Great deal on the ROG ALLY X, previously similar prices were reserved for refurbished versions, but this is new. Have picked myself one, but it should be noted that a newer version of this product will likely be released at the end of this year. Happy Gaming!
I tried with JB. They will price match the handheld, but won't deduct anything for the voucher, so still ends up a better deal at HN as much as I hate to say that.
Does the gift card apply to this order or do you then have to use it on a later order? You can get JB gift cards for 4-4.5% off to bring it closer.
Have to use it on a later order
If it's the same as with the Switch 2 preorders, the gift card only gives you a month to use it.
@Shenannigoat: Picked one up this afternoon. The guy in the shop wasn't sure about that, but he checked and gave me a 3 year gift card.
100%. I have the ROG Ally (not X) and the screen is tiny. 8” is the minimum.
At what point does it stop being feasible as a handheld? I have an OG Switch (6.2”) and Steam Deck (7”) and the Deck is already quite unwieldy after a while, especially lying down. The OP device is already 9g heavier than that.
Should wait for the xbox version? Or will you able to install the xbox version on this one?
Z2E will be 10-15% better, but the price will likely be 30-40% more than this.
The biggest issue with the original Rog Ally would be battery and RAM, both of which are addressed with the Ally X (double battery, 50% more RAM). We don't speak about the microSD card, but the X also supports standard eGPU rather than their proprietary thing. The Xbox version will likely be mostly selling ergonomics, but I don't see why the xbox handheld windows version isn't compatible with older devices, except that you might need to buy a product key as I'm not quite sure how they will manage the versioning.
but the price will likely be 30-40% more than this
Assuming that Microsoft / Xbox don't subsidise it … which I assume they won't. I really hope they will, but they won't.
I just used the same price as the current Ally X as an assumption, but if they do lock down the XBox software to the Xbox Rog Ally X, they may reduce the price. But that would be an L to consumers.
Also 24GB RAM compared to 16GB RAM and the Xbox Ally X will also have whatever that Xbox OS is (I'm assuming still Windows based) which should see it perform dramatically better than the based percentages.,
You're forgetting the AI NPU is enabled on that upcoming SKU, which means some form of AI upscaling can be performed, presumably somewhere between what Windows Auto Super Resolution and FSR 4 can achieve.
Graphics performance might be over 50% higher with everything utilised.
@jasswolf: Don't get too into those numbers. 50% these days means marginal actual improvements despite compute power.
@BusMan247: Given the bulk of what I'm referring to would be delivered via clocks and upscaling, no I directly mean 50% more FPS, and that might be a conservative estimate if the upscaler is any good.
For RT, it would be substantially more via RDNA 3.5 (16 CU) when compared against the Z1 Extreme (12 CU RDNA 3).
Yeah but if the original cost you less than $400 would you buy one?
I have an OG Rog Ally Extreme. Still works well for my needs, but I do wish it had a bit more RAM. Looking to upgrade the battery myself once its died a bit more - already did an SSD upgrade.
@FujinShu: That is not an easy venture and would stop getting any future bios updates. I'd rather just buy an X and sell the OG if it came to that.
@ATangk: I got non extreme upgrade to 1TB got a Docking Station. Runs fine on most games just bring the resolution down to 900p
As battery yeah not great but I don't play more than 2 hours per session
I got non extreme $380 so the value is a lot
That's weird. Just this afternoon I was pondering why Microsoft doesn't release an Xbox OS for PC handhelds, given the Xbox is basically a budget headless AIO PC.
Had nfi that's literally the plan.
I have so many questions.
Well the xbox version can't actually run xbox games. It's the first xbox that's an xbox that's not an xbox.
Probaby supports Xbox games via Xbox Gamepass Ultimate cloud streaming
Yeah, like any other PC
But its an Xbox which can play PS5/PC exclusives like Helldivers!
it's a console… emulating a console… disguised as another console.
It’s the first Xbox that can only play Xbox games that are coincidentally also released day and date on PC or receive a PC port later on.
xbox team might be cooking up a translation and emulation layer, if they are probably another 3 years away
i don't expect it'll be in time for the xbox portable maybe the next xbox console
If only we get quad channel lpddrx ram on the hx 370. If we did, then Microsoft should have enough horse power to brute force it and simply create a hypervisor to make these handheld pretend to be the Xbox Series S, the same they make the series xbox play xbone games.
will you able to install the xbox version on this one?
It hasn't been explicitly stated anywhere, but they have alluded to it.
It would surprise me if the Xbox version of Windows 11 doesn't eventually become readily available for anyone to install on any machine.
Well, thanks to steam OS being able to be installed by third party, and performs 15% better on average thanks to lower head room, it will be in Microsoft's priority now. They wouldn't want steam OS to gain anymore traction.
It's a shame this deal didn't come a few weeks ago. I got my son one for his birthday recently and he loves it.
lucky boy
Get one for yourself 😂
Screw that! Get one for me. His long forgotten son he never knew he had until just now.
Oh hai! It's me, ur son!
He is, but it was his 13th and almost the entire extended family from both sides contributed to this one gift.
Decent price for arguably the best handheld.
I bought a claw 7 (heavily discounted) which is great but the screen is much too small to enjoy.
I'm gonna be holding out for the Legion go 2 later in the year, excited for a huge oled screen with detachable controllers
Also bought a claw 7 recently haha. I don’t have any experience with other handhelds so this one is fine for me.
Funny enough I don’t mind the windows experience.
This was $800USD ($1235AUD) at launch in the USA. We got stiffed with $1600AUD. Now the Xbox version has been announced for this year with next gen Z2 processors, updated design and features, a highly needed streamlined user interface. The price of the hardware may be subsidised by Microsoft like the Steam Deck was by Valve, and will likely be distributed with a more consistent pricing structure across regions.
Probably no subsidisation, the Xbox Ally X will definitely be the same price.
If anything, I’d expect the price to increase here due to taxes, USD exchange rate and ASUS/Microsoft offsetting the US tariffs on the rest of the world.
The Xbox ally X will definitely be more expensive than the regular X when it releases. The Z1E processor is a much older chipset. The Z2E (hx 370) is still quite a pricey CPU. Just look at mini PCs with hx 370, they are going for nearly as much as the X with no screen, battery or controllers.
True, but the Xbox Ally X is more of a modified version of the HX 370, got the same iGPU Radeon 890M, CPU is still Zen5 based still which is good but less cores than your average 370, 8 compared to 12, which is plentiful still IMO, could cut some costs down.
I programmed my brain to regard the Australia Tax as a nominal fee we pay to not have to live in America.
You couldn't pay me to live there these days.
If the Legion Go stays with the same spec as the current prototype, we can expect that one to be pushing $2k on launch.
Nah, the world also gets a sell-to-America tax in the purchase price so that corporations can continue catering to Americans.
soooo tempted…i think i'm going to risk it and hope that JB is going to be a bit more competitive before EOFY ends.
Chillideck
Tempted but I'm going to skip for now. I was also tempted with Zotac in earlier deals but decided against buying it.
this or steam deck?
I like the idea of having my steam library on the steam deck and I want best batter life for travelling. This looks like it has much better specs than steam deck but battery life must be pretty poor to run all that hardware.
Well, battery wise, you're right, but not really.
The 780m on these things are 20% more efficient, with a better ram compared to the steam deck. So it needs to use less battery to do the same work.
However, steam deck has a 720p screen. Furthermore, steam OS is specially designed to have a better scheduler for the van gough CPU. Along with windows having a broken stand by battery draw, steam deck tends to have better battery in the real world, especially when running lower powered games.
The hope is that now that Steam OS can be flashed onto these devices, it will be optimised in the same way in the near future, and the battery should be better in the ally X in that scenario.
Thank you, good Sir. Much to think about
I have a steam deck. I love it. I stream games from my PC with moonlight and sunshine. GeForce Now with the native app they just released is great too.
Over 1k for this Handheld is hard to swallow. Might as well get Switch 2. I had my ROG Ally z1 non extreme much cheaper
You can buy the legion for $999 at office works. Or ask them to price beat webuy.com (physical store in Australia) so it becomes $855. Personally I'd hate having smaller screen I'm already having trouble with legion (25% bigger and higher resolution).
Webuy is Cex, used products
Kool.
Was worried about not pricing matching, guess got myself the best deal then.
My ideal price is around $800.
That would be an instant buy for me, I'm looking at the Z1 Extreme the only issue I have with it is the SD card issues
i don't believe the Ally X has the SD card issues, i think your thinking of the original Ally
Maybe further price drop after Xbox release their version?
Still too expensive. I'd rather buy a gaming laptop for that price
Which you can also salary sacrifice 😏
This is an interesting point, could you salary sacrifice these gaming handhelds and just call them "laptops"?
According to this HN promotion, Ally X is classified as a "Window 11 Computer".
@rhyme324: Curious to see if anyone has done this or could confirm what the receipt from HN displays.
You can't get much with 1k on gaming laptops you might as well buy a PS5 pro at this price
You need 1.8-2k for some decent gaming laptops which I'm not gonna waste money on
Unfortunately though, the ps5 pro won't bring my massive steam library to use.
Not trying to start a console vs PC war (gaming is gaming and that's awesome). But you shouldn't really bring a console into a comparison between two portable gaming PC'S
Yeah but for longevity I would prefer console. Was a PC gamer. I gave up chasing specs and spending on money PC hardware. I'm over it already after 20 years of PC gaming I switched to console never looked back
It just works and less expensive. You also get exclusives. PC gaming is niche now used to be more common
True that if you got a big Steam library you are locked in. I got many epic and steam games I don't touch. But I do have ROG ally z1 non extreme to play casual titles but not a 1k device
@neonlight: Complete opposite for me regarding longevity…I have found PCs are much better at that. I'm able to play a game I purchased 20 years ago on my PC with ease whilst on console I either need to pull out my old hardware or hope they have offered to "remake" and resell me the game.
Regarding the life of the hardware , nearly every PC build I have had outlasted that same generation of console. (I say nearly because the Xbox 360 and PS3 era was very unique in how long the hardware lasted before becoming "last gen", we don't see those massive performance jumps anymore in consoles)
Any time I upgrade to a better PC, my old PC still keeps living on. I.e. I handed down my old gaming PC to my little cousin, was great for his needs (fortnite, Minecraft, rocket league), my gaming PC before that is still getting used in the form of an arcade machine.
Whilst my old consoles either get stored away, or become a display piece.
The only areas where consoles win are performance per dollar (which they completely slay at), and some exclusives (which is happening less and less).
Do you get the gift card straight away? Been wanting a gaming handheld for awhile and there’s something I want for $110, was hoping to get it all in the one visit.
If you order online and pick up, you still need to wait for the gift card email after you collect. Not sure if you buy in store.
buy in store, get gift card immediately
I just bought a Z1 extreme for $400 on marketplace and it's a pretty awesome bit of gear. Would love the latest and greatest but 3x the price isn't 3 times the performance and the real beauty of these things are indie games and older titles imo.
I have a gaming PC for serious multiplayer games or for when I wanna play the latest AAA game.
Hook your PC up to your router with Ethernet and use parsec, and you'll get the best of both worlds.
Yeps, got my Ally X for $700. Checked it out and it was hardly used.
Use mine to play racing games and RPGs on the go.
$400 is a steal, even if it was $800 i wouldn't warrant upgrading to the X
Love mine
Looking back I bought this at release for $1440… Ouch.
same case with me bought ally for 1300+150 for extended warranty at launch sold it for 600 a year and half later
thats how the hw market rolls unfortunately
It's a bucket list item, I also want a Steam Deck (yes I tend to want multiple devices that do the same thing, can switch between them like changing socks/underwear daily lol) but yet to pull the trigger in purchasing.
Got one, thanks. Also used the voucher for a tcl nxtpaper 11 lte and only paid $105 for it, easy present for the in laws.
I bought the TCL14 last year, it's truly excellent. Very happy with it.
nice find! now to price match it with others :) Personally I will wait for a larger screen portable.