The ROG Xbox Ally launched to solid reviews this past week, with many praising its performance capabilities in a vacuum, while criticizing the cost and questioning how much of an Xbox product this really is. Well, we now know that at least when it comes to pricing, Microsoft gave free rein to Asus to ask what it felt was right for the hardware. In a new interview with Variety, Xbox President Sarah Bond detailed how the company developed the Xbox ROG Ally with Asus, along with teasing next-gen hardware to come.
Xbox is one of three players in the mainstream console market, alongside PlayStation and Nintendo. These three differentiate themselves from PC by offering an integrated package that has a much better value proposition. For instance, even today, the PS5 hardware for ~$500 is a great deal, considering similar performance would likely cost you more on PC. That's what makes the Xbox ROG Ally a wild card, because it isn't exactly affordable — $599 for the base unit and $999 for the Xbox Ally X is a bold demand.
"That is all of their insight into the market, into the feature set, into what people want, to determine the ultimate prices of the devices,” said Sarah Bond, confirming that the company relied on Asus' experience in handhelds to get to the final price. While early leaks hinted at a $549 price for the base model and $899 for the upgraded Ally X, it turned out to be even more expensive when Microsoft officially unveiled the pricing, causing an uproar in the community.
Despite the steep costs, the more expensive ROG Ally X sold out on the Microsoft Store when pre-orders opened, and sales have been consistent, according to Xbox itself, with Sarah recalling, "The reaction was overwhelming demand for the device... I feel really good about the value that we’re giving gamers for the price, based off the reception to the hardware." That's certainly a controversial statement that many won't agree with, especially considering how weak the Z2A-powered standard Xbox Ally is. It's more expensive than even a Series X but performs only slightly better than last-gen's Steam Deck in many tests.
Bond also hinted at Microsoft's next-gen hardware, which she says is in the prototyping and design stage. She said Microsoft's partnership with AMD would provide an opportunity to innovate and bring gamers a choice. Beyond rumors, we only have speculative fiction to gossip over, so let's just hope that Magnus (the name of the APU it's said to be using), being a mainline Xbox console, is more competitively priced when it arrives.
Despite the setbacks, Xbox and Asus have cooked up a competent handheld that, if it weren't for the pricing, would've been a slam dunk like the Steam Deck. Not to mention that such a partnership could yield cheaper, more attractive options in the future, now that the existing ROG Ally platform has already been utilized once. If you're interested in getting your hands on an Xbox ROG Ally, then make sure to check out our guide on where to buy one.
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