, complementing the illuminated ROG logo, and the included UV flashlight brings out hidden accents on the lid. A mesh-like, stainless steel version of the Strix SCAR series’ modular Armor Cap decorates the rear-left corner of the machine, while a stainless steel piece replaces one of the rubber anchors on the base, making the system easier to reposition with one hand.
Smoky translucent surfaces define the keyboard deck and the underside of the laptop, giving you a glimpse at the hardware inside. For these surfaces, we drew inspiration from the X-rays that pro skateboarders use to check for broken bones after major falls. We gave the optical mechanical keyboard a unique treatment, too, starting with a custom font that also appears in inscriptions across the chassis. The number keys tally scars from skateboarding practice, with the skull on the 0 key representing rebirth. ROG designers adjusted the level of transparency of the keycaps to allow for a circular backlighting effect on each key. And we replaced the numlock button on the touchpad with Huston’s logo.
Huston’s motto and attitude provided inspiration for the design, as well. His motto, “’Til Death,” is all about his desire to brave obstacles and keep skateboarding for as long as he can. His attitude, “Mind over Matter,” pushes him to overcome challenges in the pursuit of perfection.
A set of unique accessories rounds out the experience. Along with the laptop, we included a custom version of the ROG Strix Impact II mouse with a unique skull pattern printed on the top and carved into the sides. This mouse comes in a specially designed bag embroidered with a skull pattern and Huston’s motto. Also included in the packaging are a custom desk mat with an LED light strip that illuminates its edges, and a dual-mode UV flashlight that can be used to find the easter eggs on the laptop.
Paving the way for future innovations
Developing the ROG Strix Nyjah Huston Special Edition presented a unique opportunity, allowing us to explore new ways to push the envelope of gaming laptop design. Those explorations set the stage for future innovations.
Head on to rog.asus.com/wallpapers to grab a custom Nyjah Huston wallpaper and a Nyjah Huston Instagram filter. And as always, feel free to hit us up on social media to share your thoughts and ideas.
