In the last couple of months, we've seen the price of some of the best handheld consoles, including the Lenovo Legion Go S and Legion Go 2, skyrocket. That led some to assume that the Asus ROG Xbox Ally could be next. However, the opposite has happened. The Asus handheld is currently cheaper than it was on its release date last year and is available via Amazon for $539.99.
The ROG Xbox Ally arrived in October of last year, retailing at $599.99, or £499.99 in the UK. As far as Steam Deck alternatives go, it's a pretty impressive option, boasting a seven-inch 1080p display, a more than capable AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip, and a 60Wh battery that beats out Valve's OLED console in terms of retaining charge. Plus, thanks to its Windows operating system, it has access to the ever-expanding library of Xbox Game Pass games.
Admittedly, we have seen the ROG Xbox Ally drop to an even more affordable price on Amazon before, with a record low of $489 back in December of last year. However, that's before the wider industry started feeling the effects of the RAM crisis surrounding memory pricing and availability. With no sign of the RAMaggedon easing off anytime soon, this deal, for $539.99, could be the handheld gaming equivalent of the last plane out of Saigon, giving you a chance to secure the ROG Xbox Ally before it gets more expensive.
Unfortunately, we haven't seen a similar drop in price for the souped-up ROG Xbox Ally X. That's a shame, as the X is a more powerful console, and as Sam Comrie pointed out in our ROG Xbox Ally X review, one of the new issues with the handheld is its relatively steep $999.99 price point. Still, given the state of the market at the time of writing, that might not seem so expensive before long, especially given that the Lenovo equivalent, the Legion Go 2, currently costs upwards of $1,800.
It's not only the prices of current handhelds that the RAM issues are affecting, but also the future of the market. A recent report suggested that Valve could delay its plans for the Steam Deck 2 due to the availability of memory shortages. Still, that might be just another reason to pick up the ROG Xbox Ally for $539.99 while you can, as we're not likely to see much in the way of affordable alternatives arrive if current market trends continue.