- Microsoft and Xbox indicate that Asus is responsible ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally pricing
- Prominent leaker, Moore’s Law Is Dead, states that ROG Xbox Ally X supply is low
- Resupplies of the device reportedly won’t come any time soon
It’s not been long since the launch of the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, and it appears as though the controversial pricing of the higher-end ROG Xbox Ally X may have had more to do with its manufacturer than Microsoft and Xbox, amid some supply concerns.
As reported by Notebookcheck, Xbox President Sarah Bond revealed that Microsoft relied on Asus to ‘determine the ultimate prices of the devices’. This comes at the same time as supply leaks from Moore’s Law Is Dead (MLID), which suggests that ROG Xbox Ally X stock is scarce and may not have steady resupplies.
The ROG Xbox Ally X, the more powerful variant using AMD‘s Ryzen Z2 Extreme, starts at $999 / £799 / AU$1,599, which has been the point of contention for many consumers (including me), especially when considering the lack of a performance leap it makes from the Asus ROG Ally or Asus ROG Ally X using the Ryzen Z1 Extreme.
It’s also worth noting that MLID’s source, which is a major unnamed US retailer, hinted at more stock available for the ROG Xbox Ally using the weaker Ryzen Z2 A processor, but consumers aren’t opting for this model, likely due to its $599 / £499 / AU$999 price. The supply situation with the ROG Xbox Ally X is also compared to that of Nvidia‘s RTX 5080 launch, which was hardly available at launch.
These supply leaks may go a long way to indicate a few things, but a notable one could be that Microsoft and Xbox may not have been completely confident in the launch of its ROG Xbox Ally devices in terms of sales, specifically the ROG Xbox Ally X due to its high $999 price, potentially made evident by a supposed lack of supply at launch and rumors pointing towards little to no urgency for resupply.
While the Xbox Ally X may be sold out, it doesn’t necessarily indicate huge success in terms of sales, specifically if these limited supply leaks are legitimate.
Sarah Bond’s comments on pricing almost sound like ‘it’s something Asus saw fit’ to shift the heat of the controversy away from Microsoft, but the Xbox President also didn’t shy away from backing up Asus’ price tags, stating ‘the reaction was overwhelming demand for the device’ and ‘feeling really good about the value for gamers for the price’, and frankly, that’s may not resonate with consumers.
Analysis: the ROG Xbox Ally X’s paper launch sounds like the ideal strategy to suggest success
You could say it’s a bit of stretch, but it sounds like the paper launch for the ROG Xbox Ally X handheld has been perfect for Microsoft to strategically claim the device was a major success sales-wise, but in fact, it seems to be mostly sold out due to a lack of supply.
It wouldn’t be a surprise either, considering what the device has to offer; the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is within the same price region as the ROG Xbox Ally X, and delivers better performance thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, all on a larger 8-inch display. The Lenovo Legion Go 2 (although ridiculously overpriced) has an OLED screen starting around the same price as the ROG Xbox Ally X, providing better value as well.
These factors make a potential move to the Xbox handheld less appealing to consumers, and I’m willing to bet that if supply were at least slightly more plentiful, then it wouldn’t be the same story.
It’s also still early days, so it will be hard to grasp just how well the handheld has done right now – but I won’t be surprised if significant price drops come into place later down the line due to a lack of purchases, including the ROG Xbox Ally, which is seemingly already sitting idly on shelves.
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