MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Ukiyo-e Edition Marries Japanese Art with Elegant Computing

MSI’s COMPUTEX showcase is as messy as always but central to their display are the laptops and handhelds that serve as the main attraction for their COMPUTEX showing this year. For their more mainstream offering, the Prestige line, MSI flips the script with the Prestige 13 AI+ Ukiyo-e Edition.

Unveiled at COMPUTEX 2025, this special edition laptop captures the grace and legacy of Japanese craftsmanship, blending it with Intel Core Ultra processors and OLED visuals.

Inspired by the celebrated woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai, this laptop is a nod to the Edo period’s most influential artform: Ukiyo-e. While often confused with Maki-e or Sumi-e, Ukiyo-e stands apart with its bold lines and layered pigment compositions, distinct from the delicate lacquerwork of Maki-e or the fluid brushwork of Sumi-e. Yet, all three share an emotional fidelity to transience — the fleeting nature of beauty, captured in every stroke or layer.

As someone who collects fountain pens adorned with such designs, this convergence of art and technology feels deeply personal. The Prestige 13 AI+ doesn’t just slap on decorative motifs — it carries emotion. It’s a reverent integration of form and function, a portable shrine to craftsmanship that echoes the same aesthetics found in lacquered nibs and gold-foiled barrels, something that’s hard to communicate how nice it is to hold something hand-crafted that takes literal weeks to make.

COMPUTEX Best Choice Award Winner

Recognized with a COMPUTEX 2025 Best Choice Award in the Computer & System category, this collaboration with renowned Japanese lacquerware brand OKADAYA elevates what a modern device can be. MSI proudly combines 400-year-old Yamanaka lacquer techniques with futuristic computing power, echoing the harmony of heritage and innovation.

Technical Specifications – Where Art Meets AI:

• Processor: Up to Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 288V

• GPU: Intel® Arc™ 140V

• Display: 13.3″ 2.8K OLED (100% DCI-P3, HDR True Black 500)

• Memory: Up to 32GB LPDDR5x

• Storage: 1 x NVMe PCIe Gen4

• Weight: 990g

• Security: Microsoft Pluton, TPM 2.0, IR Webcam, Fingerprint Reader

From the soft golden backlit keyboard to the ornate chassis finish, every aspect is a conversation between function and finesse — a far cry from today’s trend of cold minimalism. It’s a rare breed of tech that fits right in among hand-painted pen holders and silk-bound notebooks.

This isn’t just a laptop — it’s a continuation of a centuries-old artform, repurposed for the digital age.