A couple of months ago, Asus revealed that its new ROG Xbox Ally X20 handheld would be getting a standalone launch, and now, we've got the full details. As of today, the new Steam Deck rival is available to pre-order, either on its own or as part of a bundle with the ROG XREAL R1 Edition 20 Gaming AR Glasses. It's not cheap, though, with the X20 alone costing a whopping $1,299 / £1,299.
Admittedly, we weren't expecting a low price for the Ally X20, given that the handheld packs an ultra-powerful AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, a 7.4-inch OLED display, and 24GB of RAM. Those specs are pretty similar to last year's ROG Ally X, a current top pick from our guide to the best handheld consoles, with the key difference being the OLED display, which many have been waiting for. Still, it's significantly more expensive than the Steam Deck OLED, even after Valve's recent price hikes.
Unsurprisingly, the bundle option is even more expensive, coming in at $2,499.99 / £2,299.00. You do get the bonus of both a special edition Killswitch case and a Pelican Protector case for picking up the bundle, though, so if you're something of a collector, it might be worth spending the extra money. As for the R1 glasses, they're also available as a standalone purchase for £649 / $849.
As far as I'm concerned, though, the ROG Xbox Ally X20's biggest selling point is its design. The translucent black colorway gives me a bit of a Game Boy Advance vibe, in the best way possible, while the gold buttons and glowing rings around the thumbsticks make it look like a premium product, which is exactly what I'd expect when spending $1,299 on a new handheld.
Following the official launch, we'll be keen to get our hands on the Xbox Ally X20 to see how it compares to the rest of our favorite Steam Deck alternatives. The price could be a sticking point, given that it was the main issue in our ROG Xbox Ally X review and that the new handheld is $300 more expensive, but we'll have to reserve judgment until we put it through its paces ourselves.