By “They clearly weren’t able to accomplish it for any reason”
Back in August at Gamescom 2025, we discovered the official launch date for the forthcoming ROG Xbox Ally handheld(s), yet Microsoft opted not to disclose the price or initiate pre-orders at that time due to a “difficult” macro-economic situation.
This choice appeared to be made at the eleventh hour, resulting in Best Buy unintentionally revealing prices for the US market – it was indicated that the ROG Xbox Ally would be priced at $549.99 while the Ally X would be set at $899.99.
Ultimately, these wouldn’t become the conclusive prices. Last week, Microsoft officially declared that the ROG Xbox Ally will be $599.99 and the Ally X will be $999.99 – and pre-orders are currently available in the US and globally.
So, what transpired here? Well, we understand that Microsoft has raised the prices of the Xbox Series X and S in the US specifically this month, so it stands to reason that the ROG Xbox Ally would also incur a price increase prior to its launch.
Nevertheless, a rumor originating from the Xbox Era podcast and later confirmed by the consistently reliable Tom Henderson at Insider Gaming, indicates that Microsoft and ASUS genuinely intended to “further subsidize” the cost of the ROG Xbox Ally – but clearly that did not pan out as expected.
This appears to have been based on input regarding the European prices initially leaked in June, and those prices have not altered since then – they were leaked as €599.99 and €899.99, which turned out to be accurate.
All of this should be viewed with skepticism as always, but undoubtedly Microsoft sought to make these devices as affordable as feasible. It’s a “difficult” environment as Team Xbox has pointed out currently, so it seems MS and ASUS couldn’t reach the price point they desired.
Regardless, these are poised to be exceptional handhelds upon their arrival on October 16th, and we are optimistic (and might we say, cautiously confident?) that they will justify the investment. We will discover the truth in just a few weeks!
Are you satisfied with the pricing of the ROG Xbox Ally? What do you think is the ideal price range? Share your thoughts below.
Fraser is the News Editor at Pure Xbox, where he dedicates his time to reporting on the most significant stories in the realm of Xbox and beyond.