ROG Xbox Ally X Price Leaks, Thanks to Retailer in Spain

Yahoo

4 days ago

Microsoft is partnering with Asus to bring the Xbox to a handheld, Nintendo Switch-like console. That device, known as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, will hit store shelves in time for the holidays this year. Thanks to a retailer in Spain, would-be buyers can get a sense of how much cash they'll be shelling out for the mobile gaming console.
As VideoCardz notes, a retailer and distributor in Spain made a webpage public with prices ranging from €599 to €899. Leaving aside the prospect of possible changes in US pricing due to tariffs, that would put the ROG Xbox Ally in the neighborhood of $699 to $1,049. For comparison, the Asus ROG Ally ranges from $500 to $650, and Valve's Steam Deck ranges from $400 to $650. The Nintendo Switch 2, on the other hand, has an MSRP of $450, though anyone who plays Mario Kart would do well to get the $500 console/game bundle for the savings.
All this puts the ROG Xbox Ally in an awkward position—well above the price range of most gaming handhelds, with exceptions like Lenovo's pricey Legion Go. (That console starts around $700.) Xbox die-hards won't see the next major Xbox console until 2027, so it's easy to imagine many of them snapping up a ROG Xbox Ally or Ally X in the meantime.
But other gamers now have loads of options, many of which will be easier on their wallets. Can the ROG Xbox Ally really command that premium?
The key to the ROG Xbox Ally's success may have as much to do with supporting other platforms as it does with having Windows 11/Xbox support onboard. Xbox President Sarah Bond recently suggested that the ROG Xbox Ally will support other platforms, despite having a handheld-friendly version of Xbox as its main platform. If you buy a ROG Xbox Ally, you will likely have access to your Steam library and your libraries on other platforms.
And, perhaps, that's why Microsoft appears to be considering a higher price tag. The other handhelds presumably won't be able to run Xbox games. If Xbox can become the one platform that lets you run almost any title, players may be willing to set aside their consoles from Valve, Lenovo, and the like.
For now, the best we can do is speculate. Microsoft hasn't confirmed the pricing from the retailer's website, and tariffs could change the landscape at any time.