Microsoft has confirmed release date and availability information for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, its upcoming gaming handhelds made by Asus, but notably held off on confirming how much the devices will cost.
Speaking to IGN today at Gamescom, Microsoft and Asus said the companies still needed "more time to figure out the macro-economic impact to pricing". The statement comes amid a backdrop of frequently shifting market conditions, fuelled by ever-changing US tariffs.
The decision to confirm the widely-expected October 16 ROG Xbox Ally X release date but simultaneously hold back on sharing pricing details comes as a major surprise, following multiple reports by the reliable retail site Dealabs that appeared to pin down the dollar and euro price points for both the ROG Xbox Ally X and its lower-powered twin, the ROG Xbox Ally.
Those reports correctly stated the handhelds' now-confirmed October 16 release date, adding to their legitimacy, while also stating that pre-orders would open today, August 20, once launch details were public. Obviously, with final pricing now left up in the air, pre-orders have been left to go live another day.
"This is always a challenge," Jason Ronald, Microsoft's vice president of Xbox gaming devices & ecosystem, told me, replying to a question from IGN in a roundtable interview, "and you always try to find the right balance between affordability and price point, and I think especially in a mobile form factor that also adds in dimensions such as battery life in as well. And then, as you said, the macro-economic climate is challenging."
"I think we will have to... we need more time to figure the macro-economic impact to pricing, and that's why we'll be sharing more later, in September and October," Asus senior vice president Shawn Yen added, speaking to IGN.
Dealabs previously stated that the ROG Xbox Ally X would cost €899, while the lower-powered ROG Xbox Ally would cost €599. Today, a fresh update from Dealabs stated that the handhelds' US prices would be $899 and $549, respectively. Time will tell if these prices end up shifting before Microsoft announces them itself.
Officially, Xbox has confirmed the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X will arrive on October 16 within Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, China (Xbox Ally X only), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam.
Details on availability within Brazil, India, Indonesia and Thailand will follow at a later date, as will details of the Xbox Ally (rather than the Ally X)'s arrival in China "early next year."
As part of the same interview, we also asked Ronald about Microsoft's internal plans to make a first-party Xbox handheld, following a report that suggested the idea had been sidelined.
Xbox Hardware Boss Says 'Who Knows What the Future Entails' Following Report Company Had Sidelined First-Party Handheld Plans