At last, . So, get ready to prostrate your wallet, because even the is 600 bucks. Yeah, really. The , meanwhile, is $1,000. Sorry, what?
Lest you have forgotten, the basic ROG Xbox Ally runs chip. Entirely contrary to the implications of the "Z2" branding, this is a very elderly SoC indeed.
But it's still ufa888 LCD, not OLED, and frankly, given the modest performance of the Z2 A, all that 1080p-ness and 120 Hz flexing is probably for naught. Anything demanding ain't gonna run at 1080p and 120 Hz on this thing.
Then there's the whole Xbox-skinned Windows 11 versus Steam. Time will tell, but I suspect that's no contest, and it's the Microsoft platform that's not in the running. At least you get a 512 GB SSD on the ROG Xbox Ally, I suppose.
I'm not sure the ROG Xbox Ally X is much better. Sure, it runs the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip, which is AMD's latest APU for handhelds. But it's actually the now-familiar AMD Strix Point APU, which isn't a huge step from its predecessor on account of being based on the same TSMC N4 silicon.
Personally, I'd argue we're going to have to wait for AMD to release a 3nm handheld APU before we get a really worthwhile performance step. All of which means that's $1,000 for pretty mediocre gaming performance.
I'd far rather chuck $319 at riches777 a basic Steam Deck, go in with very modest expectations and have them met than pay $1,000, rightly anticipate a high-end experience and be disappointed. As for paying $600 for the non-X model, that's a complete non-starter. What are Microsoft and Asus thinking?

1. Best overall:
2. Best budget:
3. Best Windows:
4. Best big screen:
5. Best compact:
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