"When Microsoft announced the launch date of its first Asus-powered handhelds without announcing prices, I had hoped it was a sign the leaked prices were too high. I had hoped Microsoft would subsidize them the same way it subsidized the Xbox itself. Maybe it would send a shockwave through the handheld market like the Steam Deck's console-like $399 price did in 2021!"
"I was too optimistic. Instead, Microsoft's flagship handheld "Xbox" is a $1,000 portable - or $599 if you opt for a far weaker model. On Thursday, Microsoft and Asus opened preorders for the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally at $999 and $599, respectively, or €599 and €899 in Europe, £499 and £799 in the UK, and $799 AUD and $1599 AUD in Australia."
Microsoft announced launch dates for Asus-made handhelds and opened preorders for ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally at $999 and $599 in the US, with varied pricing in Europe, the UK, and Australia. The devices are Windows PCs running an Xbox layer of games, services, and a fullscreen experience. Pricing aligns more with PC hardware than traditional consoles. Expectations that Microsoft would heavily subsidize the handhelds like the Xbox did not materialize. The pricing structure may influence the handheld market by normalizing higher, PC-like price points for portable gaming devices.
Read at The Verge
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]