Microsoft and Asus have opened preorders for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X in the US, priced at $599 and $999 respectively. Canadian prices are $799 CAD and $1299 CAD, while European customers will pay €599 and €899. In the UK, the costs are £499 and £799, and in Australia, the prices are $799 AUD and $1599 AUD. Both devices are set to ship on October 16th.
The pricing of these handhelds has raised questions, particularly when compared to traditional gaming consoles. For instance, the base model Xbox Ally is priced $150 higher than the anticipated Switch 2, which faced its own pricing critiques. It is also $100 more than the Xbox Series X’s launch price in the US. In some regions, the basic model of the Allys is comparably priced to the Xbox Series X.
However, these handhelds offer portability that home consoles do not, which may appeal to certain gamers. They represent a new entry into the gaming market, featuring a Windows build designed specifically for handheld use. This new build aims to optimize system performance by freeing memory for gaming and allowing navigation via controller.
Recent trends indicate that handheld gaming devices are becoming increasingly expensive, with flagship models now rivaling the price of gaming laptops. At $999, the Xbox Ally X competes with other devices like the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus and the Lenovo Legion Go 2, which feature similar chips.
Notably, the $599 Ally includes a unique Ryzen Z2 A processor. This chip differs from those in higher-end models, offering a more modest performance profile with 4 Zen 2 CPU cores and 8 RDNA 2 GPU cores.
Reviews for both the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are anticipated in the coming weeks. Availability is planned for numerous countries, including the US, Canada, and various nations across Europe and Asia, with future releases expected in Brazil, China, and India among others.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/784286/xbox-handheld-ally-x-price-preorder