The Asus ROG Xbox Ally is on sale for its lowest price yet at Amazon. Normally $600, the official Xbox gaming handheld is up for grabs for only $490 for a limited time. It’s unclear when this deal ends, but you’ll also find the recently released handheld on sale at Walmart ($499), Best Buy ($500), and Target ($550).
This isn’t the first time the Xbox Ally has received a discount. On November 29, Best Buy and Amazon discounted the device to $500. That deal was only available for three hours as a Black Friday flash deal, so it was easy to miss.
$490 (was $600)
The ROG Xbox Ally is an entry-level Windows gaming handheld with impressive features and performance for the price. The Ryzen Z2 A chip is comparable to Steam Deck’s custom AMD APU, and if you increase the TDP–at the expense of battery life–the Xbox Ally can outperform the Steam Deck OLED. For reference, the Steam Deck OLED 512GB model retails for $549.
The Xbox Ally has a 1920 x 1080p IPS display with 120Hz refresh rate and support for VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium. If you’re comparing to the Steam Deck OLED, Valve’s handheld has a 7.4-inch 1280 x 800p OLED display with HDR and 90Hz refresh rate. So the Steam Deck wins in panel type and size, but the Xbox Ally wins in resolution and refresh rate. That said, to get the best performance on Xbox Ally, you will often want to lock the resolution at 720p, so the Xbox Ally doesn’t always take full advantage of its advantages.
The Xbox Ally is arguably the most comfortable Windows gaming handheld on the market today. Asus opted for the PlayStation Portal approach by essentially splitting the Xbox Wireless Controller in half and connecting it to each side. Along with all of the buttons, triggers, and bumpers found on the Xbox Wireless Controller, the Xbox Ally has two remappable back buttons. It also has motion controls and HD haptics.
One of the big selling points of the Xbox Ally is the custom, console-inspired dashboard that is easier to use than the traditional Windows interface. The Xbox Ally has a 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, a microSD UHS-II card slot to expand storage capacity, two USB-C ports, and a headphone jack.
Game Pass Ultimate subscribers have a built-in library of hundreds of games for the Xbox Ally. Whether you already have a subscription or not, you’ll want to purchase your membership from a major retailer instead of directly through Microsoft. The price of Game Pass Ultimate increased to $30/month in October, but major retailers still sell prepaid codes for $20/month.
Docking Stations for Xbox Ally
If you want to play your Xbox Ally on your TV or use it as a regular PC–you can switch to the standard Windows OS interface–you’ll need a USB-C docking station. The official Asus ROG Xbox Ally 100W Charger Dock will set you back $85 (was $100), but there are solid third-party options that work well and come with a stand. The JSAUX Docking Station & 100W Charger is available for $50 (was $70). This one is nice because it also comes with the AC adapter, so you’ll have a second charger. Another notable option is iVanky’s 14-in-1 RGB Docking Station for $57 (was $80). It doesn’t include an AC adapter, but it has more ports for accessories.
Carrying Cases for Xbox Ally
The official ROG Xbox Ally carrying case retails for $70. It does have a built-in stand, but $70 is still very expensive for a hardshell carrying case. Once again, third-party cases will save you a bunch of cash. Check out several of the best-selling travel cases on Amazon below:
microSD UHS-II Cards for Xbox Ally
As mentioned, you can expand the Xbox Ally’s storage with microSD cards. Unfortunately, the entry-level handheld is limited to UHS-II cards; the Xbox Ally X can read UHS-I cards, which are cheaper and easier to find in higher capacities. We’ve rounded up a few options below. The most affordable is Kodak’s 256GB microSD for $45.36.
- Kodak UHS-II microSD (300MB/s)
- Lexar Professional Gold UHS-II microSD (280MB/s)
- Nextorage UHS-II microSD (280MB/s)
which are pricier and not nearly as common as UHS-I cards. The Xbox Ally X can read UHS-I cards
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X launched October 16. We have yet to see a deal on the Ally X, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it happened soon considering this is the second time the entry-level model has received a discount.
The Xbox Ally isn’t the only deal on 2025 gaming hardware available now. The Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle is on sale for $449 (was $500) at Amazon and other major retailers.
The PlayStation Portal, including the Midnight Black edition that launched earlier this year, is discounted to $179 at Amazon and Walmart during PlayStation’s holiday sale.
