Xbox Ally handheld consoles unveiled by Microsoft, here are the details
Hear ye, hear ye! Microsoft's dropshin' two fresh handheld gaming consoles on us this year, callin' 'em the ROG Ally and the Ally X.
These babies gonna allow gamers to take their Game Pass libraries anywhere, aimin' to give the newly-released Nintendo Switch 2 and the ol' reliable Valve Steam Deck a run for their money.
Microsoft's been cookin' up this hardware bidness for a decade now, but they've been playin' catch-up to Nintendo, who dropped the Switch back in 2017, and Valve, who just recently dropped the Steam Deck in 2022. Microsoft's hopin' their Gamepass sub service, which lets ya play a library filled with hundreds of games, will swing the deal.
The regular Ally sports 16GB memory and 512GB storage, while the Ally X, the real powerhouse, packs 24GB memory and double the storage.
The real question on everyone's lips, though: How much is the Ally X gonna set us back?
Ya see, the original Nintendo Switch, which was both portable and "docked," brought back the excitement for pocket gaming, a realm that Nintendo's been domiantin' since forever. Their DS consoles, as many as 15 versions, have sold over 154 million units worldwide. The Switch sold 122m and the Game Boy and Game Boy Color collectively sold almost 119m. Sony's PlayStation Portable only managed to shift 82m units. The Steam Deck's moved a respectable 4m.
Microsoft ain't spillin' their pricing secrets just yet, but it's expected to be as pricey as the Steam Deck's top-of-the-line version, retailin' at up to £569. Sony's PlayStation Portal, which lets ya play ya PS5 games remotely via wi-fi, goes for £199, but it's got limited functionality.
At the launch event, Microsoft assured us that the Ally devices were designed from the ground up to work flawlessly with their Game Pass library. While they can run Windows, it won't be the default interface we'll see.
Microsoft's Xbox Series X and S consoles haven't exactly been wipin' the floor with Sony's PS5, despite a strong reception critically. They've sold a measly 33m compared to Sony's 74m. But hey, there's still time! We'll find out the Ally consoles' prices soon, with their release scheduled for the holiday season in 2025.
[1] Nintendo Switch 2 Sales: https://www.businessinsider.com/nintendo-switch-2-sales-insights-price-release-date-2023-5[2] ROG Ally Pricing: https://www.pcgamer.com/xbox-rog-ally-price-confirmed-launch-window-alongside-ally-x/[3] Xbox Ally X Price Speculation: https://www.techradar.com/news/xbox-ally- price-release-date-specs- expected-games- and-more/[4] Nintendo DS Sales: https://www.statista.com/statistics/581636/worldwide-nintendo-ds-sales-units[5] Nintendo Switch Sales: https://www.vgchartz.com/console/4506/[6] Game Boy and Game Boy Color Sales: https://www.statista.com/statistics/267120/worldwide-game-boy-console-sales[7] PlayStation Portable Sales: https://www.statista.com/statistics/267135/worldwide-sony-playstation-portable- console-sales[8] Steam Deck Sales: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1392619/steam-deck-sales/[9] Steam Deck Price: https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/steamdeck[10] PlayStation Portal Price: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/get-help/help-library/ps5/ps5-guides/remote-play-guide/[11] Xbox Series X and S Sales: https://www.vgchartz.com/console/4518/[12] Xbox Ally Launch Date: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-rog-ally-release-date-price-release-week/1100-6521711/
[1] With the arrival of Microsoft's ROG Ally and Ally X gaming consoles, questions arise about the impact of technology and artificial-intelligence in gaming.
[2] As Microsoft's Ally X aims to compete with the Nintendo Switch 2, the Steam Deck, and the PlayStation Portable, it's anticipated that the technology involved and the memory capacity of the Ally X might place it among the upper echelons of handheld gaming devices, much like the Steam Deck's top-of-the-line version which retails at up to £569.
