Release date, specs, price and more

After years of speculation and rumours, the Xbox handheld is finally real – Microsoft and Asus have partnered to bring two new handheld consoles to market.

Here we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, including their release date, spec sheets and what we might expect them to be priced at.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally release date

Microsoft announced that both handhelds are targeting a ‘Holiday 2025’ release window, although it hasn’t been any more specific than that.

This would suggest a release later in 2025 so people can pick them up in time for Christmas. Previous big Microsoft hardware launches – the Xbox One and Xbox Series X consoles – launched in November of their respective years, which would make sense here.

Microsoft has said it will be providing more details on the console’s pre-order date in the coming months, so it makes sense to expect a concrete date soon.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally specs

For the spec sheet, here is a table that spells out the key differences between the two consoles:

We’ve rounded up the key differences between the two models in our ROG Xbox Ally vs Xbox Ally X comparison, although as a recap, here are the most startling ones:

• Processor – the ROG Xbox Ally X comes with AMD’s flagship Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, with 8 Zen 5 cores, 16 threads and 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores. By comparison, the ROG Xbox Ally comes with AMD’s Ryzen Z2A chip with four Zen 2 cores and eight threads, as well as eight RDNA 2 GPU cores.
• RAM – There is also a difference in the RAM quantities and speeds, with the ROG Xbox Ally X coming with 24GB of LPDDR5-8000, while the ROG Xbox Ally has 16GB of LPDDR5-6400.
• Battery capacity – The ROG Xbox Ally X also has a larger battery, with an 80Wh cell against the Xbox Ally’s 60Wh option.
• Storage – The ROG Xbox Ally X has a 1TB capacity internal SSD, and the ROG Xbox Ally has a 512GB one.
• USB-C port – The ROG Xbox Ally X also has one advanced USB4 Type-C port and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, while the ROG Xbox Ally has two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports. Both also have a MicroSD reader and a 3.5mm combo jack.

In terms of similarities, both variants benefit from the same 7-inch Full HD (1920×1080) resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium variable refresh rate to eliminate any screen juddering and tearing.

Cosmetically, the ROG Xbox Ally X is black while the non-X is white, and they both come with the same enlarged grips as the standard Xbox Wireless Controller with hall-effect analogue sticks for enhanced precision. The -X model also has the same impulse triggers for more accurate rumble as those Xbox controllers.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally Price

There have been no confirmed prices of either handheld just yet, as neither Microsoft, nor Asus, has disclosed them. Expect to see these confirmed in the coming months alongside those pre-orders

With this in mind, we can make a reasonably educated guess. The previous ROG Ally with the Ryzen Z1 chip launched at $599.99 in June 2023, while the ROG Ally X with the Z1 Extreme launched at $799.99 in July 2024.

Previous rumours have indicated that the standard Xbox Ally would clock in at between $499 and $599, which would make sense considering the pricing of key competition, such as both the Steam Deck OLED 512GB at $549 and the Nintendo Switch 2 at $449.99.

Given the more premium internals of the ROG Ally Xbox X, it would make sense for it to command a higher price, probably more towards the $750 and $900. In addition, other premium handhelds such as the Zotac Zone and MSI Clear AI 8+ sit at $799 and $899 respectively, and come with similarly stacked spec sheets to the top-end Xbox handheld.

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