During a livestream at Gamescom, Xbox finally revealed the release date for its highly anticipated new handheld. The ROG Xbox Ally will arrive on October 16th, with pre-orders anticipated to begin in the coming weeks. However, Microsoft has yet to reveal what the handheld console will actually cost. And the delay, which is allegedly due to monitoring economic conditions, is concerning.
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I’ve been keeping an eye on the developing handheld gaming market for a while now. With the Switch 2, Steam Deck, and now ROG Xbox Ally out there, picking a handheld console isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. We now have options. But those options are getting more expensive, especially in the United States, due to ongoing uncertainty with tariffs. And Xbox keeping a tight lid on its price for the ROG Xbox Ally doesn’t bode well for that final price tag.
ROG Xbox Ally X Price Rumored to Be Nearly $1000
Rumors about the pricing for the ROG Xbox Ally have been circulating for a while now. Though gamers might expect Xbox to be attempting competition with the Switch 2, the rumored pricing puts it well outside that range. Most rumors have narrowed in on an expected $550 USD price tag for the more affordable (and less powerful) Xbox ROG Ally. Meanwhile, the heftier Xbox ROG Ally X has been rumored to cost $900 USD.
At this price, the base model is $100 more than the current Switch 2 pricing, and the Ally X is well and above it. In fact, if the pricier model is truly $900 USD, it will be almost $300 more expensive than even the heftiest Steam Deck. This is a staggering price for any console, but especially a handheld, which is easier to damage thanks to its portability. I don’t know about you, but I’m not keen on carrying around something that’s worth nearly $1000 just waiting to drop it and send that money down the drain.
These rumored prices are shocking enough, making the ROG Xbox Ally X potentially the most expensive console on the market, let alone the priciest handheld. But with Microsoft declining to announce them, the rumors might not paint the full picture.
Silence Suggests Pending Price Increase Above Already Steep Rumors
Barring just plain not wanting to admit to what already look to be steep prices, there isn’t much of a reason for Microsoft to sit on the pricing for its new handheld console. To me, it seems likely that they don’t want to put the price out there just yet because they’re considering changing it. And in these times, “price change” is quickly becoming synonymous with “price increase.”
The Nintendo Switch 2 was announced amid an early wave of tariffs in the US. Because its price was already out there, Nintendo ultimately opted not to increase the cost of the Switch 2 in the US, at least not immediately. It’s possible Xbox is trying to avoid the same issue, waiting to announce pricing until it’s clearer how the pending August 29th tariff changes will impact market conditions. Rather than confirm the rumored price points, only to raise them due to potential impacts of tariffs, Microsoft may simply wait until after the changes go into effect to reveal the ROG Xbox Ally prices.
I can’t say I blame them, exactly. But it is a worrying trend for gamers, one that suggests the gaming hobby is only going to keep getting more expensive. As many games increase to $80 and older consoles get price hikes instead of decreases, it’s getting costly to stay up-to-date on games in 2025. If Xbox is waiting to confirm its ROG Xbox Ally pricing, it’s likely because those rumored prices may wind up being lower than the final result. And that’s bad news for gamers all around.
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