ROG Xbox Ally Gets Price & Release Date Info In 'Exclusive' Report

I was betting on £800 for the better model. It just makes sense given the current ally x price.

It's the prices we were expecting then. Disappointing for the white one in particular, you might as well just get a switch 2 for less and have a better time with optimised indie games then access 720p PC gaming on that thing at that price.

That is quite an asking price on a more powerful model. If this was local market I'd say, sure, we can start bargaining from that, everybody knows that's unreasonable.. but I guess it's not.
Lower speced one is basically in Steam Deck class, so I'll be rooting for Xbox app on Switch 😁 or my TV. Whatever, I just can't cash out a thousand dollars for another console.

This is the pounds amount, so that's over $800 for the cheaper model and over $1200 for the better model in US dollars? Is that accurate? If that's the case, that's insane. A hard no for me.

@Romans12 They said may be $100 less in US. So it would be about the same in € as it is in $

Converted to USD is $692.73 and $1,039.68, respectively. Even with a random $100 discount, that's quite high...

Whatever Microsoft is aiming for with these devices, is definitely not a sales success with the frankly crazy pricing. Not for the likes of me, I'm afraid.

$499/€499 wouldn't be terrible. It is similarly powerful to Switch 2, which is priced at €450. But the one I would really like is just too expensive. That's desktop PC territory.
Hopefully this leak is proven wrong, as they often are.

I was expecting the Black one to be as expensive if not a bit more than the RoG Ally X - just because its using better Silicon, faster RAM and full size Controls. at around the same price, I'd certainly consider it a 'upgrade' over my RoG Ally. I want the haptic feedback from the triggers too and much prefer Black hardware.

@Coletrain I disagree - the RoG Xbox Ally is able to play games that Nintendo Switch 2 won't get and has thousands and thousands of games available from 'decades' of gaming - its not just the latest AAA games but you can also play old Playstation, Nintendo and Xbox games via emulation for example.

Switch 2 won't have that many Xbox or Playstation games for example let alone the thousands of PC games 'exclusive' to PC's. There are so many games on PC and most should run perfectly well on a Handheld. You can play many 'last' gen games quite comfortably on a RoG Ally - most of which never got a port to Switch (let alone Switch 2) so unless you want to play Nintendo games specifically, its not an 'option' for many that own Xbox/PC games (thanks to Play Anywhere) or can download games from Game Pass PC which they have thanks to subbing to Game Pass Ultimate on Xbox console.

Those two factors mean that you spend on Hardware but don't necessarily need to buy games to have something to play on it. Buy a Switch 2, you need to buy some games too to play on it but thanks to Game Pass and Play Anywhere, I have 'hundreds' of Games ready to download and play at NO extra cost.

There is a difference between an Open platform like a PC with and a Console that is solely controlled by the Platform holder, one that restricts Online gaming content behind a Paywall, one that determines which games will be on that platform, even censoring games too. A PC is an Open Platform with NO paywall to online gaming, you also have many more retailers to buy from so you can get a 'better' price and can play Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo games as well as whole lot more not on any of the Current consoles.

Since it’ll solely be a game pass system this is too expensive for me. Sadly

@BAMozzy I know what you're saying, and that's great if you want older games and emulators on a handheld, but for newer games it's totally sub-optimal playing 720p games on a 1080p screen. Unless the AI has some advanced upscaling that we're unaware of?

But point taken, different markets, I just think switch 2 offers a better handheld experience for most people

In my opinion this device will only damage the brand further as it’s already creating confusion, Microsoft has been talking about “taking our Xbox library on the go” but that’s incredibly disingenuous since our Xbox library isn’t compatible with this device except for some few Play Anywhere titles (not even 10% of my own library).
People will be quick to point out that for $900 you can basically get a Switch 2 plus a PS5 or Series X and still have some money left.

They’re not being clear since they’re trying to market this as a console instead of a PC, and it’ll only get worse once people spend $600 or $900 for the device only to find out their games aren’t there, this should’ve existed once MS figured out how to bring console games to PC, not before.

Thing is, take a look at the potential price for the more expensive option, and then take on board the rumours that so many seem to think are happening with the next Xbox being a PC-lite console, and then ask yourself how much are Microsoft likely to charge for such a device if they are selling a handheld at these sorts of prices? I've been saying for months and months now that if we get the PC-lite console that people think is coming, it costing much less than a £1000 is pie in the sky (particularly when you consider the current asking price for a Series X console too)...

@Coletrain A switch 2 doesn't even compare to the Rog. Oh don't get me wrong if your under 10 years old you'll be ecstatic for a switch but us adults not so much.

This device is not trying to take over any other device in terms of sales. The 4 million of the steam deck is probably out of reach. This is an expansion of the Xbox ecosystem and a proof of concept for portable windows/xbox. They hope this leads to Lenovo, anbernic, Alienware, etc or their users putting portable windows on devices.

Instead of focusing on unit sales they will continue to push the overall xbox users. There will be a wide variety of devices including first and third party. That is what is kind of exciting about the future of xbox, it's not going to be limited to the official box and we will have a ton of options. You can build your own pc with this gaming windows/xbox interface.

@Coletrain "I just think switch 2 offers a better handheld experience for most people"

If you only care about playing the lastest Nintendo exclusives sure! But if you're interested in playing all the third party games like RE9, PC exclusives, Xbox exclusives and some PlayStation exclusives the choice is easier 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Coletrain I don't know about the white one but the black one has a Z2 Extreme AI chip bringing AI to the Handheld for the first time. No doubt it will use AMD Upscaling who knows what else AI can be used to do. A Lot of games you play on Xbox on a Big screen are upscaled from 1080p (or lower) with older FSR technology.

The Switch 2 is likely to have 'bespoke' settings and certainly a portion of games will be built for that limited Hardware. If games like GTA6, ES6 or Indiana Jones don't release on Switch 2 (or don't release for a while), then is it offering a 'better' experience? Mario Kart isn't exactly the most taxing game in the world to run and built specifically for 'limited' hardware, but other games are ported and maybe 'worse' in terms of performance and/or graphics. I bet it plays Cyberpunk better than the Switch 2 version...

What I will say is that the switch is a Simpler option - its just Nintendo store, Nintendo approved games, Nintendo Network. Its simpler than a PC with multiple different options to buy games and multiple different game launchers, multiple settings options to tweak for ultimate frame rate or graphical clarity, mods, driver updates etc let alone all the gamers who 'abuse' the open nature of the PC to cheat/hack.

That's partly what Xbox and Windows Software teams are working together on - that they are booting up to a more Console like UI and turning off a lot of Windows Bloat (which you can switch on if you want the full Windows Desktop functionality) but that should improve the Handheld Gaming experience as booting to Windows Desktop on a Small screen without a K&M is a struggle. Its a struggle to use 'Windows' and set things up without a K&M, relying on the small touchscreen.

I'd say the Xbox Ally has many advantages over a Switch 2 and the biggest is Library size. PC cannot be beat on Games - it has more games than Switch/Switch 2, PS4/PS5, XB1/XBS consoles combined and the majority of games on those Console platforms are on PC. Xbox has basically no Exclusives and Sony has a few but tend to lose them as they eventually release on PC. The RoG Ally is the only Handheld Platform you can play games like Mario, Sonic, Halo, Forza, Call of Duty, God of War, Uncharted, Spider-Man etc on.

It maybe an Xbox branded product because they are working together on the OS, the Xbox Controller feel and of course Asus need 'Games' to sell a gaming device so offering Game Pass to give you access to a library of games so you don't 'need' to spend more, but its STILL a PC.

As a Gamer, being able to play EVERY game I want, not just the few that release on Nintendo (and if Switch is an indication, chances are a lot will be last gen 'ports' that are already playable on a RoG ally. As a Gamer, having access to the vast majority of games ever made is more of an incentive than being locked to Nintendo with far less games and far fewer releasing every week...

People don't understand this consoles can emulate anything even switch 1, it plays any pc game; don't be surprise in few years will emulate even the switch 2. How can people compare the switch 2 that's closer to a tablet with pc handled

Ah, I get it. They’re going after the market demographic of geniuses who saw no issue with Apple’s thousand dollar monitor stand 😆

Ridiculous price for something that has battery life of...maybe 3 hours?

I’ll stick with GE Force Now and my IPad Pro thanks. Everything runs brilliantly that way and I’ll take my Switch 2 on the road.

@Juanalf I know mate, but from experience those games don't run for very long if you want a good frame rate and resolution, so you're tethered to a plug. Switch 2 is only good for Nintendo exclusives and indies, but to be fair mario odyssey and the two zeldas online made switch 1 a great purchase. Also played hollow knight, persona 4 golden, mario wonder, Celeste, ff7 og, and I could go on but they were all brilliant and I didn't have to worry about battery life. I agree xbox Rog does more, but I'd be surprised if it's a better portable

@SmokeEmAll I'm mid 30s and love Nintendo games, not ashamed one bit. I have a Rog Ally, it's just a pain being tethered for newer games. Like it when something runs at 7 or 10w

@Romans12 No. Prices don't get set at the dollar-to-pound or dollar to Euro conversion. If something is $499 USD it will likely be 499 pounds in the UK.

@BAMozzy that new Xbox app layer could be a game changer, until I see it then I still think switch 2 is a better portable (and I stress portable because you're obviously right about choice, storefronts, free online etc)

I think you have to compare them on a number of factors, and for the price switch 2 will order some special gaming. Do love steam Indies though, there are some real beauties hidden in there

I suspect from Microsoft’s perspective this is effectively a beta test of the XSX successor software, as well as future Xbox branded handhelds.

Microsoft pushing hard to sell Nintendo Switches with these numbers.

@Coletrain Again I disagree - I wouldn't say having games like Zelda, Mario, Splatoon etc are anymore 'special' than games you can play on a RoG Ally and many of the Nintendo games are playable on a PC.

For the price, it maybe 'cheaper' but also has a much smaller Library of games and has a 'charge' to play Online with friends. If Call of Duty does come to Switch 2, where do you think it will be 'better' to play? I bet the RoG ally not only runs it better, but you also won't need a 'Subscription' to play online with friends.

There are many 'great' games that are every bit as good as ANY on Switch 2. Some may not have the history that Nintendo IP's have, but ultimately are 'better' games in many ways but if you are 'young' kid, I guess Nintendo do cater to a younger audience better with more 'child friendly' art styles.

Given the choice of playing games limited to Switch 2 ONLY or a system that offers EVERY game - inc the biggest new releases of every year, then Nintendo isn't 'special' at all, it ends up being a very limited handheld in terms of Games you can play on it. It also requires additional costs to play ALL the content in some of those games so ends up not being 'cheap' and could end costing more just to be able to play the 'few' games on Switch 2 you actually want to play 'on the go' when the Xbox Ally may cost a bit more but you never have to pay a Sub fee for 'online' gaming with friends and then when you do get home, can carry on playing on PC/Xbox hardware on a 'big' screen seemlessly as your game saves are in the cloud.

My Xbox Series X is better than a Switch 2 (docked) for the big screen and even my Laptop is a better 'mobile' gaming platform than a Switch 2 from my perspective as I have thousands more games to choose from to play, it plays them 'better' than a switch 2 and even my OG RoG Ally makes more sense than a Switch 2 as it doesn't have many games I'd want to play, let alone play the games I already own or have access to on Xbox via Game Pass,

Switch 2 is great for Nintendo fanboys and/or young kids but for Gamers, especially those that also want to play the latest games, the Switch 2 is arguably the worst choice as MANY new releases don't release on Switch/Switch 2 - its generally Nintendo only and indie games that release Day 1 on Switch but you probably won't get games like GTA6, Witcher 4, Battlefield etc on Switch 2 (not Day 1) and the games they do share with Xbox Ally X, the Ally X will no doubt be the better option - even if it runs 'identically', it has a better feeling controller and no fee for Online play so beats Switch 2.

Its a completely different Market - one is more limited to Nintendo and is a typical 'console' in that respect but the other is more a dedicated Gaming PC being 'built' in a Handheld Console form factor - one is a serious piece of gaming Hardware designed for playing the vast majority of games regardless of who makes them and the other is more for locking people into their ecosystem for their own monopoly and charges that their fanboys will have to tolerate.

I'm neither a Nintendo fanboy nor a kid and I'm loving Switch 2. Beyond the first-party stuff, there are tons of games that don't make it to PlayStation or Xbox including two of my favorite genres (JRPGs and visual novels). Oh, and it's half the price of the Ally X and won't melt my SD card.

@BAMozzy yeah, again I totally agree with you and everyone else that's commented that the ally is a more open and diverse platform. But it's not a good handheld/portable device. It's heavy, you need to plug it in to get the best of it, and the battery life is bad for newer games in most cases.

I see your argument and for you, a PC handheld is a much better fit, no doubt. But let's not pretend that having open platforms is some kind of boon for the handheld market, I'd still much rather have those storefronts on a plugged in device AKA a gaming PC. For me, Zelda and Mario games have that magic that your typical game just doesn't have. It's crap that it's within a walled garden, but I'd sooner play them than protest against the practice. And they do this in a lightweight form factor that makes actual sense.

I like this kind of discourse, and I hope that the Xbox ally x is everything you want it to be and more mate.

@TapeLoader That's not exactly what I meant by thast and if you are buying a Switch 2 because of the 'Nintendo' made games specifically you can't get elsewhere then that kind of makes you a Nintendo Fanboy. If you own other Hardware for everything else but still felt compelled to buy a Switch for the handful of games they release, then you are somewhat a Nintendo fanboy. Otherwise you'd be 'OK' to spend that money on alternatives and having far too many other games to play.

The point is that unless you are a Fanboy of Nintendo games, then the Switch itself doesn't really offer a lot else you can't play or find a great alternative for on PC. Too many Nintendo Fanboys here taking offence at facts. It maybe a GREAT console and 'decent' for handheld gaming, but it still won't compete with ANY Handheld PC on Games to play and many, if not all 3rd party Games likely run better too. If Doom: the Dark Ages releases on Switch 2, I bet the Xbox Ally X plays it better, I bet it Cyberpunk 2077 plays better and ALL the upcoming 3rd Party releases will be on PC, can't say the same for Switch. It really doesn't compete and only worth buying for the Nintendo games you can't play on OTHER platforms but then why buy a Switch for those when you also want to play ALL the other games too??

Hmm, until I have an Xbox OS and not a windows machine, I don’t see the feature or price benefit for this. But I wish them well hoping eventually Xbox releases what I am looking for.

@Coletrain The OG RoG ally was the 'first' and yes it did have a 'small' battery as Asus also made the most compact and most powerful Handheld PC on the market at the time. Sacrificing battery life for power/performance and the only 120hz VRR display in handheld gaming.

Yes it was a 'Windows Desktop' OS in a handheld format which isn't great when Windows really needs a K&M to be 'usable' but that's what the Xbox Ally is addressing - it has double the battery size and full size thumbsticks, full size buttons and grips as well as all the hardware and screen inside - so yes it is 'heavier' but also a LOT more efficient so you can expect more than double the battery life. Battery life wasn't that 'bad' if you were to play the games at 'Switch' settings rather than trying to play them at double the frame rate and higher graphical settings, therefore requiring a LOT more power consumption and run the screen 120hz with VRR turned on, then yes you don't get much 'battery' life - but its 'relative'.

I'd rather be able to play games like Indiana Jones, Doom the Dark Ages or GTA on a RoG ally for an 1-1.5hrs on my RoG ally than not be able to play them at all on a Switch.

It's not necessarily the fact its an 'Open' platform, but that does mean its not 'limited' to a specific brand and what they will allow or dictate what content they can censor or even block behind a paywall. A PC is the ultimate Back Compat and 'preserved' gaming library in all of gaming - You can play games you 'own' regardles of whether you swap from AMD to Nvidia or intel, regardless of whether you upgrade to a 'new' generation of GPU. Its the ONLY platform you can play games Made by Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft and doesn't hold you to ransom over your access to games you own - want to play Online with friends, no charge on PC want to be able to access Online modes - even if you play Solo (like Zombies in CoD) and even some Single Player games now require an online Subscription to play. There are other benefits to 'Open' platforms - your $80 'Console' games are a lot cheaper to buy on PC because you have a LOT more competition and places to buy games from - you are not restricted to the Platform holders store so they control the prices.

I could go on as to why a 'Console' is not the 'best' option for a handheld and why the Switch 2 is certainly NOT the best for any Xbox based gamer who is looking to play 'Xbox' games on the go - they won't get them on Switch 2 or if they do, it won't be the 'best' handheld to play on. However the fact that Xbox have had Day 1 releases with Play Anywhere purchases for nearly a decade now means that many 'Xbox' console gamers, especially Series S owners as they only buy Digitally, will have their Xbox games in the Xbox Ally to download - that means if they bought Doom, bought Starfield, bought Forza or any of the Xbox games in the past 8-9yrs,will have the PC version. Also if the subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate, they'll have Game Pass for PC already so they'll have games they enjoy playing on Xbox without needing to spend ANY more money - not to play games , not to play with their friends, their Xbox profile is their Game Pass PC profile and Windows PC gaming profile so they'll earn achievements, carry on playing because their saves are transferred and in the cloud - its as 'seemless' as you can get between two 'different' platforms.

How is a Switch or Switch 2 better? if I wanted to play 'Nintendo' games, then I'd own a Switch/Switch 2 - its not even going to be better in performance in the 'few' games that it will likely share with the Xbox Ally X and so how is a 'better' choice. It may have a better UI - but we don't really know yet what the finalised UI and user experience will be like with the Xbox Ally as that is something that is NEW. Its not the 'full windows desktop' and designed for use with the controller (like a Console) so you don't know what the 'user' experience will be like yet but the least amount of time I spend in the UI, the better and the new UI boots straight to your games so you can easily jump into the game you want - just like a console!

So a Switch is only for Nintendo Fanboys who want to play Nintendo games regardless of whether they are on the go or big screen and whilst it may play games like 'Doom: Eternal' at 30fps, the RoG Ally plays it better. It's not for 'Gamers' looking to play all the big games releasing as well as many other games in their catalogue - PC has Consoles beat on games releasing on that platform and got them beat on Library of games to, got them beat on post-purchase 'costs' (no subs necessary and cheaper versions of the SAME games) and for Xbox gamers in particular, the Handheld PC is certainly the 'better' option as you'd have a library of games to play from the get-go.

However 'Great' the Switch 2 is, unless you want to play the games Nintendo release and join another 'console' ecosystem with another Subscription on top of your Xbox Subs, it really is the 'worst' choice for Xbox gamers looking to play the Games Xbox and generally Playstation also play the fact they can play games like Spider-man, God of War, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Helldivers 2 etc as well as pretty much all the same games as Xbox on the go if not ONLY Xbox games on the go (a 'dedicated' Xbox handheld would be their 'first choice)

@BAMozzy you're off tangent here for a lot of this. There's no question PC is a better ecosystem than Nintendo (like you said, I certainly wouldn't want to play COD on a switch 2 over a PC or series console), but it's not a better handheld gaming system. They've had to shove an 80wh battery into the ally x (and now Xbox ally x) to get it even close to a respectable battery life.

Here's the hill I'm willing to die on in summary: the switch 2 is doing the same battery life or better with a quarter of the battery size, has a bigger screen, is hyper optimised for small screen gaming and has a better form factor. The Xbox ally in particular doesn't move the needle here (I picked up my Rog ally for £320, so price alone isn't the main factor), as it's just not capable of running new games natively at a satisfying level. The switch 2 is, and it's going to be very selective about it.

Lmao, what a joke, first all the yapping like just tell me the info, all they do is yap on here, then it's more then a Xbox series X, they bugging. Why is there two versions, I'm guessing for space? You telling me we have to buy the games all over again? You can't play games you already own? Ain't no way I'm buying a $70 dollar game again just to play it on a heldhand, that's what remote play is for.

@TapeLoader I meant fanboy of their games - you have to be a fan of the games to spend that money on the hardware to play them so yes are a fanboy of Nintendo to buy a console for their 'exclusives' and confident they'll release 'enough' to justify - I'd say a Zelda fanboy is a Nintendo fanboy too...

@Coletrain I'd say the Switch and Switch 2 also make a LOT of sacrifices and one of those is the Controller scheme especially in its handheld mode - its not the most 'ergonomic' or 'ideal' for gaming - not like an Xbox controller is for example - designed for actual human hands to use comfortably rather than for its 'slim' profile - that's one of the issues people have with the RoG Ally/Ally X is that like the switch, the controls are too 'small' and not the most comfortable to grip for long periods.

The Xbox Ally X is addressing a LOT of the issues the OG RoG Ally has and what 'windows OS' does for Handhelds - the fact that it doesn't load up the full Windows, like a RoG Ally, free's up over 2GB of RAM that's now 'free' for gaming let alone all the efficiency tweaks because Xbox OS team are working with Windows 11 OS team to Optimise Windows 11 and boot up in a 'gaming optimised' way with a 'Console like' UI and have your games ready (regardless of whether they are Xbox/steam/epic etc) andtcan skip to different storefronts available on tabbed pages - like skipping across from installed games to store to Game Pass to settings on a Xbox console.

The whole point is that this in particular is the closest that Windows and Xbox have worked together too - which may well benefit your RoG ally if/when they update that Windows to the 'new' windows.

For an Xbox Gamer, there is NO Better Handheld gaming device out there because NO other feels like playing on an 'Xbox' with an Xbox controller in your hand, playing the same games you play on Xbox, having access to Game Pass and earning achievements wherever you play - the Switch is arguably the worst choice! even the OG RoG ally is a 'better' fit despite the battery life, the tiny controls, the form factor (its smaller than a Switch for less bulk when carrying) and Windows 11 desktop because it integrates 'better' with Xbox gamers and this is an Xbox site with Xbox gamers so Switch 2, regardless is never going to be a better handheld for Xbox gamers!!!

@BAMozzy oh ok, well if your point is that it won't be better for Xbox gamers then yeah, of course! But just anecdotally, I played through Mafia definitive edition on the Rog, 900p, 40fps through Radeon chill and 18w so still needed to be plugged in after about 1h15 - the UI and text were tiny, character models look super small, and it just isn't a good way to play those kinds of games IMHO.

Now playing indie titles or emulated stuff, it's a beast. I love that functionality. It just doesn't outdo the switch YET but yeah the new Xbox app layer looks promising for efficiency. My wishlist would be bigger screen and that the z2e chip can run things at 17w comfortably. Big ask though!

As a gamer I think having the most games and no paywall to play online, not limited to buying from one store etc makes 'Mobile' PC gaming even more attractive. I don't want to have to pay another Subscription to play ALL the content in the games I want to buy/play - its bad enough having to do that on my 'main' Console, but if you want to play the another Consoles exclusives ONLY, you maybe can get away with not needing a Subscription with their Single Player games. So you can get to play Most games if not ALL games releasing, and maybe only pay for one subscription at whatever 'monthly' tier you choose - it adds up over the years to 'hundreds' but the console was 'cheaper' than buying a PC

As this is very much an Xbox focused site and this product is certainly going to attract the eyes of Xbox customers — many of whom want a Xbox brand Handheld and their games library to be shared, then this is by far the Closest ANY handheld has come to being that 'Xbox' handheld that feels like an Xbox Controller in the Hand.

The Switch 2, regardless of how great it is, is certainly the furthest away from the Xbox Handheld Gaming device people want. If they want a Switch, they'd buy it, but the best Handheld gaming device is still likely to be the Xbox Ally X in terms of actual gaming on it - it will likely feel the most comfortable due to its 'bulky ergononics but also balanced and evenly distributed. Has a 120hz VRR display which is a minimum must have for gaming, and if you already have Game Pass Ultimate (although it will likely come with at least a month or 3 of GP) and/or bought games on Xbox in the past 8-9 years, will already have a library waiting for you.

There is no Sub fee - regardless of how 'little' you pay each month for basic Online gaming and the 'free' games you may get to play in return, you don't get to keep on Playstation if you don't keep paying them so aren't 'yours' to keep either! They just don't get rotated away from access like Game Pass Core does.

Point is, as a mobile gaming device, do you really want the 'limitations' of a single platform owner or do you want the 'freedom' to play pretty much any game you want on the go from one device in the same 'comfort' you would at home on a PC or Home Console.

@TapeLoader Again reading more into it - yes you do have to be somewhat of a fan to spend Money on their Products - you are not only buying say a Sony made Playstation to Play Sony Made games - some of which are on PC or will release there, and with Nintendo its Nintendo Hardware to play Nintendo owned Games so yes Nintendo Fans buying Nintendo products specifically and if you own a PC and an Xbox then either you are a fanboy of Microsoft, or because the Console 'integrates' into ecosystem the best.

I can understand why the Switch 2 would be the better option for PC and Playstation owners that also want to play the 'few' games they can't on their other platforms - then its the 'best' choice and it will play 'some' games the PC/Playstation has too 'on the go' if you choose to buy again and can play on a big screen too 'docked' with ease. But its not the 'best' big screen experience compared to PS5 or a decent PC rig can deliver but its probably is the 'better' fit than buying a PC Handheld or maybe even SteamDeck because they won't let you play the latest Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Splatoon game and you can play everything on the PC anyway....

Was kind of holding out for one of these! I've previously owned a Rog ally and steam deck and both great handhelds. But as much as I like the Xbox theme and UI on these new handhelds I can't justify paying them prices and I'm not paying £500 to play in 720p they've dropped a bollock there imo... I'll either get a legion go or switch 2 which is a shame because I really like the look of these handhelds, oh well....

@TapeLoader and switch 1 games not even patched will run better just by being on switch 2 due to the power of switch 2

@Coletrain sony and nintendo fans are console gamers something many xbox fans have forgotten what it is like.. as many have drifted to pc gaming..

@IOI well said and i agree with every word you said. I’ll just add that even with all your Xbox games on it which isn’t ready yet. I still think it’s expensive haha. And i am normally the one asking for more expensive options in all my hobbies. But only if the quality is there and i can enjoy the extra money spent with little effort in experiencing it. What does MS do IOI? I mean they have everything going for them outside of the hardware. But i just ain’t convinced that Asus making a handheld with the Xbox brand on it is what to many players are asking for. Then the home console, well if thats just a $700-$900 Asus box as well, i mean what does that do for them and their player base? Give them hardware just for the stake of not leaving hardware? I mean they are really in a tough spot here don’t ya think? I can’t think of how they get the ball rolling.

@SmokeEmAll RoG is barely above the trash pile that the steam deck lives in. It's like you took a 1060ti and attached it to a phone screen that has the same resolution that phones had 10 years ago, but with less fps. Switch 2 at least has zelda, Mario kart, Bayonetta, etc. My small laptop dunks on a rog and has a battery 4 times larger. Switch 2 has its novelties and nuance. RoG Ally isn't that great. That said, I'm a pc and xbox and Switch player, and I'll likely get a Xbox ally x. But Switch 2 has far more going for it than a minimum graphics setting Gameboy pc. And not to mention the performances metrics and hardware in the switch 2 is going to be higher by framerates and resolution alone.

Keep in mind the Ally X was $800 US. In the current PC climate you expect the price to go up so this is the price or actually less than the price I expected Asus (with the Asus tax) to charge but l for the Z2 Ally without the whole Xbox involvement. Bottom line is it's an Asus product not an Xbox product at exactly the price you would expect based on the price of the current model.

Also people laughed at the $800 price of the Ally X, too which was a rediculous price for the same Z1E as every other handheld. Asus is the company charging $3400 MSRP for their ROG version of the $2000 5090. They think they're Apple. Anything with the ROG sub brand is just exorbitantly expensive because it's ROG and people buy it.

As for the next console Phil already said expect to pay more but also they didn't want to go over $1k..... But the was before tariffs and more inflation.

And as for Sony I still feel like they got away with $800 for the pro they'll do it for the 6. Nvidia and amd paved the way that new GPUs should cost 2x as much as old GPUs for a 10% uplift because a data center outbid you on the wafer 1200%.

Welcome to gaming hardware in 2025 and beyond. It's not supposed to get better it's just supposed to double in price and offer interesting form factors. This is the hardware you'll use for life. They can't figure out how to make it go faster, they just shut more current into it and add fans.

Rog ally x is $899. Stands to reason the rog ally xbox version would be similar(or more).

@johnedwin to be honest mate I'm a fan of all 3, but I think Sony dropped the ball hardest this gen by trying to make a load of games their fans didn't want. Xbox trying to unify their console and pc experience is ambitious and it probably won't work for a while, but it's the most interesting play

So £766 yeah or they gunna put it up to 800 n rip us off in UK 😭

They are too expensive for what I would use them for which would be a way to game while the tv is being used!
Playing on a big tv with a console will always be the best way to game for me!

Worth remembering this can also be used as a PC

Anything more than $699 USD, and it's DOA to me. I'd just buy a entry level gaming laptop instead, and have a discrete GPU. It's not like the Ally will fit in your pocket, you're still going to have to carry it around in a bag...and if I want to game on the bus, train or plane with something that does fit in my pocket, I've got my phone and a Kishi. If it's not cheaper than a laptop, then the laptop is almost always going to be a better option (at least to me).

@zanlyons if it has Thunderbolt 4 or OCuLink so I could hook up an eGPU, that would sweeten the deal, but otherwise I'd rather just get a mini PC with similar or better specs for less money.

@LightFantastik I think it has TB4. You make a good point about a mini PC, but you can't play it on a plane.
I do think, for the price; the X variant should have had an OLED display

@Romans12 no lol. $1038.84. Your euros aren't that great, bro.

Hard pass. Sorry

@BAMozzy

Better is highly subjective.

I have a ps5 pro, ps portal, series s, series x, switch oled, switch 2, and a gaming pc.

Ive long been an xbox centric gamer though, since the og xbox launched to be precise since it was a spiritual sega successor to me.

I do want an xbox portable, but only for gamepass games. The switch 2 is a great little console just like the switch was and that was regardless of game. I use doom 2016 as a standard example. I bought it on xb1 and switch, but only beat it on switch because it was where I could play. It didnt look as nice, but didnt matter. We have options now, but the switch 2 so far has been great. And I say that as an xbox first long time gamer.

@Runex2121 Again MISSING the point - I NEVER once said the Switch was a 'bad' product and for some it will be the 'best' option - but for Xbox owners wanting to play the Games they ALREADY Own Natively on a Handheld Product, the Switch is NOT ideal at all.

Take Doom 2016 as an example as you mentioned it, I can buy that on Xbox and play it on a RoG Ally at 60fps on the SAME save, I don't need to buy the game again for Switch and start the game again -If I bought the game, I can play it where I want to play it with Xbox Play Anywhere, Game Pass PC and Game Pass Cloud streaming.

Not only that, I'm not limited to 30fps on a RoG Ally like a Switch so unless you really want to play Nintendo games, would rather buy games twice to 'play on the go', happy to buy another Sub fee to play with your friends etc, then is it really the 'best' option.

As I have said, the RoG Xbox Ally is looking to be the best Handheld PC released yet and the 'best' for existing Xbox customers who want to play Xbox/Game Pass games on the go - as well as maybe explore what the rest of the PC market offers...

This is an Xbox focused site and ALL PC handhelds, regardless of battery life, controller layout etc is 'better' than Switch for Xbox Games! How many Xbox games can you play on the go on Switch/Switch 2, on Portal and how does that compare to a Handheld PC. The Switch/Switch 2 probably has the least amount of Xbox games so therefore it cannot be anything but the worst - nothing Subjective about it!!!

@JaffeGaffe My euros? I live in the U.S. bro. lol. Your sentence doesn't make sense.

I have been in the ecosystem of xbox for some time i have also built a nice pc but I'm going to save for one of these yes, the black or why bother? All my storefronts all the time. ❤

@Friendly nope, it's a full Xbox system (not cloud gaming) with dual boot to access a custom Windows 11 OS built for handheld so you can also download and play games from pc stores like steam, epic, GoG and even emulators

@Runex2121 you only want a portable for gampass? If you mean cloud gaming then we already have that it's called the mobile app and connecting a controller to your phone 👀

@BootlegHuman

I have a dedicated phone and a kishi, dont like the feel of a bolt on. 1st world issue I know, but if Im going to play a game I need it to feel comfortable and be seamless.

I had a steamdeck too which I sold because it was too clunky and convoluted. Also just didnt feel good holding it.

When you compare the current Windows ally handheld specs to the Xbox ally ones they are identical. There may be a tweak to the boot up system but nothing else. Yet the Xbox ones are going to cost alot more. If you shop around argos are selling the lower spec ally for £450 and currys the higher spec for £800. Both prices are much cheaper than the Xbox ones so it doesn't make sense. I myself own a legion go and have for a year now with enhanced storage and it comes with steam, epic and obviously game pass etc. It runs games perfectly well and the streaming is smooth. So if you want to save money for something and aren't bothered about the Xbox branding it makes common sense.

@BAMozzy "Take Doom 2016 as an example as you mentioned it, I can buy that on Xbox and play it on a RoG Ally at 60fps on the SAME save"....no you cant its not even available on Xbox PC let alone Play Anywhere. Even Doom Eternal isnt Play Anywhere which is the problem a lot of people have with this...only a tiny percentage of peoples "Xbox" games will actually be available to play on PC.

@GeeEssEff It is on Game Pass though so I can Download it on my RoG Ally thanks to Game Pass Ultimate and play it natively and my Xbox save in the Cloud syncs so I can play it on BOTH systems at NO extra Cost.

The point is, with a Handheld PC, you have 'some' games from Play Anywhere and whilst Doom 2016 wasn't an Xbox owned game at launch, so didn't support 'Play Anywhere', as Microsoft now OWN Doom & Bethesda, its available to play via Game Pass - same as many other games that don't support 'Play Anywhere'

Even if you haven't bought many Play Anywhere games but sub to Game Pass Ultimate, you'll still have 100's of games to play at NO extra cost, you won't need to buy Doom again to play 'on the go'.

I never said that Doom 2016 was 'playable' because of Play Anywhere, I didn't state how you can play natively on a RoG Ally, just that it is possible without needing to purchase another copy specifically - like you do on Switch as Switch doesn't offer 'Game Pass' to download 'Xbox' games to the Switch for Native play and it doesn't allow streaming from Servers/Xbox consoles either so the ONLY option to play Doom on a Switch is to buy it.

If you bought Doom 2016 Physically on Xbox but have Game Pass for PC, your Console, PC and Game Pass saves are all synced so you can easily jump between different platforms without losing you progress.

There are 1300+ Play Anywhere Games and that's most (if not all) the Xbox releases they 'owned' at the time of release. That may not be Doom 2016, but that's where Game Pass comes in. For the rest, you can still stream from your Xbox console like a PS Portal.

@BAMozzy Nope...Doom 2016 is not available to buy on Xbox PC app or via Gamepass PC. Only available via Steam. But you know what I could do pretty easily? Play it docked on the Switch and then take it with me and play it natively in handheld mode with my saves.

@GeeEssEff OK I admit I was wrong about Doom 2016 - I wasn't aware that game in particular had some deal with Steam as the only Store that sold it on that platform and expected it was added to Game Pass PC when the Console version was added. I must admit, I didn't bother looking as I'd beaten that before I got my RoG Ally. I played Doom Eternal on my RoG ally though.

As I said, there are numerous outliers and Doom 2016 is obviously one of them, But I also said that Microsoft 'owned' games, as long as they were released under Microsoft, support Play Anywhere. With over 1300 games, there is a fair chance you own a few - Starfield, Forza, Gears, Halo, Age of Empire, Flight Sim, South of Midnight, Avowed etc and games you may buy in the future.

Doom 2016 maybe the ONLY Doom game not available so I apologise for thinking it was, but you can't play many Xbox games on Switch and if they are released, will need to buy again and Saves probably won't carry over.

Its not really about 'Past' games though its more about the long term future, the games coming out over the Hardwares life. Its not as if Doom 2016 is NOT available on a Handheld PC and if you do buy it again to play 'on the go', at least it can run much better than the Switch version.

How do these compare, specs wise, to Series S and X?

@TapeLoader I don't keep 'bigging' it up but at least Microsoft are doing Something positive - how many others will sell you a game you can play on more than one platform? None.

As a PC gamer, you can choose where to buy from and integrates well with the Steamdeck. Its also not likely to be that important whether you got a 'Console' version along with your PC - You certainly won't get ANY Sony Console versions for example.

But if you are a Console gamer, as a LOT are and start out as, then getting a PC version hasn't really mattered either - they play on Console so why need a PC version, didn't give it an extra thought Now a decade later, you have over 1300 games in Play Anywhere meaning that with more affordable PC gaming options, that if people choose to upgrade to or supplement their console gaming with a PC, they won't have to start from scratch as they'd have 'some' games.

Everything takes 'time' to build up but at least they are. If you were a Console gamer, not a PC gamer, then you'd perhaps appreciate it a LOT more - especially if you were considering getting into PC gaming. With Sony, you'd not get any games on PC regardless - you bought the Console version, you only ever get the Console version. The game is locked to 'Playstation' but buy a Xbox 'Play Anywhere' game, you get the PC version so can play on Xbox or any Windows PC.

As for 'selling point', I'd say its not a 'reason' to buy a game at all - the Game should be reason enough regardless and you are buying it because you want to play it on Hardware you own - its more a 'Bonus' - especially if you own 'both' a PC and Xbox because you don't need to buy BOTH versions. Whatever 'Xbox' game you want to play, you can play on either a PC or Xbox but whatever Sony game you want to play, you'll have to buy it for each platform you want to play it on.

If you don't own both an Xbox and PC and/or have no interest in owning both - you own a PC so don't need an Xbox, maybe chose a PS5 or Switch because Xbox games are on PC anyway, then Play Anywhere makes little/no difference - it is NO selling point because so 'few' will actually own both a PC and an Xbox - until the PC offers something Xbox doesn't at a price they are willing to pay for that - like Handheld for on the go gaming. Now if you own an Xbox and considering a PC - especially a Handheld, then Play Anywhere starts to make sense, starts to become more important - but its still better than nothing and vastly superior than any other Publisher offers - in fact its other Publishers refusing 'Play Anywhere' in their greed to sell multiple versions if you own multiple platforms that has limited the Library. Microsoft created Play Anywhere and fully support it so they themselves can't really do 'more', its now up to the Publishers to opt in as well to get 'more' games releasing as Play Anywhere. Microsoft games are and have been Play Anywhere for years and it seems more '3rd party' releases are coming to play anywhere too.

Until its 100% of new releases (you'll never get 100% Library because too many 'old' games will never offer Play Anywhere), it will never be 'good enough' for some people, never be where it needs to be, but I'd rather have it where it is 'now' than not have it at all!!

Life long gamer here. Built my own PC's, modded consoles, and owned every single console out there, at one time or another.

Currently, I'm done with PC gaming, as I'm tired of having to spend thousands of dollars to keep my PC on the cutting edge. I'm tired of configuring, overheating and crashing.

For this reason, I own an Xbox Series X and a Nintendo Switch. The switch is for Nintendo's polished, pick up and go sorta games and my Xbox is for the PC equivalent of high end graphics with optimal FPS.

I will be buying a Switch 2. I will not be buying a handheld Windows PC, disguised as a console. What Microsoft is doing...it's a bad move. If they're not going to release a dedicated handheld console, they shouldn't release one at all.

@Herculean same mate. Just added a Rog ally into the mix coz I needed a new general PC anyway, but the switch comes with me on holidays and the Rog is mostly YouTube and cloud/remote play gaming at home.

I know what point the guy is making, I just wouldn't personally feel comfortable bringing an £800/$900 handheld with me anywhere ha

I am good bringing my 12.9" tablet and using hotspot on my phone

The next Gen Xbox could be a Windows PC with a Xbox style UI that boots up into a 'Gaming' optimised mode, maybe has a Xbox Emulation layer for Back Compat, but ultimately is a Windows PC running PC versions - there is no 'next' gen Xbox Console specific version. Therefore EVERY release will be the PC version so you can play it on ANY PC.

The Xbox Rog Ally could be the forerunner to the next Xbox as it has the same 'Windows/Xbox' OS and UI but maybe unlike the next Xbox, may not have the Xbox layer/or built in hardware for 'Back Compat'. So EVERY next Gen 'Xbox PC' release, inc all the third party games, could be 'Play Anywhere' and still bring ALL your Xbox Console games (at least those playable on Series Consoles) forward too.

I really don't understand why doing 'more' for gamers, more than any other Publisher is doing, trying to make a Positive difference for the benefit of Consumers - even if its not 'perfect' and/or not supported fully by EVERY Publisher, its still better than nothing, better than any others Offer. It's also growing - it has more games that are Play Anywhere today than it did a year ago, than it did 5yrs ago, than it did when they 'introduced' it nearly a decade ago. Over 1300 games in 8yrs is more than 150 game a year on average - more than 10 a month.

Buy Doom the Dark Ages for $70 on Xbox, you can play on PC too, Buy it on Steam or Playstation you are locked to only play on Steam/Playstation. If it comes to Switch 2, chances are it will be $80 but even if its the Same Price, the fact you bought it on PC, Xbox or Playstation won't let you play it on Switch without buying it but if you bought from 'Microsoft', then you can play it on PC or Xbox - inc Handheld PC's on the go. Regardless of whether Consoles continue to offer Back Compat or even Physical drives to bring older games forward, you just don't know but I'll own a Digital PC version.

I really don't understand why some are so negative to something 'positive' for Gamers and Consumers in general, why they have to be so critical of something that no-one else even comes close to matching, let alone do it 'better'. I know its NOT perfect but they can't make it 'Perfect' because they can't dictate to other Publishers to make their entire Xbox games 'Play Anywhere', just like they couldn't make them join their Back Compat programme so EVERY OG Xbox & Xbox 360 game is included, so its never going to be 'Perfect' - just like a Dedicated Xbox Handheld wouldn't be 'Perfect'.

@TapeLoader regardless - those Xbox games you bought on Steam are still playable on ANY Handheld PC inc the RoG Xbox Ally Handheld - if you wanted to play them on Xbox Console too, so you could also play on your Series S, then Play Anywhere makes more sense. You'd still get the exact same 'PC' version as well as the Series S version to be able to play on ANY PC or Series Console.

The fact you 'chose' to buy on Steam is irrelevant, the point is that you could have bought from Microsoft (on Xbox or PC) and played them on both at no extra cost where as now if you wanted to play those on your Series S, it will cost you. You could have ALL those games playable on BOTH your PC and your Series S at NO extra cost but because you bought from Steam, those games will now cost you money to play on Series S. More and more are supporting Play Anywhere so NOW you own a PC and Series S, wouldn't it make more sense to buy from MS than Steam to have the choice to play on either?

Some games you buy on Series S too - especially as an ALL digital platform and particularly Xbox Published (or Published 'after' Xbox acquired them) - will also let you play on any PC so you could jump between Handheld PC (on the Go), Desktop PC or Xbox console for the big screen experience at NO extra cost and get the 'best' of both the portable and big screen gaming.

For the majority here who game on Xbox and buy Games on their Console, if they do decide to upgrade to a PC or invest in a Handheld PC, they already have a Library of games there - maybe not ALL their Xbox Games, but all the Ones they are interested in that released in the past 8yrs - Doom 2016 is NOT a Microsoft 'releasee' it was published by Bethesda before Microsoft acquired them and had a deal with Steam. It is the ONLY Doom game though not 'Play Anywhere'

I might not be the law here but I am also not being so negative to everything Xbox and calling their games Shovelware or throwaway Rubbish, slamming Play Anywhere when no other Publisher/Platform offer ANYTHING, can't even acknowledge the potential or see the long term - no, its more about some archaic 3rd Party Published game that isn't 'Play Anywhere' because Play Anywhere didn't exist and greed dictated that if you want to play on 'other' platforms, that means buying multiple copies (not great for Gamers/Consumers).

So if you can't see the positives and benefits to consumers/gamers over the alternatives, especially when you consider the 'costs' these days ($80 to play on a 'single' platform or $80 to 'Play Anywhere' via a wide range of specs and hardware, Sub fees for gaming with friends online etc), I think there is something wrong. I could understand if they were 'taking' away choice or trying to implement something 'anti-consumer' - but giving you more (ok not in EVERY game ever released on Xbox hardware) is still better than ANY other currently offers

@BAMozzy

But yet it is subjective. It can have the best specs in the world and be a dead weight if its not comfortable to hold. I found that out with the steam deck which is absolutely worse than a switch for any game that is playable on both platforms.

All this said, Ive no issue with the ally or ally xbox and fully intend on buying the xbox ally x should it be under $900usd. Ive not held either so I cant judge either.

@Runex2121 Exactly - I don't really like the RoG Ally (OG version) because I find it too uncomfortable to hold and the layout too small. I want an Xbox sized Controller with a decent screen in between that plays all the games I'll want to play on my 'home' platforms if possible and preferably without incurring 'additional' costs - like having to buy games more than once just to play in 'handheld' mode, having to pay another Subscription fee or even having to buy ANY games just to have 'something' decent to play on it.

That's why I'm looking forward to the RoG Xbox Ally X - yes it maybe expensive, but over the next few years, I won't 'need' to buy games (Game Pass Subscriber) and quite a few of the games I'm looking forward to playing in the future are Play Anywhere games so I'd be struggling with choice of what to play first then next etc...

I know its not a 'perfect' Xbox Handheld in the sense that your entire Digital library is playable and its a curated Xbox Handheld experience - like the Switch is for Nintendo, but this is by far the closest we have to that 'Xbox Controller' in hand Feel so your Muscle Memory snaps perfectly to the buttons every time, feels 'right' but you have a big screen between your hands and you are playing games just like on Xbox with the same saves so feels 'seemless' even though one is the PC and the other is the Console version.

Any of the Handheld PC's in theory offer the exact same experience from the game library and integration, but the 'in the hand' experience is not the same. In my opinion, the majority of Handheld sacrifice ergonomic comfort and grip for slim design aiding in low profile portability. Spec wise, it seems that it will be an upgrade over the first 'wave' of devices that I thought delivered a 'decent' handheld gaming experience - especially for their size, weight, power and acceptable heat/fan noise levels. Yes it may only be 720p/30fps relative low quality settings but the 'minimum specs' for these games is often a lot more powerful devices with a lot more power to drive the chips too and won't release let alone run on some other handheld devices...

It has no chance in Japan, where the Switch 2 costs $350.

@IOI I'd have said the same thing, all great points.

Might this be the end of Sarah Bond's career as President? She is a great marketer but the videos talking about "the Xbox experience" where immediately too corporate for me and dodged what the actual console is: a ROG Ally with an Xbox button and some OS retooling. Plus the everything is an Xbox campaign. Not sitting well with me as a hardcore Xbox fan 😭 I did just get a Switch 2 and they're pretty clear what you get there: games that run great on a handheld with many titles launching in the near future. Plays Switch games too! Pretty straightforward

I think people have more fun speculating than playing games. I will enjoy my games and wait for the Actual price to drop at Gamescom.

As much as these are compelling devices they're still over priced PC handhelds with an Xbox logo slapped on them. i genuinely hope Xbox sees the hype around these devices and makes a dedicated Xbox handheld CONSOLE that can play Xbox games natively something these devices won't be able to do. If Xbox makes a handheld Xbox console that plays games natively it would absolutely be a day one purchase for me. I'm hoping Xbox replaces the Series S SKU next generation with a handheld Xbox console. Looking at the AMD roadmap and seeing what AMD has to say themselves, an entry level next gen Xbox in handheld for is more than feasible and if the can keep the price in the $399-$499 range it'd be a massive success. I just wish more people would get behind wanting a Xbox handheld console and there was a way to make our voices heard because I for one would love to take my Xbox library with me on the go without relying on cloud gaming.