The ROG Xbox Ally X just went up in price, though only in Australia. The price increase is the second region-specific jump we've seen this year — the cost of the gaming handheld went up in Japan recently.
As spotted by our colleagues at PC Gamer, the ROG Xbox Ally X is now listed for AU$1,799 at retailers in Australia such as JB Hi-Fi and ASUS. That's an AU$200 increase, which is quite significant.
Given the current landscape of electronic devices, it's normal to see prices fluctuate, and that's assuming you can find your favorite gadgets in stock. But even in a market affected by the ongoing RAM crisis, an AU$200 increase is a lot.
The Xbox Ally X increasing in price is just the latest example of the AI tax. AI requires a massive amount of computing power, which has driven up the price of RAM, storage, and other components.
It's also delayed devices like the Steam Machine and PlayStation 6 (reportedly).
The Xbox Ally X and its less powerful yet more affordable sibling, the Xbox Ally, launched last year. They offer a unique form factor in the increasingly crowded gaming handheld space.
In our Xbox Ally X review, the device received praise for having the best grips on a handheld. The design of the Xbox Ally X is complemented by the gaming handheld's 7-inch IPS display with 120Hz and VRR and AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor.
Those specs make the Xbox Ally X one of the best gaming handhelds. It is also one of the more expensive gaming handhelds (though not the most expensive).
Some question if any gaming handheld is worth $1,000, regardless of specs or design. For the same price, you could get a solid gaming laptop, though that's not an apples-to-apples comparison.
If the Xbox Ally X goes up in price in more markets, it could be priced out for everyday consumers and even enthusiasts with bigger budgets.
What do you think about gaming handheld price increases?
Is $1,000 too much for a gaming handheld, regardless of how good it is? How much would the Xbox Ally X have to increase in price to no longer be worth it? Let us know in the comments below.
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