Everything You Need to Know About the ROG Xbox Ally Launch

The ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming device is rumored to launch on October 16. This information comes from Dealabs, a well known source for industry leaks. Pricing reports suggest the Xbox Ally will cost about 599 euros or 699 dollars, while the Xbox Ally X might be priced at 899 euros or 1050 dollars. These prices are based on European reports, so prices or release dates might be different in the United States or Asia.

Microsoft's Xbox division has been moving away from making exclusive gaming hardware and is making more deals with third party companies. Some people in the industry think that Xbox hardware is becoming less important as Microsoft shifts its focus to becoming more of a game publisher.

The ROG Xbox Ally X will use the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme APU. Early tests show that while it is better than the previous model, there could still be issues with the memory bandwidth. Both the Ally and Ally X perform about the same when set side by side with similar power limits and high resolution settings. The main difference you might notice is a small improvement in games like Cyberpunk 2077, but nothing groundbreaking for the extra money.

There are already many other options for handheld gaming PCs on the market. For example, the Legion Go with Z1 Extreme costs around 800 dollars and the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus with an Intel chip is about 900 dollars. With so many choices, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X need to offer something unique to stand out, especially given their high prices.

Recent company decisions at Microsoft, such as large layoffs and shareholder investigations, make some buyers hesitant to support new Xbox hardware. However, there is some good news. When the Ally is released, popular games like Hollow Knight Silksong will be available right away on Xbox Game Pass. This gives gamers something to look forward to, even if they are not sure about buying the new handheld device.

Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pcs/the-rog-xbox-ally-will-reportedly-launch-in-october-but-im-still-not-convinced-theres-a-good-enough-reason-to-buy-it-yet/