The ROG Xbox Ally's official release date has been announced, but pricing is still a mystery

• The ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X finally have their release date set for October 16, 2025
• Previous leaks suggested the devices would release on October 16, with pre-orders opening on August 20
• Pre-orders aren't live yet and pricing is unconfirmed, but should arrive in the coming weeks

It's been a long time coming, but the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds finally have a release date, after their initial announcement during the Xbox Showcase earlier in June.

The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X will both be available on October 16, 2025, launching in multiple regions, including the UK, Australia, and the US (the ROG Xbox Ally will launch in China early next year).

Pre-orders aren't live yet, and pricing is still unknown, despite recent leaks and rumors suggesting a price tag close to $1,000 for the ROG Xbox Ally X. Xbox says both of these details will be shared in the coming weeks, which could be an indication of pre-orders opening in September.

The leaks previously hinted at pre-orders going live on August 20. While this hasn't exactly panned out as suggested, it's the date that was expected for Xbox and Asus' announcement of a release date, and the rumor of an October 16 release date was spot on.

Taking cues from the Steam Deck

Xbox has also announced a 'Handheld Compatibility Program', which appears to follow in the footsteps of Valve's SteamOS and the Deck Verified system. This will help players identify which games are playable or compatible with their Xbox Ally device. It will also come alongside a feature called 'Windows Performance Fit' indicator, which will help 'reflect expected performance on their supported device'.

To ensure a console-like handheld experience, Xbox is using an Advanced Shader Delivery feature, built to preload any game shaders during downloads, to dive right into games once ready.

These features are expected to come alongside the 'full-screen experience' that is supposed to help streamline the handheld experience on Windows, without unnecessary background processes and more RAM for games.

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