Where to buy the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally: pre-orders go live

Microsoft's ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X consoles are finally available for pre-order just weeks before their October 16th release date, with prices having just been revealed too.

The vanilla Xbox Ally, similar in performance to a Steam Deck, will cost a similar amount too: £499. Meanwhile, the Xbox Ally X will be a more premium offering at £799, but it could offer a big performance boost versus existing models. If you're interested in picking one up, we've rounded up all of the best places to place a pre-order in the UK or US.

So what's all the fuss about? Well, the Xbox Ally models are Microsoft's first official handheld consoles, though in truth they're more of a PC gaming device than a proper full-fat Xbox that can play any Xbox game. Still, Microsoft's special sauce ought to elevate these successors to Asus' popular ROG Ally devices, with both unique Xbox-style controls and a redesigned, reoptimised version of Windows on the way. Both devices also come with new AMD Ryzen Z2 processors, opening up the door to better performance and efficiency than earlier PC handhelds.

ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally - UK pre-order links

With that intro out of the way, let's get right into the retailers offering pre-orders right now, including direct links for each model. We'll start with UK retailers, then move onto their US equivalents.

ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally - US pre-order links

And now here are the American retailers offering the console for pre-order.

*Select the higher memory option to see the ROG Xbox Ally X - I've no idea why the Asus Store boffins have chosen to do it this way!

ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X specs

Impressions

I played the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X briefly at Gamescom, and came away impressed by the quality of the experience. The thicker design versus the original Xbox Ally devices makes for a comfier grip, while the Xbox-style controls also feel like a step forward - especially the Ally X with its Impact triggers.

The handhelds use the same 7-inch 1080p 120Hz VRR IPS display as the previous ROG Ally and ROG Ally X models, which works well enough - though OLED would be even nicer - and in terms of performance, both devices felt capable enough. The ROG Xbox Ally X could be one of the fastest PC handhelds on the market, thanks to that Z2 Extreme chipset, while the Ally is more Steam Deck adjacent in performance terms.

Finally, the software experience is a big step forward versus past Windows handhelds, with a streamlined version of Windows 11 that uses less system resources and comes with more handheld-optimised controls. This could be the secret sauce that makes these devices better than their closest competitors, but with these changes also coming to other Asus handhelds, we'll need to wait for reviews to get a better sense of how everything will shake out. At this point, though, the Xbox Ally models could be great value options at their respective price points.

Wrapping up

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X links as we find 'em.