The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X has been out for over a month now, and while it is an expensive device, you probably won’t see any real discounts for Black Friday. This is thanks in large part to Asus needing to ramp up production to meet demand, because even its high price wasn’t enough to stop people from buying it, apparently.
But while you won’t be able to save a bunch of cash on the system itself, that doesn’t mean it’s not a good time to get the Xbox Ally X or load up on accessories if you already have one
How Much Does It Cost?
Unlike something like the Nintendo Switch 2, neither Asus or Microsoft offer any kind of bundle deal. Instead, you’ll be paying $999 for the Xbox Ally X or $599 for the Xbox Ally, which has a weaker chip and a white colorway, and it’s not likely either will get a Black Friday deal.
Black Friday itself isn’t here yet, of course, but at the time of writing, the only deal I can find on either system is the basic Xbox Ally for $580, $19 off of list price – but that’s only if you buy 5 units, for a total of $2,850. Not exactly what I’d call a great deal.
There is a chance that some retailer cuts the price on the Xbox Ally X, but it’s incredibly likely that you’re going to have to pay full price. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any savings to be had.
There's Always Accessories
When you take the Xbox Ally X out of its box, you get the console itself and a charger. That is basically all you need to play games to your heart’s content, but it leaves a little to be desired if you’re going to like, take it anywhere.
One of the first things I’d recommend anyone to get with the Xbox Ally X is a case, and it just so happens that my favorite case is on sale for Black Friday. DBrand’s Killswitch Case for the Xbox Ally X is down to $59 for the basic case, but if you travel, I’d recommend getting the travel kit for $79, which comes with a little travel cover that’ll stop buttons from being pushed in your backpack. This is the case I use on the Xbox Ally X every day, and I’d recommend it to anyone.
If that case is still a little too pricey for you, the excellent JSAux Carrying Case for the Xbox Ally X is also on sale for just $22. That’s more of a carry case rather than something that’s always on the system when you’re playing it, but it’s a great pick if you need something for traveling. It even has slots for MicroSD cards if you really want to carry your entire library with you.
Save On Some Games
While the Xbox Ally X doesn’t work with physical games like the Nintendo Switch 2, that doesn’t mean you can’t save some cash on games right now. After all, because this is a Windows handheld, every storefront works, so you can take advantage of seasonal sales to pack your PC gaming library.
For instance, Steam is throwing its first ‘Black Friday’ sale ever, even if it is just a reskinned Autumn sale. Some of my favorite games to play on a handheld are included in this sale, like Risk of Rain 2, which is just $8.24 right now. Dark Souls Remastered, which runs like a dream on the Ally X, is down to just $19.99 as well. This isn’t quite at the same scale as Steam’s annual Winter Sale, but there are a ton of cheap games right now.
The Xbox Store is also having a Black Friday sale, where you can get handheld-friendly games like Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake for $35.99 or Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii for $29. Plus, you can always tack on a subscription to PC Game Pass, which remains the most affordable way to get access to the most recent Game Pass games.
It would be nice if the admittedly expensive Xbox Ally X would go on sale for Black Friday, and while it’s unfortunate, that’s probably not going to happen. But, hey, at least you can save some money on all the extra stuff that goes with it – which is good news for everyone that already bought the handheld, too.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
|
| Tweet