Runex2121

@Gabrie Ahh, I see your argument now. I dont really align with it, but I understand it.

Personally I couldnt care less about achievements nor whose brand is on a device. I just want to play games when and how I want. So if i can play more games on the handheld easily, im good. (Ive been a multiplat gamer for 4 decades.)

@Gabrie But this unit aggregates stores, so does it really matter if games bypass?

I wound up getting the x, despite going in for the regular. Id rather regret the expense than future capability. Ive seem enough of ai to think its possible to do some crazy things with that neural chip. Doesnt mean they will, bit id rather be future proof than to have to buy another later. Haptics are a big selling point too, though not $400 worth

I was surprised to be honest that the x sold out faster than the ally. I originally intended on getting the lower model but skipped to the higher tier thinking that itd be easier to get.

While I preordered the x, it took bestbuy a few hours to process. The regular is apparently still open.

I cant imagine they made too many of these, guessing they made a lot more lower trims. Im also not entirely sold on a $400 difference, but time will tell. Atleast itll be futureproof, right?

@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.

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.

I give this the same grade I gave the PS one yesterday. Its a solid Meh.

One stellar title, but far off. (Forza ofcourse), and a bunch of "not really my kind of games".

So not bad, but not good.

@BaldB3lper78 Meh to the steamdeck. I bought one at launch for $650, played it like 10 hours in a year, sold it for $375.

It was clunky, heavy, and annoying to play. I didnt mind the performance when it worked, but half the time steam deck certified games played like crap or required significant tweaks.

I just want a handheld gamepass device that doesnt require me to dig into the desktop to edit crap. Oh, and that isnt a phone with a backbone, those stink too.

@BaldB3lper78 I actually looked into a gcloud since im really just looking for a native streaming device like the ps portal.

Unfortunately the gcloud is apparently not all that good at anything, including its intended function.

In the image, which is which? They look identical.....

@themightyant We said that about msft as well when they increased the price $100 on the series x like 3 months ago.

I can absolutely see sony following suit here in the next month or so. They cant eat the tariffs forever.

So in 6 months the xbox series x will have been increased $150 or 30%. Sounds like a tariff pass on cost to me.

@Coletrain yeah, and im thinking of unsubbing for the first time ever from either xbl or gamepass. I just dont have time for all the games, havnt turned on my pspro or series x much in the last year.(only logged 25 hours on the pspro since i got it day 1, some for testing, rest on ac shadows and death stranding 2. Series x has seen even less with just avowed and clair obscur getting any time) I play mostly portable, switch and now switch 2.

Horizon 6 is enough for me. I dont have time for anything else. Maybe final fantasy tactics 2 or dragon quest xii

@Coletrain I have 0 interest in playing games locally on one, i just want a proper gamepass device. The backbone is too flimsy, the steamdeck was too convoluted and bulky, and there isnt another alternative yet. Before I shell out another $600+ though im going to need to hold and use one. Not making the steam deck mistake again.

As such, the white one should be ideal.

@Dan1283 I was thinking the same thing. I love my 2k games and thankfully only play single player, but Im a minority there. They are essentially forcing people who play online to reup every other year. Its deplorable. Atleast give people 4-5 years. Thats half a console cycle.

I personally loved the last Forza game. Still play it to this day on a regular cadence. Unlike GT7 which is pretty, but extremely dull. The coffee shop theme, boring music, and stiff gameplay leave me sleepy. I definitely prefer the last forza to the first forza of the last gen as well.

2k has always been better than ea when competing. It took ea 10+ years to make a madden game as good as the last nfl2k title. Even now Id argue 2k5 or whatever it was may still be better than todays madden in terms of gameplay.

Needless to say, id love to see a 2k game for ncaa basketball. The only issue I have with any of the current sports games is the microtransactions. Whether its MUT, Diamond Dynasty, or whatever 2k calls it, its a grind and takes away from the actual game.

I miss the old days of simple games. Arcade, season, play now. Nothing else....

@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.

Horizon 5 is getting up there in age now. The last mainline game is still kinda fresh.

Id like to see horizon 6 in a new setting with a full ev bracket. (And more everyday vehicles like a trax or camry)

Not sure Id want a different spin off. I dont really like rally games and hate nascar/f1.

@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.

@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.

Im thinking itll be 799 and 1199 personally. Given tariffs, manufacturing pipelines, and current product pricing, I cant see it going down. That said, if the top model is 799 im in.

If they can get the lower model under 700 ill bite(699 is ok), but only if it handles streaming well and isnt a total mess in ergonomics and battery life

So if the current ally x is 999 i think we can expect this to carry an xbox premium and push into 1100-1200 range for the upper tier. I love xbox, but Id hard pass on that.

Quite simply, I love my series s and my ps5 pro. Still prefer my series x mainly due to quick resume and a better interface.

I have a switch 2 now and Im enjoying that too, but its not a competitor. Id personally live to see xbox gamepass on switch 2, but know that wont happen. Id be equally happy though to see forza horizon 5, since playing that on the go is essentially a dream. (And not on a crappy 800lb steamdeck, which i sold because it just wasnt being used)

I bought this last year despite not being a fan of persona games.

Its an ok title, but still a little be too strange for me. Hard to put a finger on it, but it just doesnt click for me. Ive put about 25 hours in, just kinda got bored.

Sonys approach has me ready to cancel ps premium though where i have no qualms paying for gamepass ultimate.

Value prop is important and as I dont play games online, there really isnt much for me to continue paying for ps plus in any variant. Only reason ive kept it is because they keep discounting it massively when i dont resub and let it lapse. Even that may not be enough this year.

Likely, but depends on cost and function. I sold my steamdeck off because it sucked at gamepass and xbox remote play as well as having no need for steam itself.

I have a portal and switch oled(and switch 2 on the way) which i love.

So if its under $800 ill probably pull the trigger, if its over though itll need to make up the value gap for me to consider it.

Lets be honest here, within a generation or two, physical will be gone and only digital will remain.

With streaming improving rapidly and high speed internet connections the norm now, it seems like the only real way to preserve generational changes is going to be via streaming. Especially if architecture changes significantly.

So while we may not like it, I think its more than reasonable to assume in 15 years that streaming will be the primary if not only mode of playing older games on newer consoles.

I never got the desire for special controllers with no extra functionality, but I do feel for those who love them and are impacted by scalpers. This seems like something people could just ignore and move on with though.

(I also understand if your already in the market for a controller and want something special)

@Elbow I think free with gamepass is accurate. To me that implies if i pay for gamepass i get this added on at no charge. Included with works as well.

Played yesterday, had a blast. Only downloaded the general app so no clutter. Love the streaming and super happy they didnt do download.

Hopefully they keep adding.(i dont need 1k games though)

That said, some of these games are horrible with a controller.

As I do everything always online and prefer instant access without the clutter on my console, I love that these are streamed.

Great announcement and great product.

@PlatinumMikey I much prefer offset. More natural for using the analog as a dominant over the dpad.

Never liked the ps layout, crunches my hands

@Tasuki Agreed, im guessing 699 or even 750 here in the US. Cheaper in the rest of the non tariffed world

@Krzzystuff This(the time overall, not toulet time) is why ive been shifting to handhelds. I just dont have time for the consoles themselves anymore. Im beat after work and kids stuff, just want to sit in bed, turn on the tv for sports noise and play a game. Switch and portal are great for this.

Unless its over $800, im likely going to pick it up. (Got 2 switch 2s inbound for me and my daughter)

Need a replacement for the dead weight....err...steamdeck i recently sold. This just has 2 other requirements for me. Needs to be more ergonomic than the deck and needs seemless gamepass streaming. Local and pc features are irrelevant to me.(though arent a negative either)

Ive been a staunch xbox supporter since day 1, never hesitated to sub for gp ultimate, and with points only pay for 4 months a year.

Income is not an issue either as $20, $30, even $50 or more is fine.

That said, I am using my xbox ecosystem less and less now and generally speaking, am playing games less due to how much time I have available. If they raise it again I may actually finally deem it not worth my money given how much I play. (And make no mistake, if time wasnt a factor itd be worth way more given the value provided)

The same applies to ps+ as well. (NSO has to stay for the kids and its dirt cheap anyway)

So hopefully they dont raise it....

All 3 of my LG OLED TVs are compatible with this. I took a spin yesterday on each to test it out and it was not bad. I have great internet, buy I was worried that LG may have skimped on the wifi adapter. In my tests atleast all 3 played quite well, with the caveat that the games look noticably worse than downloaded versions on these tvs. (Likely resolution as I think xcloud maxes at 1080p, maybe even 720. It looked a lot granier and you lose the effects of the contrast)

Does removing the ability to stream via app apply to remote play as well?

Seems like it would be a very clunky solution for those on portables just wanting it to play. One of the reasons the steam deck is so bad at remote play is that you need to config it all to boot from the site. Its tedious and even after setup, is a clunky solution. (I used xbplay before finally dumping my steam deck due to never using it)

I just want it to work. No fiddling. This seems like the opposite direction.

Hoping Im wrong ofcourse.

I like the direction this is going. I love my portal and switch, but just dumped my steam deck because I just didnt use it. (Too bulky)

Been eying the upcoming potential asus xbox hand held but would prefer it be stream only to shave off heft.

Will probably still wait out that announcement, but going to leave this as a strong option as well.

@CallMeDuraSouka Id take the switch 2 over the steam deck anyday. I got a 512gb steam deck at launch, it just sits there and even before it sat there it was essentially relegated to being a remote play device for xbox.

Its too bulky and hot. I dont want to have to tinker to optimize things, just want them to work.

As such, I play my portal and switch 1 infinitely more. The switch 2 looks nice and simple, light, and likely not hot.

$500 is fine for a device like this. That said, if the tariffs make it $650 then id have an issue. The games are definately overpriced though.

499-599 now, but post tariffs probably $750-$900. Putting it in the "nope" category.

Already put my 512gb steamdeck up for sale in anticipation of this. My steamdeck is basically an xbox streaming device, but not a very good one.

Make it native and remove all the customization and im sold. Just hope its less that $699. Not sure how id feel paying over that for what will be a streaming box like my portal.

I like it. I believe the goal is to make points more natural than just hitting random search 20 times. I dont put any effort into points and get enough, its nice. Just use bing for your regular search and edge as the browser and your good.

@Dalamar73 If youve poured that much money into it, you can afford a $250 series s.

Im more in the "If you cant afford to upgrade, you need to focus on things other than gaming" line of thought. Other gamers shouldnt be subjected to your monetary troubles.

WoW, but only with controller support. My consoles will always be keyboard free.

I tried ffxiv already but it was boring to me. I need games more straightforward.

@Ilyn Simple and effective, absolutely. But also extremely boring. It actually makes me less likely to buy a playstation.

I miss the days of the genesis, nomad, saturn, etc...

A bigger shock to me was waking up today and seeing the ad free solitaire on pc was no longer ad free with xbox ultimate. Stealth kill or error, im not sure, but im not paying $20 a year more for solitaire