The Steam Deck is currently facing stock issues in the U.S., and things are not any better elsewhere. According to Japanese publication Otaku Souken, the ROG Xbox Ally X handheld has surged in price by ¥30,000 (around $200). The handheld was originally priced ¥139,800 ($913) and now costs ¥169,800 ($1,109). Reports suggest that ASUS itself has intentionally increased these prices in Japan.
A similar price increase was seen in Australia. The ROG Xbox Ally X was once AU$1,599, but it now costs AU$1,799. In U.S. dollar terms, that’s an increase of over $280! This is quite a significant price hike, especially considering you can buy a Nintendo Switch 2 for AU$700 in Australia. A PC handheld certainly gives you more flexibility than the Switch 2, but it won’t be worth nearly triple the price for most people.
Why The Sudden Price Increase?
The ROG Xbox Ally X sold well, despite always having a premium price tag to boot. The base ROG Ally initially launched at $600, while the Ally X launched at $1000. That’s already more than the price of most consoles. Now, PC handhelds fall into an entirely different niche, and if Steam Deck numbers are anything to go by, people are willing to pay for it. However, with an average price increase of over $200 in major regions, it’s a very tough sell.
These price hikes indicate that other regions will follow suit. Even the Steam Deck is facing stock issues in the U.S. The main reason behind these stock and pricing issues is obviously the ongoing RAM shortage. Memory is a hot commodity right now, with AI datacenters from companies like Nvidia, OpenAI, Amazon, and Microsoft having high demands.
The writing has been on the wall for a while now, and things are only going to get worse soon before they get better later. This also indicates that other PC handheld manufacturers like Lenovo, MSI, and Ayaneo will face similar issues. If you’ve been thinking about buying a PC handheld and have the means for it, get it now. Of course, that’s assuming you can find any in stock at a reasonable price.
