Affordable Xbox Ally Drops Price, Rivals Steam Deck

Price hikes for gaming handhelds are coming in hot and fast across the board thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis.

Yet, one gaming handheld that’s managed to escape this hike thus far (at least in the US) is the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally, a modest device built for portable Xbox gaming that’s currently available at a 17% discount for $499.99 at Amazon.

The Xbox Ally on display. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

The Xbox Ally is one of Steam Deck’s biggest direct competitors as it features similar performance levels for playing games thanks to its advanced AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, 16GB RAM, and 7-inch IPS display with a 120Hz Variable Refresh Rate (VRR).

With these specs, the Xbox Ally can easily run low-end to AA budget games at 60fps and 1080p resolutions. Although it will have some trouble running intensive, demanding AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 5 at high graphical settings compared to its big brother, the Xbox Ally X.

That’s where the similarities end, as the Xbox Ally has a few advantages over the Steam Deck.

These include the ability to stream Xbox games via Xbox Cloud Gaming and PC games via NVIDIA GeForce NOW with little to no lag, superior ergonomic grips that are more comfortable to hold for long periods of time, and compatibility with more digital storefronts to download games from due to being outfitted with Windows 11.

The only things that hold the Xbox Ally back are its lack of performance-boosting HYPR-RX support, low battery life for playing AAA titles unplugged (1 to 2 hours to be precise), and a moderate 512GB SSD (thankfully, you can enhance it with one of the best MicroSD cards for Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X).

If you can look past those flaws, then the Xbox Ally is one of the best gaming handhelds you can buy if you’re a fan of Xbox or PC gaming on the go.

If this gaming handheld sounds like your ally, then now’s the best time to get an Xbox Ally using this $499.99 at Amazon, as this could potentially be the last time it’s sold for so low before it gets price-hiked high like it is in Japan or like how the Xbox Ally X has been price-hiked in Australia.

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FAQ

Can Xbox Ally play my existing Xbox library?

Yes it can so long as your games are PC-compatible via Xbox App, PC Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere.

Can Xbox Ally play Steam, Epic, or other PC games?

Yes it can as it runs Windows 11, allowing the Xbox Ally access to digital storefronts like Steam, GOG, EA App, Ubisoft Connect, and Battle.net and download games from them.

Can it play games offline?

Yes it can, although some games will require the internet to access online multiplayer some Xbox app titles will require an internet connection every two weeks to verify its license.