Microsoft's ROG Xbox Ally X just saw price hikes in Australia and Japan — I'm willing to bet that other regions are next

• The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X's price has increased in Japan and Australia, amid a RAM crisis
• The handheld's price appears to be gradually increasing across multiple regions
• Neither Asus nor Microsoft has confirmed why the price increases have occurred

The ongoing RAM crisis is taking the entire PC hardware market by storm, with prices skyrocketing and manufacturers forced to rethink their launch strategies, notably Valve and its Steam Machine — and we may already be looking at the next victim.

As reported by PC Gamer, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X's price in Australia has increased by AU$200, from its original AU$1,599 ($999 / £799) retail price, to AU$1,799. This is very similar to the recent price increase in Japan by 30,000 yen, which places the handheld's price at 169,800 yen for consumers.

Neither Microsoft nor Asus has confirmed why these price increases have occurred, but it's worth noting that the lower-tier ROG Xbox Ally is still at its original price in both Australia and Japan, which features 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage space.

Meanwhile, the Ally X features 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and based on those specs, we can infer that the reason for the price hike in both regions is likely due to the memory and storage shortages.

Valve is the latest to be impacted by the shortages, with the Steam Deck OLED now out of stock intermittently in multiple regions. We've also seen that Sony is reportedly delaying the launch of the PS6 to 2029, while Nintendo is considering a Switch 2 price increase, all of which are a result of the RAM crisis.

It's not a coincidence then that the ROG Xbox Ally X's price has suddenly increased in Australia and Japan in the same week, particularly for the model using more RAM and storage. Those higher-tier components will naturally be more sought after by both consumers and AI data centers, and are more costly for manufacturers to produce due to the shortages in the PC hardware market.

Unfortunately, that spells potential bad news for other regions outside of Japan and Australia.

Price hikes in other regions beckons

PC hardware has seen price hikes across the board since the start of 2026, and the impact from the memory and storage shortages seems to be hitting multiple regions at a breakneck pace, with no signs of stopping.

I'm willing to bet that other regions are next in line for price hikes on the ROG Xbox Ally X, and these issues may very well last throughout 2026, as the AI bubble (which is why RAM kits are so expensive now) continues to grow.

The RAM crisis also has the potential to encourage scalpers, particularly with upcoming and current systems like the Steam Machine or the Steam Deck OLED, respectively, as the latter is still in stock in the UK and other regions. The crisis is a messy situation for all companies, manufacturers, and consumers, which appears to be getting worse each day with new reports of halts in production, unprecedented price hikes, and shortages.

The sooner the AI bubble bursts and shortages aren't as prevalent, the more stable the market will become — but judging by the current state of affairs, that's not happening any time soon.

The best handheld games consoles for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best handheld games consoles
1. Best overall:
Nintendo Switch 2
2. Best for PC gamers:
Steam Deck OLED
3. Best budget
Nintendo Switch Lite
4. Best for remote play:
PlayStation Portal

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