The Handheld War Heats up With Pre-Orders For ASUS ROG Xbox Ally
- ASUS ROG Xbox Ally starts at $599.99, Ally X at $999.99, both with Windows 11 and Xbox Game Pass.
- Ally X boosts performance by 30% and doubles battery life; standard Ally offers 20% gains and 2x endurance compared to previous ROG Ally model.
- Competing with AYANEO’s KONKR and Lenovo’s $1,099+ Legion Go 2.
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Xbox on the Go
Handheld gaming is in something of a golden age right now with plenty of choices for gamers, whether they want to play retro classics or modern AAA titles on the go. First revealed in June, the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally is the latest salvo in the battle of premium handheld gaming consoles.
Created by ASUS under its Republic of Gamers brand, the Xbox Ally comes in two versions, with the Ally X being the “premium” model. Both can be pre-ordered from today by gamers in the US for an RRP of $999.99 for the X, and $599.99 for the standard Ally.
“One of our core goals with the Xbox Ally was to deliver a distinctly Xbox experience in the palm of your hands,” Xbox said in a press release. “With the Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally, you can look forward to an approachable gaming experience that travels with you wherever you go, featuring several new and first-of-their-kind features on both devices.”
Now You’re Playing With Power
Nintendo might have tried literal handheld gaming when it released the Power Glove in 1989, but even that company’s nerds couldn’t have foreseen just how far actual handheld gaming would come in the almost 30 years since. While Nintendo has cornered the market on mixing handhelds with consoles with the Switch 2, it hasn’t released anything that can realistically compete with the Steam Deck.
The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally is a contender. Powered by an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor in the X version and an AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor in the default device, both Ally models pack the gaming punch promised a few months ago. Presented as an “Xbox full screen experience,” the Ally runs on Windows 11, features an Xbox button to quickly access the Game Bar, and three months of Xbox Game Pass.
“During testing on pre-release hardware, the ROG Xbox Ally X delivered up to a 30% performance increase in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Doom: The Dark Ages compared to the previous-generation ROG Ally X,” ASUS said in a press release, to give an idea on the technical oomph built-in to the new Xbox Ally models.
“The battery endurance of the ROG Xbox Ally X gives it up to twice the battery life when playing Hollow Knight: Silksong. As for the ROG Xbox Ally, performance is boosted up to 20% in Forza Horizon 5 and Gears of War: Reloaded, and has up to 110% more battery life versus ROG Ally X.”
Round Two: Xbox Ally Opponents
The price of the Ally handhelds might put some gamers off, but to be fair only the X model is being sold as a “premium” version. Gamers with the cash to spare might be tempted to grab one of these, but for those who like to play other types of games from other operating systems on their high-end handhelds, there are other recent options available.
Perhaps most notable is AYANEO’s recently unveiled KONKR line of premium handhelds at budget prices. The Japanese tech company has been on a real tear lately, revealing and releasing several new devices across its various lines, but the Pocket Fit is the closest to a Steam Deck equivalent, and one that handles Android games alongside AAA titles.
Lenovo announced the Legion Go 2 earlier this month, which is arguably the biggest competitor the Ally will have to face. Functionally, the Legion Go 2 offers the same kind of experience as the Ally models but with detachable controllers and the option to switch out Windows for SteamOS. It does, however, come with an eye-watering price tag of $1,099.99, which can go up to $1,479.99 for 2TB of storage.
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