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📉 Amazon has cut the price of the Xbox-branded Asus ROG Xbox Ally by $100
🤔 This makes it cheaper than Microsoft’s own store, where the handheld is also out of stock
💪 The ROG Xbox Ally is powered by AMD’s Ryzen Z2 A processor, and comes with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 7-inch 1080p 120Hz screen
🎮 It also has a comfortable frame that’s reminiscent in look and feel of an Xbox controller
Amazon has slashed the price of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally down to $499.99 in a surprising discount that makes Microsoft’s handheld one of the most affordable options.
As things stand, Microsoft’s own store still has it at the $599.99 MSRP, where it’s ironically out of stock, making this reduction from Amazon better in terms of both price and availability.
As the base model in the lineup of the collaborative handhelds between Asus and Microsoft, the ROG Xbox Ally comes with AMD’s Ryzen Z2 A chip, a close relative of the one you’ll find in the Steam Deck, meaning it’s a reasonable choice for 720p and some 1080p gaming with four Zen 2 cores, eight threads and an eight Compute Unit RDNA-2 based iGPU.
The ROG Xbox Ally also features a decent capacity 60Wh battery, the same as the non-Xbox model, plus 16GB of LPDDR5-6400 RAM and a decent capacity 512GB SSD. With an M.2 2280 form factor, this SSD is also easily replaceable with more conventional-sized drives if you need more storage.
This handheld also comes with a solid 7-inch 1920x1080 IPS screen that’s plenty bright and responsive thanks to a 120Hz refresh rate. While it may not be an OLED panel, Asus said it was a trade-off between variable refresh rate and OLED powers, and it chose the former both here and on the dearer Asus ROG Xbox Ally X model – as such, it has AMD FreeSync Premium.
The ROG Xbox Ally excels in my book with its ergonomics, coming with the same chunky grips as a normal Xbox controller, plus a clean white colorway and Xbox branding, as you’d expect.
There’s also a downwards-sloping screen to help with comfort, and a familiar Xbox button layout with diagonally-opposing thumbsticks, a D-Pad, ABXY buttons, plus shoulder buttons and triggers on the top side. There you’ll also find the ROG Xbox Ally’s ports, with it coming with a pair of USB-C ports and a microSD card for easy expansion.
Up next: Nintendo Switch 2 deal: save $20 on Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 until May 9
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.
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