The $1,000 Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is impressive on paper, but let’s be honest — it won’t be enough to keep gamers engaged until the next-generation Xbox finally lands. This isn’t just a matter of price; it’s a question of purpose and expectation.
Even if the upcoming Xbox ends up feeling more like a PC than any console Microsoft has made before, it shouldn’t feel like a Windows laptop in disguise. Right now, the real issue is transparency — players don’t fully understand what’s happening behind the scenes, and it’s time for Microsoft to open up about where Xbox is heading.
In a recent interview with Variety, Xbox President Sarah Bond confirmed that Microsoft is indeed developing a next-gen Xbox. But for now, the company seems more focused on redefining what the word “Xbox” even means. Bond explained that the pricing of the ROG Ally and Ally X was set by Asus, not Microsoft, saying, “This is their hardware.”
That statement makes sense — Asus is a titan in the PC hardware industry, not in traditional console manufacturing. As a result, the ROG Ally X lands in the same premium category as other handheld PCs. For example, Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 — featuring the same AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip as the Ally X — retails for $1,350, while the previous version launched at $700.
The Cost of Innovation
Hardware costs aren’t the only factor at play. Trade tensions and tariffs introduced during the Trump administration continue to affect manufacturing in Asia, impacting companies like Asus (Taiwan) and Lenovo (China). These manufacturers don’t have the same ability as Microsoft to subsidize hardware.
Even so, Microsoft raised the price of the Xbox Series X by $150, bringing it to $650, and Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions recently jumped from $20 to $30 per month — that’s $360 per year just to access day-one titles.
Gamers are feeling the squeeze, and it’s starting to show.
The ROG Ally X Confusion
Despite the “Xbox” branding, the ROG Ally X doesn’t feel like a true console experience. Boot it up, and you’ll find Windows, complete with OneDrive and Microsoft Teams, pre-installed. Many Xbox-exclusive games won’t even run on the device natively. Some cross-saves between console and PC are supported, but the experience is far from seamless.
Still, Bond emphasized that the Xbox Store sold out of ROG Ally X units, which may have more to do with limited production runs than massive demand. Analysts from IDC, as cited by The Verge, note that handheld PC manufacturers don’t expect huge sales volumes compared to consoles.
The device runs on a Windows-based interface called the Full Screen Experience (FSE), which lets players navigate using a controller while accessing the Xbox app or Steam. It’s sleek and promising — arguably one of the best Windows handheld interfaces yet — but still riddled with bugs, including power and sleep issues that drain the battery. Microsoft says it’s working on fixes.
Even so, confusion reigns. Many players don’t know what the Ally X is supposed to be. As Seamus Blackley, often dubbed the father of the original Xbox, joked on Bluesky:
“Is it actually just a branded laptop with joysticks?”
Xbox’s Identity Question
Bond insists the ROG Xbox Ally X is part of the Xbox family, calling it a device for “power players,” while the standard $600 Ally targets more “casual gamers.” But this tiered positioning falls flat when compared to the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, which will reportedly launch for $450 — and play many titles at native 1080p without compromise.
Looking Ahead: Xbox Needs a Clear Vision
The Xbox Series X is now five years old and costs more than it did at launch. Yes, Xbox has an exciting lineup of games coming — Ninja Gaiden 4, The Outer Worlds 2, and Keeper from Double Fine — but hardware still drives perception. And right now, Xbox’s hardware story feels fragmented.
The next-gen Xbox, rumored to arrive around 2027, is expected to use AMD’s RDNA 5 architecture, offering better efficiency and AI-powered upscaling through FidelityFX. That’s exciting, but the average gamer doesn’t care about chipsets — they care about experience.
Meanwhile, Nintendo’s Switch 2 will reportedly use an older Nvidia SoC but leverage DLSS upscaling, allowing demanding games to run beautifully on a portable screen. That’s the kind of innovation gamers understand.
As Bond put it, “What we saw here was an opportunity to innovate in a new way and give gamers another choice.”
But choice isn’t enough — clarity is. If Microsoft wants players to stay invested until 2027, it must do more than release premium handhelds with PC roots. It needs to tell a coherent story about where Xbox is going — and why it still matters.
Otherwise, 2026 could be a long, confusing year for Xbox fans waiting for something truly next-gen.