Prime Day has arrived with possibly the quietest fanfare I've ever known since writing for Windows Central, and that's due in no small part to the current state of the tech market. Prices are being hiked left, right, and center, and gaming handhelds have been hit particularly badly by the RAM price hikes. With this in mind, I'm surprised that ASUS is still steaming ahead with this cracking deal on the Xbox ROG Ally, which is down to £379.99 on Amazon. When you compare that to the price of the Steam Deck nowadays, it's a steal for something comparable in performance and with a lot more flexibility.
For playing lower-powered indie games or clearing out your backlog, the two handhelds stand on pretty even footing. The Xbox Ally, however, lets you switch between Steam and Xbox PC natively without requiring hours of tinkering or workarounds. Crucially, it's CHEAPER by a mile.
Why buy the Xbox Ally?
We’re living through unprecedented times for gaming costs, where component shortages and rising demand for AI hardware have driven gaming tech prices to unreachable levels for the average budget gamer. Many of ASUS's competitors have handhelds priced at the same level as a high-end gaming PC (just look at the Lenovo Legion Go 2 prices). Yet with all the price hikes, the standard ASUS ROG Ally has become the single most sensible choice for anyone who just want to play some less demanding games.
To be completely open, I own the ROG Ally X, which is the "beefed-up" premium model, and as someone who mostly plays indie titles and keeps a massive backlog of AA games, I regret spending the extra cash. The standard Ally would have handled everything I threw at it perfectly. Don't make my mistake; save your money for the actual games.
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Sure, this has an entry-level price tag, but for sub-£380, you are getting an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor,and a really nice 7-inch 1080p screen with 120Hz VRR. Not only that, but while on equal terms with the Steam Deck, the Xbox Ally isn't locked down to the Steam OS, and you can jump between your game libraries. You get a dedicated Xbox button that launches a full-screen, controller-friendly gaming environment, and you can download games natively from Xbox Game Pass, the Epic Games Store, GOG, and EA Play without jumping through hoops.
That being said, there is nothing stopping you from doing a clean install of Steam OS and turning this into a much more ergonomic (and cheaper) Steam Deck. It’s arguably the most comfortable handheld I've ever used.
The Xbox Ally is an outlier right now in the gaming handheld market, and I don't expect the price to stay this low for much longer. With price increases being announced from Lenovo, Valve, and other manufacturers, it does feel like the writing is on the wall with Xbox devices, too. If you want to play your backlog on the settee or on the go without taking out a small loan, the Xbox Ally at £379.99 is the deal to beat this Prime Day.
What is the battery life like?
As with any handheld, your mileage will vary based on the game. For demanding titles, you can expect roughly 60–90 minutes of playtime. However, for indie games or lighter AA titles, you can easily squeeze out 2–3 hours by using the "Performance" or "Silent" power modes and capping your frame rate.
How does this compare to the Steam Deck?
The biggest difference is the operating system. The Steam Deck uses SteamOS (Linux-based), which is "plug-and-play" but limited to the Steam ecosystem. The ROG Ally runs full Windows 11, meaning you aren't restricted to one store. The Ally also boasts a 1080p 120Hz VRR display, which makes games look crisper and feel smoother than the standard Steam Deck’s screen.
Can I play my Xbox console games on this?
Yes and no. If you own a game on an Xbox console that is also a "Play Anywhere" title, then yes, you can also play it on the Xbox Ally. Not all games are Play Anywhere, though, so, for example, I could not play Resident Evil 9: Requiem on this, but I could play it on my console. However, Resident Evil 7 is Play Anywhere, and I didn't need a second purchase! The majority of the Xbox Game Pass library is Play Anywhere.
When does Amazon's June Prime Day event start?
Amazon's Prime Day June event starts on June 23, 2026 and will last until June 26, 2026.
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