We’re a little under a month away from Asus and Xbox’s much-anticipated duo of gaming handhelds. One of the biggest concerns, however, has been whether the two companies would be able to compete in an increasingly saturated market—particularly when it comes to the cost of these devices, considering rising component costs within the PC market.

Recently, leaked prices put the base ROG Xbox Ally at $549.99. On the surface, this seems like a decent price tag for a new handheld from Xbox and Asus. However, on further inspection, buyers may be better off putting their five Benjamins towards other alternatives at the same price point, or saving up for the “X” variant, which is far more competitively priced when considering its specs. 

The Case Against the Base Xbox Ally

The base Xbox Ally comes equipped with the AMD Ryzen Z2A, which is a chip that is not only far less powerful than the Z2 Extreme, which powers the “X” variant, but also less capable than even the Z1 Extreme chip, which powers older handhelds like the non-Xbox Ally X. According to a leaker who reported to videocardz.com a few months ago, the Z2A is actually based on the Steam Deck APU. Which then begs the question: Why not just get a Steam Deck? 

The OLED version can often be found for the same price, if not cheaper. You’ll still get 16 gigs of RAM, the same amount of storage, comparable performance, and a slightly larger and better screen with OLED (yes, the resolution is lower, but honestly, at that screen size, it’s not that big of a deal). And, not to mention, SteamOS. Or, you can get a used non-Xbox Ally X, which you can often find for around $600, which will give you better performance. At $549, I just think there are better options, from older PC handhelds to even the Switch 2.

The Case for the Xbox Ally X

Right now, the top-of-the-line model for Xbox’s upcoming gaming handheld is leaked to cost $899. $899 is a lot to ask for…well, honestly, anything. However, in my opinion, for what you’re getting and relative to the competition, I’d say it’s pretty good. 

You get 24GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage, a 7” 120Hz 1080p display with VRR, an 80Whr battery, and, of course, the latest AMD Z2 Extreme chip. Combine all that with an ugly but hopefully very ergonomic grip and Microsoft’s much-anticipated XboxOS, and this new Ally X looks to be a great machine. And at $899, you’re going to be hard-pressed to find any other handheld with comparable specs. 

I love my MSI Claw 8AI+, and in some ways it’s even better than the Xbox Ally X, but it costs $100 more (sometimes two or three hundred, depending on where you live). And I won’t even start with the Lenovo Legion GO 2. MSI’s new A8 may be the X’s biggest competition as its price and specs look to be quite similar, but MSI are notorious for having supply issues, so availability may lean on Microsoft’s side here.

We’ll have to wait and see how these handhelds actually perform, but from what we know right now, the “X” may be the variant to go for. Or, you can be like me and continue playing Sly Cooper 2 on the PS Vita.