With the rise of PC gaming handhelds, the vast library of games on Steam and other PC platforms is now accessible anytime, anywhere. Gaming handhelds aren’t cheap, but they often go on sale—and for a limited time, both Amazon and Best Buy are offering the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming PC for just $499.99 after a $100 instant discount. This is the lowest price ever, matching the Black Friday deal I saw.
Xbox Ally Handheld Gaming PC for $499.99
### Asus ROG Xbox Ally AMD Ryzen Z2 A Portable Gaming Handheld PC (16GB/512GB)
$599.99 save 17%$499.99 at Amazon$599.99 save 17%$499.99 at Best Buy
The Xbox Ally is a recent release (October 2025) featuring the new AMD Ryzen Z2 A CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally (non-X) model comes with a newer-generation Ryzen Z2 A processor, offering performance comparable to the Steam Deck’s APU. While it’s not nearly as powerful as the Ryzen Z2 Extreme in the Xbox Ally X or the Z1 Extreme in the older ROG Ally X, it’s also significantly more affordable.
The naming may be confusing, but the Xbox Ally is essentially an evolution of the Asus ROG Ally handheld rather than a true Xbox console. Jacqueline Thomas captures it well in her Xbox Ally X review:
"The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is a fascinating little device. While it’s marketed as a handheld Xbox, it’s more of a sequel to last year’s incredible Asus ROG Ally X. But the Xbox side can’t be overlooked—it’s the first device to launch with support for the new Xbox Full Screen Experience, allowing the handheld to boot directly into the Xbox App within Windows, bypassing Explorer and other non-gaming background tasks that typically run on Windows 11. In many ways, this partnership feels like Microsoft’s response to the rise of SteamOS, and for the first time since the Steam Deck debuted in 2022, it might finally offer something just as easy to use."
