‘Cheap’ and ‘reasonable’ are two words you won’t hear branded around too much these days when it comes to gaming.
Everything has risen in price, from subscriptions to games - affecting users across PC, Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation.
Hardware is very much in the same boat, so we shouldn’t be too surprised that Xbox’s next console release boasts a hefty price tag.
Earlier this year, Xbox unveiled the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X during its summer showcase.
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It was a showcase that perhaps lacked the wow factor of previous years, but the company’s collaboration with ASUS was a nice surprise.
Of course, this isn’t the native in-house handheld console that many Xbox fans have been dreaming of, but it’s the next best thing.
The Xbox ROG Ally is essentially a regular ol’ ROG Ally with additional Xbox branding and apps.
The handheld will allow you to play games both from your library and via Game Pass whilst simultaneously allowing access to Steam and the Epic Games Store.
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As for pricing, that wasn’t unveiled during the console’s initial reveal, but it has now been accidentally leaked by ASUS itself.
As spotted by 3D Juegos, the pricing appeared via a Google listing linking directly to the European ASUS store.
The Xbox ROG Ally X was shown on sale for €899, while the base model Xbox ROG Ally was listed at €599.
It’s hard to say exactly how ASUS and Xbox will adapt this price for other markets, but €599 converts to roughly £519 or $700.
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That’s … yeah, that’s big.
That puts the ‘X’ version of the console at around £780 or $1050. Oof.
Needless to say, fans are alarmed.
“Ain’t nobody buying that thing here,” reacted Reddit user CyberHyperPhoenix.
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“I still don’t get who this is for,” added Charming_Volume_8613.
“First console to sell zero units,” remarked LifeIsMeaningless143.
For the same price, you could buy yourself a decent PC or two Steam Decks.
It goes without saying that we should take all of this with a pinch of salt for now until ASUS or Xbox formally make an announcement.
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If you want this bit of kit though, I’d start preparing for the maximum wallet damage.