To compete effectively with the Steam Deck, the Xbox Ally handheld urgently needs a pricing strategy that matches its competitors, or risk facing difficulty in recommendability.
Spillin' the Tea on Xbox Ally: The cat's outta the bag! We're talkin' about the ROG Xbox Ally and its beefier sibling, the ROG Xbox Ally X. Ditch the pretentious Project Kennan title and let's get into the nitty-gritty of this handheld wonder.
The tech inside isn't anything revolutionary compared to long-time buddy, the Steam Deck, but it's still worth a look. Here's the lowdown on the AMD Ryzen Z2 A showin' up in the Xbox Ally.
I must confess, I've been stealin' my coworker Jez's thunder since the reveal, but I couldn't help but get excited when I read this piece by our buddy buddies over at PC Gamer.
Turns out the Z2 A in the Xbox Ally is just a step down from the Z2 Go we've seen in the Lenovo Legion Go S. Some might say the Z2 Go is like training wheels for the Steam Deck CPU and GPU cores. But now the Z2 A lurks beneath, with fewer GPU cores and the same number of CPU cores, older architecture and all.
So, what gives? Why would you want this Xbox Ally thingamajig when you could hava the steamy Steam Deck?
Price, baby! Price! The Steam Deck's been on the scene for three years, and Xbox just sauntered up with a new handheld sporting the same gen tech. Microsoft better not charge an arm and a leg for this thing, or else no one's gonna wanna shell out their hard-earned cash.
Let's do some math: A 512GB Steam Deck LCD is $449. The Xbox Ally? Better display, better wireless connectivity, extra USB-C port, and likely better battery life. But will it be worth it if it's more than $449? I don't think so.
We've already got the Lenovo Legion Go S with both Windows and SteamOS, as well as the Steam Deck. The Windows version didn't exactly make our hearts sing, partly due to its price to performance ratio.
Valve's hoping the Steam store will be the big draw for the Steam Deck, and Microsoft's laying all its eggs in the Xbox Game Pass basket. But if the Xbox Ally is gonna cost more than the Steam Deck for comparable performance, I reckon it'll be a tough sell.
I'm not exactly a Pollyanna here, but I've got my fingers and toes crossed that Microsoft'll price the Xbox Ally closer to the Steam Deck than the Lenovo Legion Go S. That's a given.
Oh, and let's not forget the ROG Ally. A 512GB unit will set you back $650. The Z1 Extreme in the ROG Ally outperforms the Xbox Ally, hands down, and it's already ahead of the Steam Deck in the horsepower race.
If the Xbox Ally launches around the holidays, you can bet your booty there'll be some juicy discounts on the ROG Ally, or the Lenovo Legion Go, or both. The competition's gonna be fierce, especially when you toss the ROG Ally's sleek design and software improvements into the mix.
So, here's the gist: If the Xbox Ally's gonna be priced just right, it could give the handheld world a much-needed shake-up. And I, for one, will be patiently twiddling my thumbs, waiting for those all-important price tags to drop. Stay tuned!
- The Xbox Ally, with its AMD Ryzen Z2 A, shares some similarities with the Lenovo Legion Go S, but the latter sports a more powerful CPU and GPU.
- The upcoming Windows 11 gaming devices, like the Xbox Ally, might face stiff competition from the established Steam Deck, considering their prices for comparable performance.
3.Microsoft, relying on Xbox Game Pass, and Valve, relying on the Steam store, have their strategies, but the price of the Xbox Ally could swing the balance in the handheld market.
- If the price of the Xbox Ally is competitive with the Steam Deck, it could disrupt the handheld gaming market, especially when considering its better display, wireless connectivity, and additional USB-C port compared to the Steam Deck.
- Gadget lovers looking forward to the holiday season may find juicy discounts on handheld devices, such as the ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go, as competition intensifies.
