Ally-gator Bites: Xbox Handheld Prices, UK Smiles, US Tariffs, and a Glimmer of Hope
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Asus and Microsoft's new ROG Xbox Ally handhelds hit different price points depending on your geography, with US gamers facing a tariff-induced bite, but a new Xbox-branded Windows 11 gaming mode might just be the magic trick these devices need.
Right then, gather 'round, mates. I've been tinkering with some news that's wilder than a rogue spell in a crowded marketplace, especially if you're Stateside. Asus and Microsoft, those digital wizards, have finally pulled back the curtain on the pricing for their latest handheld concoctions: the ROG Xbox Ally and its beefier sibling, the ROG Xbox Ally X. And bloody hell, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, like finding a rare loot drop but realising you've got to pay extra shipping for it.
For us chaps in the UK, things look... well, pretty standard. The base ROG Xbox Ally clocks in at a respectable £499.99, and the Ally X, with its souped-up insides, will set you back £799.99. Hardly pocket change, I'll grant you, but for the cutting edge of portable PC gaming? That's within the expected realm, mate.
Across the pond, however, it's a different story. US gamers are looking at $599.99 for the ROG Xbox Ally and a cool $999.99 for the ROG Xbox Ally X. Now, the Ally X's price, in particular, is a hefty jump compared to Asus's current models. And you don't need to be a digital diviner to see the culprit here. It looks suspiciously like the shadowy hand of US tariff policies at play. Apparently, importing hardware from Taiwan and China comes with a bit of an extra, well, 'tax' that gets passed right onto us, the eager consumers.
This isn't exactly new magic for Microsoft, mind. Their console business has been playing this particular game of 'economic dodgeball' for a while now, with their current-gen Xboxes hiking prices twice in the last year, all thanks to 'macroeconomic conditions.' Sounds a bit like a euphemism for 'we're passing on the bill,' doesn't it?
But let's talk tech, eh? The Ally X, bless its silicon heart, seems to be a straightforward upgrade. It's packing a newer, faster AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU – a solid step up that justifies its price, especially since the UK price merely matches its 2024 predecessor despite the internal glow-up. That's a win, right?
The base ROG Xbox Ally, though? That's where my inner skeptic starts doing a little dance. It's got a Ryzen Z2 A chip, which, with its four cores and older RDNA 2 graphics, sounds remarkably similar to the original Steam Deck's internals. Now, don't get me wrong, the Steam Deck is brilliant, but we're talking about modern 3D games here, mate. Will this Ally truly cut the mustard without feeling like you’re trying to run *Cyberpunk* on a potato? It's only £21 more than a 512GB Steam Deck OLED and £50 less than the already budget-minded Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS, so it's trying to carve out a niche. But what happens if you try to cast a powerful graphics spell and your wand just fizzles? That's my big 'what if' with the base model.
Here's where things get properly interesting, though, and where my optimism flickers bright like a newly charged mana bar. The ROG Xbox Ally duo aren't just slinging Windows 11 onto a handheld; they're supposedly the first to feature Windows 11's *new, bespoke, Xbox-branded gaming mode*. Imagine this: a version of Windows where all the extraneous guff is switched off at launch, purely to preserve speed and precious battery life. And with a handheld-friendly UI to boot! If they pull this off – and that's a big 'if' in the world of software – it could genuinely wipe out one of SteamOS's biggest advantages: a smooth, intuitive handheld experience. This isn't just about faster framerates; it's about making Windows on a handheld *actually usable* without feeling like you're wrestling a digital octopus. Now *that's* innovation, not just a spec bump.
Now, before we get too lost in the magic of handheld gaming, there's a serious real-world ripple that needs a mention. There have been ongoing calls for boycotts against Microsoft due to alleged dealings with the Israeli military – specifically, providing Azure cloud storage and AI tools for a mass surveillance program against Palestinians. Microsoft has, reportedly, since revoked this access. It's a heavy topic, and while it might seem distant from the price of a handheld, it's a stark reminder that even our beloved gaming companies operate in a world with complex ethical landscapes. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, about the strings attached to the tech we love?
So, what's the verdict on these new handhelds? Well, for UK gamers, the prices seem fair, especially for the Ally X's power bump. US gamers, on the other hand, might feel like they're paying a bit of a premium due to economic wizardry beyond their control. The base Ally's performance remains a curious question mark, but that custom Xbox gaming mode? That's the genuine innovation that could make these devices shine, transforming the often-clunky Windows handheld experience into something truly streamlined.
We'll have to see if this new mode truly delivers when the reviews drop ahead of the October 16th launch. Will it be enough to justify the price, especially for those Stateside punters? Only time, and a good few hours of testing, will tell. But one thing's for sure: the handheld PC arena just got a whole lot more interesting.
This dive into handheld economics and wizardry was inspired by James Archer's excellent reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun.
Tags: Handheld Gaming, ROG Ally, Xbox, PC Gaming, Hardware
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun