After months and months of waiting, the prices of the highly anticipated ROG Xbox Ally (Xbox Ally) and ROG Xbox Ally X (Xbox Ally X) finally got revealed today.
The base, white Xbox Ally handheld gaming PC can be preordered for $599.99 at Best Buy. Meanwhile, the more premium, black Xbox Ally X can be preordered for $999.99 at Best Buy.
Note that retailers anticipate both devices will sell out, so if you want one, preorder* quickly while you can. These handhelds officially launch on October 16, 2025.
Additionally, you can buy an ASUS ROG Xbox Ally (2-in-1) Premium Case for $69.99 at Best Buy if you want a more protective way to tote either handheld around. It will also launch when the handhelds do.
*Preorders are live in 38 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.
Now, if you've been paying attention online, then you know that an employee from the UK retailer Argos previously leaked the price and preorder date of the ROG Xbox Ally (thanks, Tom's Guide).
However, it's worth noting that the price noted in the leak was £499.99. If converted straight to USD, that would be $672.29, but the actual cost in the USA is actually at a lower $599.99 price point. Thank goodness!
This official price makes the new Xbox Ally the same cost as the original starting ROG Ally (Z1 non-Extreme), which, by and large, is no longer available at most tech retailers. In other words, it's like the new Xbox Ally is taking the place of the original starting ROG Ally.
Meanwhile, the Xbox Ally X is $100 more than the starting ROG Ally X, but that's expected given the Xbox Ally X's better grip design and next-gen processor.
Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X specs
If you're unsure which handheld to get, here's a breakdown of their specs to help you make a decision. Just remember that these devices are expected to sell out, so you might not want to wait too long to decide.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Xbox Ally (white) | Xbox Ally X (black) |
|---|---|---|
Price | $599.99 / £499.99 / €599.99 (ERP) | $999.99 / £799 / €899 (ERP) |
Release date | Oct. 16, 2025 | Oct. 16, 2025 |
OS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
Processor | AMD Ryzen Z2 A | AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme w/ NPU up to 50 TOPS (15-35W TDP) |
Storage | 512GB M.2 2280 SSD | 512GB PCle 4.0 M.2 2230 NVMe SSD |
Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 | 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 MHz RAM |
Display | 7-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 IPS touchscreen, 120Hz, 500 nits | 7-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 IPS touchscreen, 120Hz, 500 nits |
VRR | Yes | Yes |
Ports | 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x UHS-II microSD card reader, 1x audiojack | 1x USB4 Type-C, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x UHS-II microSD card reader, 1x audio jack |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.4 |
Dimensions | 11.44 x 4.78 x 1.98 (290.8 x 121.5 x 50.4mm) | 11.45 x 4.78 x 1.99 inches (290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm) |
Weight | 1.4 lbs (670g) | 1.57 lbs (715g) |
Battery life | 60Whr (65W AC adapter) | 80Whr (65W AC adapter) |
How does the Xbox Ally compare against other handheld gaming PCs?
Currently, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X face strong competition against the likes of the Steam Deck, original ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, Legion Go, Legion Go S (SteamOS and Windows), Legion Go 2, MSI Claw 8 AI+, and more handheld gaming PCs.
Even though it isn't a direct handheld gaming PC competitor, the Nintendo Switch 2 hybrid console is also in the ring, vying for gamers' dollars.
If you want a basic handheld for less intensive games, go for the Xbox Ally. However, if you want a device that can handle more graphically demanding games, get the Xbox Ally X.
• Xbox Ally vs ROG Ally
• Xbox Ally X vs ROG Ally X
• Xbox Ally vs Steam Deck
• Xbox Ally X vs Legion Go 2
• Xbox Ally preorders
• Xbox Ally - everything to know
Many handheld gaming PCs, including the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally, X are pretty similar; they're basically like small gaming laptops that have swapped out a keyboard for joysticks and grips. Most of these devices can easily access different PC gaming services and programs, such as Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Epic Games Store, Battle.net, and many more.
The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X stand out from the competition in a few ways — firstly, with their substantial grips that are inspired by the Xbox Controller's design. If your hands tire or cramp quickly while playing gaming handhelds, these grips could prove especially beneficial for you.
Then, of course, there's the fact that Xbox partnered with ROG to create these official products. This means that there's an official Xbox button to help users navigate around these systems.
Additionally, Microsoft has been busy creating a new gaming mode for Windows 11, which is meant to improve and optimize the operating system for handhelds. If you're at all familiar with previous handheld PCs, then you know that the clunkiness of Windows has been a sticking point. Many people prefer the SteamOS user experience, instead, so hopefully this optimization significantly improves the handheld Windows experience.
Should I get the Xbox Ally or the Xbox Ally X?
We at Windows Central are planning to run the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X through various benchmark tests when we eventually get our hands on them. However, for now, we don't fully know these devices' capabilities.
RELATED: All AMD Ryzen Z2 Series gaming handheld chips and how they compare
That said, going off of specs, it seems like the white Xbox Ally should offer modest performance similar to the Steam Deck. I base this on the fact that the Xbox Ally runs on an AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip, which uses the same Zen 2 architecture with RDNA2 GPU microarchitecture that the custom Steam Deck APU (accelerated processing unit) uses.
Now, the Steam Deck is a highly-regarded and well-loved device, but it is showing its age at this point. I've personally seen how it is unable to run some of the more demanding games that other handheld PCs can.
This being the case, if you mostly just play 2D platformers (or less graphically intensive titles) and don't mind a Steam Deck level of performance, then the Xbox Ally will be a good fit for you.
However, suppose you want something more powerful that can run more of the latest AAA games. In that case, you'll be better served with the performance level provided by the premium Xbox Ally X.
The Xbox Ally X's Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme not only has double the cores and threads of the base Xbox Ally's Z2 A, but also uses newer Zen 5 architecture with newer RDNA 3.5 GPU microarchitecture. As noted in the name, this is an AI chip with an NPU (neural processing unit) that can reach up to 50 TOPS (Tera Operations per Second) — this should help the device run more efficiently since the NPU can help take part of the load off of the CPU and GPU.
On top of that, the Xbox Ally X has more memory and a larger storage capacity, which is beneficial for gaming.
Many people argue that an AI chip isn't good for gaming. However, the impressive testing results from my own MSI Claw 8 AI+ review show how effective an AI processor can be for a handheld, so I'm hoping we see similar impactful performance from the Xbox Ally X.
This premium handheld features an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, 24GB LPDDR5X RAM, 1TB SSD. It's designed for more demanding PC gaming.
👉 Preorder: Best Buy
Protect your Xbox Ally and make it easier to travel with using this official Premium Case. It's set to release on Oct. 16, 2025 — the same day as the Xbox Ally handheld.
👉 Preorder at: Best Buy
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