A Spanish Asus retail partner, Asusbymacman, accidentally leaked prices for the highly anticipated ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X handhelds this week. The listings—quickly pulled but not before being archived—revealed the devices’ premium positioning, with the Ally X model priced notably higher than its predecessor. Though exact figures remain unconfirmed, industry insiders suggest the Ally X could cost upwards of $800, positioning it as a direct competitor to high-end portable PCs like the Steam Deck OLED and Lenovo Legion Go.
Asusbymacman’s fleeting listings hinted at robust specs: AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processors, 120Hz VRR displays, and enhanced cooling for the Ally X. However, the leak did little to stifle skepticism from industry veterans. Critics argue that Microsoft’s fragmented hardware strategy—prioritizing software and cloud streaming over dedicated Xbox devices—undermines the need for an "Xbox-branded" handheld.
Why Critics Aren’t Convinced
The backlash intensified when Seamus Blackley, founding father of the original Xbox, publicly panned the concept in a blistering op-ed: "Xbox hardware is dead. Buying a locked-down Xbox handheld in 2024 makes zero sense when devices like the Steam Deck already play Game Pass natively." His critique echoes broader concerns: Why invest in proprietary Xbox hardware when Microsoft’s games are increasingly platform-agnostic?
Analysts note that the Ally’s success hinges on exclusives or aggressive pricing—neither of which materialized in the leak. "Unless it runs Xbox-exclusive titles not available on PC Game Pass, it’s just another Windows handheld with green branding," says tech journalist Ben Maxwell.
The Bigger Picture
Asus’ partnership with Xbox aims to leverage the ROG ecosystem’s engineering prowess, but software integration remains murky. Early reports suggest the Ally devices will boot into a custom Xbox OS mode, yet function as standard Windows 11 machines—blurring their unique value. With Xbox’s first-party titles like Indiana Jones and Starfield confirmed for PlayStation, critics question the target audience: "Is this for die-hard Xbox fans who want portability? They’ve had cloud gaming for years," argues Blackley.
What’s Next?
Asus is expected to officially unveil the devices ahead of June’s Xbox Showcase. If the leaked prices hold, the burden will be on Microsoft to justify the premium—or risk another hardware misstep in a market where Sony’s Project Q already stumbled. For now, the leaked listings fuel more doubts than hype, proving that in the battle for handheld supremacy, specs alone won’t silence the skeptics.
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