Don’t expect future Asus ROG gaming handhelds to get any cheaper
While handheld gaming PCs have become increasingly popular in recent years, it’s no secret that these portable wonders are often more expensive than your regular home console. That is very much the case for the Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X, both of which are usually more expensive than the cheapest Steam Deck or the Nintendo Switch OLED, but thanks to a new interview, we’ve got a better idea of Asus’ pricing philosophy, and honestly, it makes sense.
When asked by PC Guide, Asus confirmed that it doesn’t plan to “base the pricing of the ROG Ally on other handhelds in the market,” which seems to me like a coy way of saying that it isn’t planning on copying Valve’s notes by offering a cheaper handheld that sacrifices performance for affordability. However, there is a current exception to the rule, with the Asus ROG Ally, a top pick from our guide to the best handheld consoles, on sale for $399.99 via the official Asus website, which is the same price as the 256GB Steam Deck. That version of the original Ally isn’t quite as powerful as the later Z1X variant, though, which is significantly more expensive at $549.99.
In the full quote, Asus offered a detailed reason for its pricing structure, telling the publication, “Our goal is to deliver gamers an excellent experience with access to any game collection, any Windows app, any game store all with great performance, higher FPS, and higher graphics settings.” Given that we awarded the brand’s latest offering a 9/10 in our Asus ROG Ally X review, this explanation makes a lot of sense, and I can vouch for the incredible gaming experience that Asus is offering with its premium handheld. I even considered swapping out my $549.99 Steam Deck OLED for the $799.99 Ally X, but ultimately, I just couldn’t justify owning two pretty similar devices.
Admittedly, Asus isn’t the only brand that puts performance over affordability when it comes to introducing new portable consoles. I love the Ayaneo Flip DS, but that thing costs well over $1,000, and the same goes for the tech brand’s latest offering, the Ayaneo 3. It’s also worth noting that the top pick from our guide to the best gaming phones, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, similarly offers a trade-off of performance for pricing, especially compared with its main rival, the RedMagic 10 Pro, so it seems like the brand’s approach isn’t exclusive to its handheld consoles.
With these new details in mind, we’ll be keeping a keen eye on the price of any future Asus ROG handhelds to see how they compare with their PC gaming competitors. Still, if you’re looking for something new right away, you can check out our guides to the best gaming tablets and the best Steam Deck alternatives while you’re here. Or, if you’d rather turn back the clock to the glory days of 2D platformers and point-and-click adventures, see our picks for the best retro handhelds.
