Of course scalpers and resellers are already trying to rip you off for an Xbox Ally X

I knew this would happen. It doesn't make it any less irritating, But it's happened. The Xbox Ally X has already fallen into the hands of those who have no intention other than to try and rip someone off amid the hype and line their own pockets.

Our pals over at Tom's Hardware have highlighted the scale of the problem, with some eBay listings already up for as much as $2,500. That's more than double the list price, all for an item that hasn't even shipped.

That's the worst part of it. Anyone foolish enough to buy one of these isn't even buying an Xbox Ally X. They're buying someone's pre-order of one in the hope that when that person gets it, they'll actually send it. Or, they could just be trying to steal a couple of grand from you.

The message is simple. Do not buy an Xbox Ally X from a reseller.

For one, they're not even out of stock. If you're in the U.S. you can go to Best Buy right now and pre-order one for yourself, for launch, at the regular price. $999.99 is still a lot of money, but it's a hell of a lot less than $2,000+ and you know you're actually going to get it.

I'm so over the whole reselling craze. As someone who collects sports cards, I'm unfortunately too used to it. New sets instantly going out of stock, only to appear on eBay and WhatNot in the hands of breakers and resellers.

Any hot product with hype behind it can fall victim, but this one is particularly ludicrous. There's little reason to expect a shortage of the Xbox Ally X right now, not least because even with the Xbox brand behind it, handheld gaming PCs are still a niche, growing category.

The Nintendo Switch 2 this is not.

If they do go out of stock before you get one, just wait a little while. There's also the Lenovo Legion Go 2 which packs similar hardware, and as we know, the Xbox full screen experience will be coming to other handhelds. Or can be hacked on yourself.

It's an exciting time for the handheld gaming PC category, though, and Xbox has certainly helped give it another shot in the arm. There are plenty of options out there for all budgets, and lest we ever forget, the affordable Steam Deck is still a great option.

Just don't hand over all your cash to someone who doesn't even have the thing you're supposed to be buying.

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