The ROG Xbox Ally, one of the first Xbox handheld devices from Microsoft in collaboration with Asus, is now available at a $100 discount on Best Buy and at Amazon. Launched at a retail price of $599, you can grab the ROG Ally X for $499, which is probably the biggest price drop since its launch last year.
The ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X are more or less similar to the original ROG Ally and Ally X, with a slightly refreshed design including large Xbox controller-style contoured grips, and updated internals including AMD’s latest-gen Ryzen Z2 series chips optimized for handheld consoles.
The ROG Xbox Ally is powered by the entry-level Ryzen Z2 A processor, which is the entry point into AMD's Ryzen Z2 lineup with a four-core/eight-thread CPU based on AMD’s Zen 2 architecture, an RDNA 2 GPU with eight cores, boost clock speeds of 3.8 GHz, and a configurable TDP range of 6W to 20W. In terms of memory, you get 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 along with a 512GB M.2 2280 SSD, and a 60Wh battery.
The display on the ROG Xbox Ally measures 7-inches offering a 1080p resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate, 500 nits of brightness, and support for VRR (variable refresh rate) and FreeSync Premium. It is a standard IPS LCD panel, not OLED, but overall, in our testing, we found the performance of the display to be fairly good and identical to the original ROG Ally.
Specifications | ROG Xbox Ally | ROG Xbox Ally X |
|---|---|---|
Display | 7-inch (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9 120Hz refresh rate FreeSync Premium Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection | 7-inch (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9 120Hz refresh rate FreeSync Premium Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection |
CPU | AMD Ryzen Z2 A | AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme |
Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 | 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 |
Storage | 512GB M.2 2280 SSD | 1TB M.2 2280 SSD |
I/O | -2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0 | -1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt 4 compatible -1x UHS-II microSD card reader -1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack |
Wireless connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4 |
Battery | 60Wh | 80Wh |
Operating system | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
Weight | 670g | 715g |
The device is powered by Windows 11, but can directly boot into the Xbox Full Screen Experience, which feels significantly better for handhelds than standard Windows. It looks similar to the Xbox app, featuring a home screen with recently played games, along with access to your Game Pass and game library from various platforms like Steam, Epic Games, Battle.net, GOG Galaxy, and Ubisoft Connect.
At $100 off, the ROG Xbox Ally X is now a far more tempting buy than it was at launch. While it may not be the most powerful handheld on the market, it’s more than capable for casual and mid-tier gaming. If you’ve been waiting for a price drop to jump into handheld PC gaming, this deal makes a lot of sense.
If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.
