ROG Xbox Ally’s leaked release date corroborated

The biggest announcement at Microsoft’s recent Xbox Games Showcase was the official unveiling of its ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. That said, aside from a vague release window of later this year, no proper timeline has been shared. According to multiple insiders however, the Xbox Ally is “tentatively” slated to launch in late October – though apparently no prices have been finalised.

Recently, known industry leaker Extas1s claimed that the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally is currently set to launch this October – with the lower-powered Xbox Ally costing $499 and the more premium Ally X going for $799.

Following this, WindowsCentral’s Jez Corden clarified some of the details, stating that while they too have heard that Xbox plans to launch the handhelds in October (specifically later in the month), “Microsoft hasn't yet fully committed to a price point.”

Unlike most video game consoles, the more open nature of the Xbox Ally’s OS means that users aren’t tied down to a single storefront. As such, there is little reason for Microsoft to subsidise the cost of the ROG handhelds.

That said, considering the ‘last-gen’ ROG Ally X costs $899, Microsoft may try to shave a couple dollars off if they wish for their handhelds to be more than an extreme niche. We will have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the ROG Xbox Ally? Are you interested in either handheld? How much do you think they’ll cost? Let us know down below.

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