Microsoft and ASUS have opened pre-orders for two handheld gaming machines, the ROG Xbox Ally X at $999 and the ROG Xbox Ally at $599, a pairing that asks buyers to decide how much of a portable powerhouse they truly need. The $400 distance between them is not arbitrary but mirrors a generational divide in silicon, with the premium model carrying newer processing and more memory. As the devices await their arrival next month, their prices stand as a quiet test of how far a player will reach for performance, and whether the world's shifting trade costs will allow those numbers to hold.
Microsoft's ROG Xbox Ally X Opens Pre-Orders at $999, Standard Ally at $599
A $400 gap, split between a Zen 5 chip and a Zen 2 one
Mark
So what actually happened here? Pre-orders opened?
Mimi
Yes. Microsoft confirmed $999 for the ROG Xbox Ally X and $599 for the standard Ally, and retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and the ROG Store have listings.
Mark
That's a $400 gap. What is the money buying?
Mimi
Mostly the chip. The Ally X has a Zen 5 processor with 8 cores, 24 GB of memory and a 50 TOPS NPU. The standard Ally has a 4-core Zen 2 chip, 16 GB, and no NPU.
Luke
Worth flagging that the source itself is inconsistent. It says 1 TB of storage for the Ally X in the spec rundown, but every listing says 512 GB.
Mimi
And the Amazon entry calls the $999 , 24 GB device the standard Ally. That looks like a typo, but the article doesn't say so.
Mark
The writer says the cheaper model should cost $500. Is that a finding?
Luke
No. It's his personal view, and nothing in the piece shows what Microsoft's costs or margins are.
Mark
And the tariff warning?
Luke
It's a reasonable worry, since console prices have moved recently. But the article offers no sign that handheld prices are changing. It's speculation, so the push to pre-order now is the writer's advice, not news.
Mimi
What is solid is the launch pricing and the specs. Availability is expected next month, and that's when we'll see whether the prices hold.
Der Puls
- Pre-orders for the two handhelds went live at several US retailers, and the listings already show the ROG Xbox Ally X at $999 and the ROG Xbox Ally at $599.
- A $400 gap splits the lineup, with the Ally X running a newer Zen 5 chip and an NPU while the standard model keeps an older Zen 2 processor and 16 GB of memory.
- A mislabeled Amazon listing shows the standard Ally carrying the Ally X's $999 price and 24 GB spec, forcing buyers to double-check what they are actually ordering.
- Tariff pressure, seen in recent console price adjustments, casts doubt on whether these launch prices will survive until availability next month.
Microsoft and ASUS have opened pre-orders for two handheld gaming machines, the ROG Xbox Ally X at $999 and the ROG Xbox Ally at $599, a pairing that asks buyers to decide how much of a portable powerhouse they truly need. The $400 distance between them is not arbitrary but mirrors a generational divide in silicon, with the premium model carrying newer processing and more memory. As the devices await their arrival next month, their prices stand as a quiet test of how far a player will reach for performance, and whether the world's shifting trade costs will allow those numbers to hold.
Pre-orders are now open for the two handheld gaming PCs Microsoft built with ASUS. The ROG Xbox Ally X sits at $999 and the standard ROG Xbox Ally at $599, and several US retailers have already put up listings, including Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, AntOnline and the ROG Store.
The $400 gap follows real hardware differences. The Ally X runs a Zen 5 Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme with 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units, an NPU rated at 50 TOPS, and 24 GB of fast memory. The standard Ally uses an older Zen 2 Ryzen Z2A with 16 GB of memory, a smaller integrated GPU, and no NPU. Both share a 7-inch, 120Hz IPS display, though the Amazon listing mislabels the standard model with the Ally X's price and specs, and the Ally X's storage figure differs between the spec sheet and retail listings.
The Wccftech writer suggests the standard model would feel more attractive near $500, while the Ally X justifies its premium. That is his opinion, not an official figure. He also points to tariffs, noting that Microsoft and Sony have recently adjusted console prices, which could reach these handhelds too. That concern is part of his reasoning for pre-ordering now. Availability is expected next month, and the launch prices will be tested by then.
Pre-orders are now open for the two handheld gaming PCs Microsoft built with ASUS: the ROG Xbox Ally X at $999 and the standard ROG Xbox Ally at $599. Both devices were announced in June, and Microsoft has now confirmed the prices while several US retailers have put up listings.
The retailer list is fairly broad. The Ally X, in a 24 GB and 512 GB configuration, appears at $999 through Best Buy, Amazon and the ROG Store. The standard Ally, in a 16 GB and 512 GB configuration, is listed at $599 at AntOnline, Best Buy, Walmart and the ROG Store. One oddity in the listings: the Amazon entry is labeled as the standard Ally but carries the $999 price and the 24 GB specification, which matches the Ally X, so it appears to be a labeling slip rather than a different product.
The $400 gap tracks a real difference in hardware. The Ally X runs AMD's Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, a Zen 5 chip with up to 8 cores and 16 threads, clocks up to 5 GHz, 16 MB of L3 cache and 8 MB of L2. Its power range is 15 to 35 watts, with 28 watts as the default. The graphics side is 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units running at up to 2900 MHz, and the chip includes an XDNA 2 neural processing unit rated at 50 TOPS.
Around that chip, the Ally X has a 7-inch, 120Hz display with a maximum resolution of 1080p, 24 GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory, and a battery of 70Wh or 80Wh. The source lists its storage as 1 TB in the spec rundown, though the retail listings show 512 GB, so the shipping configuration is worth confirming before buying.
The standard Ally uses the same kind of IPS display but steps down elsewhere. It carries 16 GB of LPDDR5-6400 memory, a 512 GB M.2 SSD that can be upgraded, and a 60Wh battery. Its processor is the Ryzen Z2A, built on the older Zen 2 architecture, with 4 cores, 8 threads and clocks up to 3.8 GHz. Cache is 4 MB of L3 and 2 MB of L2, and the power range is 6 to 20 watts, with 15 watts as the default. Graphics come from an RDNA 2 integrated GPU with 8 compute units at 1800 MHz, and there is no NPU.
Wccftech's writer argues that, given the performance distance, the lower-end model would be more attractive at around $500, while the Ally X can hold its premium positioning. That is his opinion, not a figure from Microsoft or ASUS.
He also points to tariffs as a reason prices might not hold. Microsoft and Sony have both adjusted prices on their standard consoles recently, and the handhelds could be affected too, which is his reasoning for pre-ordering now. Availability is expected next month, so the next thing to watch is whether the launch prices survive until then.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The lower-end model would be more attractive priced around $500, while the Ally X can hold its premium positioning.— Wccftech writer (opinion)
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