ROG Xbox Ally Prices Finally Revealed, Pre-Orders Now Live

I’d love to get one but not for that price!

Yup pretty much what was expected

Yeah... Think I'm gonna pass. Not into handheld gaming, so I think I'll just wait for the Xbox Steam Machine. One machine fusing my Xbox and PC game libraries would be a dream come true.

These prices are the definition of insanity. One THOUSAND dollars for the Ally X?! Seriously?!

This is going to bomb and make Sony and Microsoft rethink this strategy.

Pre-ordered my Xbox Ally X...

@SaltySpitoon957 Exactly my thoughts. Pricing is insane. Also double insane as a Canadian CAD$1,300?!?! It looks like we're paying the Trump tax as well. As I already have a ROG Ally, it's not like I was in the market to upgrade, but definitely a big no from me at these prices.

Ive been in queue for 90 minutes at best buy, starting to think Ill miss this one and honestly ill probably be better off saving the money. 1k is crazy high.

Yeah, I think I’ll stick with my Switch 2, PS5 and Series X. Kudos to anyone who takes the plunge on one of these, though.

LMAO $1000 they’re out of their goddamn minds.

Also, didn’t Phil complained that $1000 consoles wouldn’t grow the market just last year after Sony revealed the PS5 Pro?

I got my Legion Go with a Z1E nearly 2 years ago for $700. Now we have this at $1000 and it averages around 15-20% better real-world performance? Sorry, no thanks. I see now why Valve is waiting to produce a Steam Deck 2... there simply haven't been significant improvements in APUs to justify new models coming so frequently.

For comparison, the equivalent handhelds to the Xbox Ally X cost more - the MSi Claw is $1100 and Lenovo Go is $1350 and neither has the 'AI' cores. The top Steamdeck is $650 and Switch 2 won't get many of the latest 'new' releases - certainly not Day 1.

Each to their own, but handhelds aren't 'cheap' and mobile phones can cost more than a handheld Gaming PC...

This seems pretty stupid. My Steam Deck basically eliminates the desire for the entry model, and I am not spending $1,000 on one of these fancy gaming handhelds I barely use, I'd much rather just buy a new laptop or something more useful.

Honestly I would be all over this if it used a native Xbox OS and allowed me to play my full Xbox digital library, but as it is, it's really just a more Windows based alternative to a Steam Deck.

We all called it.

This is not an Xbox.

The price you have for the standard Xbox Ally in Australia is incorrect, it will retail for $999.99 not $799.99

$50 higher than the equivalent storage Steam Deck is not too bad on the base model and if you want better performance, you can pay an extra $50 for a last gen Z1E Rog Ally. I question the CPU choices made for it, but it is a close equivalent to the Steam Deck chip so I can see some sense to it (tech & price wise).

$1K for the top model is just too much, at that point you can get a decent laptop with a proper GPU attached that will run circles around it in gaming, & come with the keyboard & trackpad needed to use it as a proper computer. That's a problem with all the top-end handhelds so far this gen.

I’m not a huge hand held gamer so this never appealed to me. But, I am very interested in how this could shape the next Xbox home consoles with them being more hybrid PC models.

I'm guessing this will be cheap compared to the neXbox. Also, if you're thinking about getting one, just do it. It'll most likely get more expensive than cheaper.

Quick get one now before the price goes up next month by £100 and then corporate greed can blame tariff’s. 🤣

I’m poking fun not being serious, I’m not into handhelds so not for me. I’m a pure big top end TV gamer only.

Wow my region in the newly added! I don't see the devices yet in the local major retailers but I look forward tto check the devices more.

Definitely not for me at that price far far too expensive but even the consoles prices have gone up and they are out since 2020 so this was always going to be a mighty expensive product ✌️

@IOI Haha your exactly right I guess Phil has changed his mind on that sure he's never going to have to pay for any of them he could probably even get a free ps pro off Sony for free if he asked nicely!!

The price is .. stiff but ultimately, my problem is an eye problem : I can't support small screen for a long period of time.
So, I'm not the target of this machine.
Good luck to Microsoft for this "new" adventure....

Asus/Xbox have literally priced me out of getting this product. I just can't rationalize spending that much on a handheld (for the X).

already have the rog ally x with 4TB SSD on it. i'm good. Don't see a need to drop $1k for this one unless I win a lottery ticket or something coming up.

@pamonmedia, I sold my first gen Ally for 400, but I played games like hades and balatro on it, so I thought I will get the xbox ally s, that'll be enough, but hey then I won $2000 with MS Rewards sweepstakes, so I pre-ordered the X version, not the lottery, but still a nice win

The regular one is overpriced vs the Steam Deck OLED considering it has the same 4 year old APU. At least the X offers tangible performance improvements so can better justify the price differential.

Either way it’s not for me as my Switch 2 is my current handheld and I only need the one as I don’t travel all that often. I’ll keep an eye on the eventual Steam Deck 2 and Xbox Ally X2 as those should be a generational leap over Switch 2.

We still don't know if the SSD in the Xbox Ally is user replaceable or how easy it is.

As long as games continue to bypass the Windows Store, I cannot consider this device an Xbox, and it is not for me.

No - not for me. I'm not their target audience.

Apart from the pricing, the last time I played a game handheld resulted in me throwing and breaking an ipad, due to an unfair refereeing decision in Football Manager

If at any point I wanted to try a handheld again in the near future, I'd probably opt for a Switch 2, as it has games I have never played before and would like to (e.g. the Zelda games).

@BAMozzy You can buy a SteamDeck for $549. Its has the same specs as the base Ally but comes with a superior OLED screen. These devices are terrible values.

The price is its biggest issue. Yet another “great idea” from Microsoft that will fail because they put greed first.

1,300 dollary doos lmaooooooo

I got a Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme), with Steam OS instead.
Not going back to a Windows handheld.
Even with a Xbox UI, it's still Windows running things.

As I predicted, the pricing on these is very high. For those who would want one in the first place, I doubt that's a massive deterrent, but it would give many people sticker shock.

@Beckerjr No - no it doesn't!! Not even close.

I have a RoG Ally and it 'beats' a Steamdeck because it has better hardware in 'general' - however, Windows (and its bloat with unneccessary processes running in background) has a impact when running games at 'similar' power draw to a Steamdeck. If you stick to 12-15w mode on a RoG Ally, then its 'comparable' to a steamdeck with Steam OS, although run Windows on a Steamdeck and it can't compete with a RoG Ally running the SAME OS. RoG ally can be boosted up to 25 or even 35w to push past Steamdeck performance.

Steamdeck is also locked to Steam and you don't get Game Pass or Play Anywhere games - not unless you install Windows - which as I said the Bloat 'nerfs' a Steamdeck. I have NO Steam games so don't want/need a Steam only device. I want a FULL windows Handheld so I have the FULL PC gaming options and the 'Microsoft' Ecosystem where I have Game Pass Ultimate and numerous Play Anywhere games I can instantly access at NO additional cost.

The Z2E chip is a LOT more efficient at 'low' power and the new OS is much more optimised for gaming so boosting Performance significantly over Steamdeck. Steamdeck is not that powerful - its 'helped' by its Steam OS but install windows and it struggles with games that a RoG Ally running windows plays reasonably well....

A Switch 2 is cheaper again and a very capable handheld - like Steamdeck, but won't get many new releases Day 1, certainly doesn't integrate with the Microsoft ecosystem so I'd have to 'rebuy' games to play and locked to Nintendo. You can stream 'Game Pass' to a Steamdeck through its browser, but can't install games or access your Play Anywhere games, unless you install 'Microsoft Windows'. This is like a Laptop/desktop PC in a Handheld form factor - not a single Platform device like Consoles (inc the Steamdeck)

Interesting article on this from PC Gamer https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pcs/microsoft-wants-to-sell-you-a-steam-deck-in-2025-for-usd600-as-xbox-ally-pricing-unveiled/

Time to recharge the battery on my Iphone X with a backbone, love the Remote play feature on Xbox, and I am sure the I would love the dedicated handheld device, but the price is outrageous, truly, truly, truly outrageous

@Beckerjr true and the base Steam Deck, still with the same processing specs albeit a lesser resolution and storage, is currently $319.

$1000. Honestly, I can't stop laughing. No to the no to the no to the no. But I'm happy for the three people that are buying this.

It is funny how people complain about the price of this when everyone is walking around with an $800 to $1000 plus smartphone in their pocket.

If these SKUs lower the price on the standard/original rog handhelds I might consider getting one of them and install steamsos but than there is the steam deck with a oled display.

It would be a bargain but it is Asus and the Asus tax after all so chances are probably slim.

@cburg I get your point but it really is a false equivalence.
A mobile phone is nigh on indispensable nowadays, a games console not so much.
I got my last my last 2 generations of console (before the current gen) as a 'free' gift with my phone contract.

@cburg not really an apple to apple comparison there is it.

It would be like someone trying to say a Pro is better because it’s a lot more powerful than an ally. But that would be silly.

I know it’s tough when people want to criticise your favourites but sometimes criticism is ok.

@cburg Let me know how you get on using the Xbox Ally as a Phone, sat nav, camera, streaming device, hot spot, instant messenger, emailer, music player, alarm clock, credit card, web browser, video caller, language translator, flashlight, fitness tracker, calendar and e reader.

Edit: oh and not everyone has an £800+ smart phone. There are thousands of options which will do all of this for less than £200

Im not the audience for this device but even if I was that price point is utterly comical and does highlight concerns for Xbox hardware going forward. People long suspected that a badging another companies hardware would push the price up and thats a concern if they look to that route again for future hardware.

Kind of amusing that they announced the price whilst the Steam Desk is on a great offer which makes it looks even worse value.

Let me preempt my response to this by saying I have no interest in this product for a multitude of reasons. With that out of the way:

This is not a console. It has nothing to do with consoles. Microsoft is doing what Microsoft does best, confusing consumers either through incompetence of by design with awful product names. This is just a PC, full stop. This is no more a console than a Lenovo Legion Go, or honestly, your Windows PC. They're putting the word Xbox on absolutely everything in order to obfuscate the fact that Xbox, the console, is dead. They killed it, but don't worry, because just buy a $1000 Asus handheld or a $1400 PC with a 5070 and bam you've got a brand new "Xbox!"

I'm more likely to pull the trigger on a Switch 2 than I am for this.

.....but that's just me.

I'm extremely happy with my Xbox X, PC, and Game Pass Ultimate.

@GeeEssEff Different devices altogether. Id never play games on my phone(and I always get the latest iphone as part of my phone package) Even with a backbone its at best a less than fun way to play a game.

I think the comparison made though holds true at a general level. You have a high end handheld gaming device and a high end phone, both are consumer electronics in the same price range.

The fact that the inferior steamdeck comes with a case is also a valid comparison, but it doesnt take away from the other comparison.

That said, am I happy im paying 1k for an ally xbox x and have to buy a case and screen protector still? Ofcourse not. Just as Im not happy when I buy a new phone and they changed the screen size by .001MM so that I need to buy a new case and screen protectors. When I bought my deck I was surprised by the case, when I sold it though(because it was terrible) the case was the only thing I was sad to see go.

£500 for it in the UK isn't bad at all considering the Switch 2 price, damn shame i'm skint for all eternity 🤣👍(well 4.5 years to go now)

Also, who in the UK remembers $300 = £300 for console prices 🤣

@BattleMonkey 🤣 I need to learn to read, £800 well now 🤣

@BattleMonkey
I remember getting extra XBox 360's for $129 CDN dollars!

Things have changed. Games have gone up in price substantially over the last three years. Console prices have risen, not fallen this generation. Subscription services have gone up in price. I don't agree with it, but if anyone thinks this will change, I doubt it. It is the new reality.

I find it harder and harder to justify day one purchases of anything in gaming anymore.

Everyone complaining about it, yes the price is high. That's the reason for the cheap alternative. The Xbox ally X is not for everybody. Also, this is better than the switch and switch 2 combined, in my own opinion, if you're a hardcore gamer.

Whos going to buy this, especially for $1000 us? They aren't even able to sell consoles at half that price, why do they think they can move these?

@Bleed exactly I agree with you

Same price as the existing Ally X. Why is this a surprise? It's worth it though!

@NeoRatt yeah moore's law ended for consoles last gen, meaning that while they can't shrink the die like they used to,they can get more improvements but at a greater cost, so future gen's will be interesting, no much better but more expensive 🤣 Unless they do something different to attract people... All i keep thinking is if someone went back a gen or two and made a mordern version of those consoles, where games are cheaper to make and take less dev time.....

They may as well have not made the lighter version.

@BattleMonkey that's Nintendo's console strategy, use older easier to develop for tech and their games and output are amazing for it.

@Cikajovazmaj may as well get a gaming laptop for that price or start building a PC right? Crazy prices

@BaldB3lper78 Not surprised. Either they only had a small amount of early order spots available, or the scalpers are rushing in.

This is one of those situations where I doubt it would work out for the scalpers though. I have a hard time seeing people lining up to spend over a grand on one of these.

@Kilamanjaro Yeah but even for them there will be a limit in the future, unless they just stop making them at some point and keep making games, which i wouldn't complain about

Theres a few folks in here (not all) defending the price of this that were absolutely slamming the PS5 Pro price when that was announced. Yet, here we are. Its a fickle, fickle world isnt it.

I hope all who do plunge enjoy it.

@Kilamanjaro is it though? Switch gets the least play for me because first party is few and far between... and of questionable quality most of the time while also being very expensive. Third party seems to be mostly poor ports and indy games that are available everywhere else. Sorry to say since I got the Ally X I have not even turned on my switch and the thing that prompted me to buy it was that I only had to spend a tiny bit more than a switch 2, Mario kart and some basic accessories with very little further investment in games required.

For someone who doesn’t have a PC and can get all the PC games on it and some of the Sony exclusives. I can see this being beneficial. I am one of those people and I’m going to start traveling a lot more for work so this could be a good investment later next year.

@yeaman they have some of the highest rated games of all time on Switch and Switch 2 with games optimized to run on them with no additional settings tweaks. I'd say yes it is. Xbox imo should've only focused on 1 handheld instead of two so vastly different, the Ally X is the better experience hands down and pretty sure a lot of Xbox fans will be underwhelmed by the lower tier entry

@Kilamanjaro they do but if you've owned Nintendo consoles long term it's not a pipeline that's constantly churning out mega hits. I'll tune in when they release something notable and so far on the switch 2.... tumbleweed. Mario kart is nice but I've played enough Mario kart on switch it's just not something that's going to tide me over.

Anyway yeah I agree you might as well go whole hog with the ally. The form factor is already limiting. The X will play everything at a decent framerate with some compromise in settings. Most things run well over 30 on medium but there are a lot of optimisation issues in gaming right now. Borderlands 4 being a recent example. If you go for the cheaper version you're going to struggle with more.

@yeaman Clair Obscura is a prime example of the issues folks will face with this thing. There are lots of headlines about Doom the Dark Ages playing well with AI upscaling, but one of the years biggest releases is struggling to hold 30fps on it.

My biggest concern with this is Yes, its clearly a very good handheld PC device, but there are folks paying huge amounts of cash for something they think is gonna be something its not.

The xbox overlay is nice but its still ASUS Armour running through windows that powers it. They better get ready for the faffing that comes with that.

Plus, its coming to most other devices next year and will essentially do the same thing for less. Even power wise it isnt a massive jump. The lower spec one essentially has the same chips set as one of the older Steam Decks.

I just feel like folks who dont read sites like this, and maybe some who do think they are buying an xbox. Heck, even this site at one point had headlines about it being an xbox handheld (which they changed) because thats what folks were being led to believe. It absolutely is not, so it will be interesting to see how many come to realise that next month.

@Weebleman Mate. I played clair Obscur 100% on the existing Ally X. Hundreds of hours. It ran at 44fps steady with zero intervention. Didn't even look at the settings. Don't know what you're on about.

@Weebleman yeah a quick Google shows other people are in the same boat as me. Enjoying that specific game with good framerates. People who did mess with settings were able to do much better actually. Also worth saying I chose it specifically because it was an offline game and didn't even run it on turbo mode a lot of time lol

@yeaman im specifically on about the new xbox rog ally x with AI learning being the issue.

@yeaman a quick Google also shows multiple people reporting issues with things like the global illumination that requires files to be replaced to fix.

Im not saying you didnt have a good run but to write off the multitude of issues it has on a handheld is pointless.

@Weebleman interesting. I wonder if this is the most up to date model otherwise it's a bit bizzare that I was hitting 44fps with zero modification on the same hardware. Or maybe which store it came from? IDK. I played it on gamepass. No worries.

The only games I have had issue with actually are games with really serious optimization problems in the first place - specifically Ark Survival Ascended (nightmare of a game!). I never bother with the frame generation and all that stuff. Haven't even tried. so far all I have done is set games to medium and occasionally if I am travelling to 720p + lock framerate to 30 to save battery life on a plane or whatever.

Xbox and PS are in a tricky situation: new consoles have stopped offering superior experiences. They hit a plateau with the last generation.