Video Games Industry Insider Confirms ROG Ally and Ally X Could’ve Been Cheaper

Tom Henderson, the owner of Insider Gaming, confirms that the upcoming ROG Ally and Ally X could have been cheaper, but for some reason, negotiations between ASUS and Microsoft have fallen apart.

The discussion started after Tom Henderson commented on an X post talking about a video that XboxEra published, which was its ROG Xbox Ally hands-on review. The X post pointed out a part in the video where Jon “Sikamikanico” Clarke mentioned that the gap between the announcement of the device’s price and pre-order dates was deliberate.

According to him, both ASUS and Microsoft were monitoring the reactions of fans when the price was previously leaked, and the two companies talked about improving the pricing, but it just didn’t work out.

When asked about the gap between the pre-order reveal and price reveal, and what actually happened, Henderson said, “Exactly what he said, but it didn’t work out. Reporting on what’s going on behind the scenes on stuff like this is risky, but what he is saying wasn’t made up or whatever you’re trying to imply.”

One possible explanation of the device’s pricing is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) intent on raising the prices of 5nm, 4nm, 3nm and 2nm chips in 2026 to offset Donald Trump’s tariffs. Both the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X use a 4nm chip.

The ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X will be globally available on Oct. 16, 2025. Preorders are now being taken in certain regions. The Ally will cost $599.99, and the Ally X will cost $999.999.