Windows Central Insider
Prices on gaming hardware continue to skyrocket to unprecedented degrees, thanks to RAM shortages and various other economic situations, causing gaming handhelds to be out of reach for an everyday person.
However, Britain has managed to curtail this problem somehow, as the Xbox Ally, one of the more affordable gaming handhelds around, has received a 26% discount, taking its £499.99 MSRP down to £369.22 at Amazon UK for a limited time.
Why buy the ASUS Xbox Ally?
Aside from having a more enticing price than the Steam Deck (Xbox Ally's current £369.22 price at Amazon UK versus the 512GB Steam Deck OLED's £479 MSRP — which is currently sold out), this Xbox-centric gaming handheld has a ton of gameplay-enhancing features that help it rival Steam's iconic console.
The ASUS Xbox Ally is built with an AMD Ryzen Z2 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 7-inch 1080p display with 120Hz Variable Refresh Rates. With these specs, you will be able to run every indie and AA title at 60fps with ease and even demanding AAA titles at 30fps.
On top of that, this gaming handheld isn't restricted from accessing any platforms like the Steam Deck can be. With the aid of a Windows 11 OS and Xbox Full Screen Experience, the Xbox Ally will allow you to play games from the Xbox Store and Game Pass, alongside Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store.
Other notable features of the Xbox Ally include tight ergonomics with comfortable grips, dual USB-C ports for chargers and accessories, and a silent and efficient cooling system to keep it from overheating.
The only real downsides of the Xbox Ally are that it doesn't feature the same monstrous specs for playing AAA games as its Xbox Ally X counterpart does, and it has a minuscule storage capacity of 512GB.
Fortunately, there are plenty of amazing microSD cards for Xbox Ally available that can fix its storage issues by installing them with more storage space (and in some cases, faster read speeds to cut down on loading times).
If you can put aside these minor quibbles, the Xbox Ally is a superb purchase for any Xbox and PC player looking to continue playing their titles from the Xbox and Steam stores on the go while on holiday.
FAQ
Is the Xbox Ally upgradeable?
Yes, it is, specifically, its storage size, which you can improve by installing an additional microSD card that offers extra storage space up to 2TB. However, its RAM can't be upgraded as it's soldered into the Xbox Ally's motherboard.
Can I play games offline on it?
Yes, you can play games offline on the Xbox Ally once you have downloaded. However, you will need to sign into the internet to update them or gain access to their online multiplayer features.
How long is its battery life?
The ASUS Xbox Ally's battery life differs depending on what you use it for.
If you play demanding AAA games on it, the Xbox Ally will last around 2-3 hours. If you play lower-demanding indie or AA games on it, the Xbox Ally will last around 7 hours, and if you use it for web browsing or writing documents, it will last around 13 hours
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