Rumors in the build-up to Gamescom 2025 (which is now well underway) told us that the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally would be made available for pre-order during the event. Well, that isn’t the case. Even though Xbox has officially confirmed the previously leaked October 16 release date, it still hasn’t decided on pricing.

A last-minute price rumor had us expecting $549.99 and $899.99 price tags for the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, respectively. But they haven’t been finalized; Xbox has blamed the current economic landscape for the delay. Sony also just raised the price of its PlayStation 5 consoles by $50, citing a “challenging economic environment,” most likely due to ever-shifting U.S tariff policies.

ROG Xbox Ally pre-orders could be delayed until September

IGN has spoken with Microsoft and ASUS during Gamescom to confirm why the new Xbox Ally handhelds don’t have a price tag yet. Assumedly, the lack of a finalized price is the reason why pre-orders still aren’t available. The companies say they need “more time to figure out the macro-economic impact to pricing,” with ASUS Senior Vice President Shawn Yen adding that “we’ll be sharing more later, in September and October”.

As such, yet another rumor – from the same source as previous leaks, tech leaker billbil-kin – suggests we can expect to see pre-orders go live on September 25. This time around, they say to take it with a grain of salt, especially given the uncertainty around pricing that has been officially expressed by ASUS and Microsoft.

The leaked pricing had already appeared on Best Buy (before it was swapped out for a placeholder $9,999 price tag), so the leaker has already proved that their sources have some accuracy to them. In any case, it’s time for another waiting game.

Retailers in other regions, such as the UK, are also preparing for launch. Toy, games, and entertainment chain Smyths has set up a webpage for the new Xbox Ally, but pre-orders have yet to be mentioned. Instead, you can sign up for email notifications. To clarify, it has been confirmed that the October 16 release date is the same worldwide.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.