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[Mozza]

I'm still struggling to understand how they plan to make any kind of substantial profit off of this product. Increased Gamepass subs?

It's a very longterm gameplan. Microsoft simply understand that media is going digital and a subscription based service will pay great dividends in the end. As the worlds third richest company they can affors to wait it out. And like I said before they have many more strings to their bow.

 

[Haint]

The base model may do pretty good sales wise, especially if they have Holiday discounts lined up. The X smells like an epic bomba at $900 given how little improvement there is over the many existing Z1 Extreme models in circulation. These APU's are absolute dog shit for portable game consoles, no idea how 2+ years in AMD are still rebadging laptop parts for gaming portables. They need custom chips with fewer CPU cores/clocks and way more GPU cores.

 

[spons]

It's a very longterm gameplan. Microsoft simply understand that media is going digital and a subscription based service will pay great dividends in the end. As the worlds third richest company they can affors to wait it out. And like I said before they hav emany more strings to their bow.

Game Pass was introduced 8 years ago. They've been doing a lot of waiting already.

 

[Mozza]

Game Pass was introduced 8 years ago. They've been doing a lot of waiting already.

Do you think they are running out of money?

 

[spons]

Do you think they are running out of money?

Microsoft as a whole isn't, but they can absolutely cut investments in Xbox if they don't rake in enough profits. A subsidiary/part of a company bleeding money is usually shuttered, as the entire point is trying to make money, and lots of it. At this point I'm sure there are still investors and upper management who believe in Xbox as a brand, but they can kill Game Pass with a single flick of their fingers if needed.

Shutting down Xbox as a whole is a potential problem, especially if they have to refund shit like Google did with Stadia (everybody got everything back down to the last cent, which is a ludicrous write-off even for Google since they have to explain that shit to shareholders). Most likely they'll just let it bleed dry over the course of several years. But at the point I don't think they'll kill it anytime soon.

 

[Mozza]

Microsoft as a whole isn't, but they can absolutely cut investments in Xbox if they don't rake in enough profits. A subsidiary/part of a company bleeding money is usually shuttered, as the entire point is trying to make money, and lots of it. At this point I'm sure there are still investors and upper management who believe in Xbox as a brand, but they can kill Game Pass with a single flick of their fingers if needed.

Shutting down Xbox as a whole is a potential problem, especially if they have to refund shit like Google did with Stadia (everybody got everything back down to the last cent, which is a ludicrous write-off even for Google since they have to explain that shit to shareholders). Most likely they'll just let it bleed dry over the course of several years. But at the point I don't think they'll kill it anytime soon.

No need to. Like I said they pretty much have unlimited resources.

 

[Ozzie666]

No need to. Like I said they pretty much have unlimited resources.

They answer to the share holders. Resources and patience, if not getting the return on investment means nothing. Easy to spend and lose other people's money.

 

[Mozza]

They answer to the share holders. Resources and patience, if not getting the return on investment means nothing. Easy to spend and lose other people's money.

They are getting a return on their money though, As I said the gaming division is a very small part of Microsoft's overall business. You are not looking at the larger picture here.

 

[Ozzie666]

They are getting a return on their money though, As I said the gaming division is a very small part of Microsoft's overall business. You are not looking at the larger picture here.

I understand their Server business, cloud and Office 365 are massive. I truly beleive Xbox is all smoke and mirrors with clever accounting. Microsoft is pretty cold hearted, they will not carry a a struggling business section for longer then they need too. I don't know how Phil keeps his job and keeps convincing Microsoft at large, that Xbox is going to work. Anyhow more money then sense for now. Long as the executives get their pay.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

No need to. Like I said they pretty much have unlimited resources.

They don't. If you are a top exec and you have 100 billion lying around with these two choices:

Pour into Azure + AI: ROI 100X
Xbox: ROI 10X

You are not going to give a dime to Xbox, there are simply way better ways to spend the money.

 

[Ozriel]

They don't. If you are a top exec and you have 100 billion lying around with these two choices:

Pour into Azure + AI: ROI 100X
Xbox: ROI 10X

You are not going to give a dime to Xbox, there are simply way better ways to spend the money.

You're not going to throw all your eggs in one basket. You'd certainly skew investment towards higher yield, but diversification is still key as a strategic decision.

It's like asking why Nvidia still makes gaming GPUs instead of just killing the consumer GPU lines and focusing on the AI chips where they make by far more money.

 

[Mozza]

They don't. If you are a top exec and you have 100 billion lying around with these two choices:

Pour into Azure + AI: ROI 100X
Xbox: ROI 10X

You are not going to give a dime to Xbox, there are simply way better ways to spend the money.

If you are banking on Microsoft running out of money or dropping the X Box brand anytime soon. I would not recommend holding your breath lol...

 

[rodrigolfp]

How much can I get for digital games?

As much as you ask and someone pay for your entire account. Never buy digital console games. I made that mistake once. Once.

 

[ElFenomeno]

Lol at the folks saying a PC is cheaper. You pay for the handheld experience in the end, not the specs.

 

[twilo99]

In all fairness the sales of this will not come as much of a surprise to Microsoft. They are used to consoles that do not sell all that well. Plus they do not tell you the sales figures anymore.

I don't know about him, but I just filtered Optimized for Xbox Series X|S on the Xbox app on my phone and it shows 733.

I've never seen a better example of the lack of games on Xbox

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Ok, I went searching and IT SEEMS LIKE this thing might actually be optimized better:

On a joué avec les premières Xbox portables, les ROG Xbox Ally : étonnamment légères et optimisées

Après une annonce en grande pompe par Xbox, la Gamescom 2025 nous offre enfin l'occasion de prendre en main les ROG Xbox Ally. Et l'avenir de la

www.frandroid.com

La véritable nouveauté pour ces consoles est en réalité à voir du côté du système d'exploitation. Après quelques années d'existence de SteamOS, Microsoft répond enfin avec un Windows optimisé pour ces petits formats. Comment ? En installant Windows 11 intégralement, certes, mais avec un petit tour dans son sac.
Au démarrage des ROG Xbox Ally, Windows ne va pas se charger intégralement. Bien au contraire : il ne charge que les fonctionnalités dont il a nécessairement besoin pour le jeu vidéo, sans surplus ni fioriture. Un Windows dans son plus simple appareil en somme, ce qui permet de conserver la compatibilité absolue de la plateforme tout autant que de gagner en ressources systèmes pour les performances. Selon Microsoft, 2 Go de RAM sont naturellement libérés grâce à ce changement.

The real innovation for these consoles actually lies in the operating system. After a few years of SteamOS, Microsoft is finally responding with a version of Windows optimized for these small form factors. How? By installing the full version of Windows 11, certainly, but with a little trick up its sleeve.

When the ROG Xbox Ally boots up, Windows doesn't fully load. On the contrary, it only loads the features strictly necessary for gaming—nothing extra, no frills. In other words, Windows in its most stripped-down form, which both preserves full platform compatibility and frees up system resources for better performance. According to Microsoft, this change naturally frees up 2 GB of RAM.

Sucks though that it has no trackpads, so mouse gaming is out. The article also doesn't mention any game performances.

 

[CLW]

By this time next year we'll have new Xbox hardware and my assumption is the people that bought this will have serious buyer's remorse.

I mean if you buy ANY Xbox hardware at this point it's virtually guaranteed to end with buyers remorse

 

[reinking]

Microsoft and Asus released a statement as to why no official price and preorders are available yet.

https://screenrant.com/rog-ally-price-macro-economic-factors-details/

Microsoft and Xbox have released an official statement regarding why the upcoming Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X handheld consoles do not yet have a price, despite now being confirmed for an October 16 release. The two devices were announced during Summer Game Fest, and as Xbox ushers in a new era focused on Windows, some fans are on pins and needles, and not just about the price.

Speaking to IGN during Gamescom, Microsoft and Asus (the handheld's developer) stated both companies needed more time to "figure out the macro-economic impact to pricing." The ROG Ally line was previously leaked by billbil-kun on Bluesky to cost $549.99 for the Ally and $899.99 for the Ally X, but given the recent economic impacts of U.S. tariff policies, it seems the final price is far from set in stone.


Microsoft Says It Can't Put A Price On ROG Ally (Yet)
But Leaks Suggest It Will Be Expensive
Promo image of a woman holding the ROG Xbox Ally.
Given the leak from billbil-kun and the ending of the Xbox Series X/S, it's reasonably safe to assume that the ROG Ally handhelds will be the first glimpse into Xbox's future, and it's likely going to be an expensive one. Asus senior vice president Shawn Yen told IGN and attendees that "we'll be sharing more later, in September and October."

Pre-orders are not open yet, despite the release date being confirmed, and with Ronald's comment suggesting it could be September or October before we get final pricing, it seems that tariffs and market conditions are of great concern. Today, PlayStation is increasing its console prices in the US, citing tariffs and an unstable market as the main reasons.


"Macro Economic" Factors Mean ROG Ally Price Could Change
Prices Are Unstable Across The Board
ROG Xbox Ally handheld console
With a concerning market and ongoing tariff policies and changes, even when the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X get final prices, they could very well change. Nintendo recently increased the price of its Switch 1 offerings, and also stated that an increase in game prices and console prices for the Switch 2 was not off the table in the future. Xbox also increased its console prices, so the ROG Ally and Ally X are likely not immune to price increases.

The ROG Ally and Ally X, if the leaks are true, are already premium, expensive devices. Other handheld competitors, such as the Switch 2 and Steam Deck, are significantly cheaper, if the rumors prove to be true. Rumored high prices are running rampant, and with no direct pricing comment from Xbox, Asus, or Microsoft, fans are likely on edge to see the final pricing of Xbox's newest console.

 

[Kacho]

I mean if you buy ANY Xbox hardware at this point it's virtually guaranteed to end with buyers remorse

Not really. The Series X is a great piece of hardware.

 

[Ozriel]

It definitely too expensive for what they want you to use it for.

Xbox Play Anywhere games are a fraction of your library. You use Game Pass, and that's cool for indies and other non-demanding games, but AAAs will look or run like shit. It's just not a practical device for the price.

By this time next year we'll have new Xbox hardware and my assumption is the people that bought this will have serious buyer's remorse.

Most of the folks who buy these devices do so for the handheld form factor and they have other, more powerful devices for stationary gaming.

Does your Steamdeck give you buyers remorse? Given the fact you own more powerful consoles

 

[diffusionx]

The base model may do pretty good sales wise, especially if they have Holiday discounts lined up. The X smells like an epic bomba at $900 given how little improvement there is over the many existing Z1 Extreme models in circulation. These APU's are absolute dog shit for portable game consoles, no idea how 2+ years in AMD are still rebadging laptop parts for gaming portables. They need custom chips with fewer CPU cores/clocks and way more GPU cores.

The fact is this market isn't very big. It's not worth it to design a whole new chip like this. Now if they were selling tens of millions of them a year sure there would be better chips. But they're not.

 

[Kacho]

Most of the folks who buy these devices do so for the handheld form factor and they have other, more powerful devices for stationary gaming.

Does your Steamdeck give you buyers remorse? Given the fact you own more powerful consoles

It's different. Steam Deck gives me a nice front end to access my insanely large Steam library and the majority of games I play aren't on the Xbox store. Sure I could link my Steam account on the Ally and access them there, but it's so fucking ghetto. Just give me SteamOS.

I don't even use the Xbox app on my PC. No need for a handheld with the Xbox app at the center of it. At least not in its current state.

 

[Kacho]

btw

Hollow Knight and Deep Rock Galactic Survivor on the Xbox Ally are so f'n perfect.. if you plan on getting one. Not $1000 worthy but still cool.

 

[DeVeAn]

As much as you ask and someone pay for your entire account. Never buy digital console games. I made that mistake once. Once.

Haven't had a good answer yet. I'll stop asking.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Bestbuy card no interest for 18 months. $55/month. That is a lot of money.
Looks like the future of gaming hardware will be requiring multiple payments.
4 digit gaming hardware is the future.
America-Land of the credit card.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Bestbuy card no interest for 18 months. $55/month. That is a lot of money.
Looks like the future of gaming hardware will be requiring multiple payments.
4 digit gaming hardware is the future.
America-Land of the credit card.

"Buy Now, Pay Later" is the Subscription 2.0, expect this to be rolled over in any space possible within the next 12-18 months. Also works incredibly well by hiding the increase in cost of living.

 

[Kacho]

Forza Horizon 5 gameplay shown. Looks smooth.

 

[StereoVsn]

"Buy Now, Pay Later" is the Subscription 2.0, expect this to be rolled over in any space possible within the next 12-18 months. Also works incredibly well by hiding the increase in cost of living.

Eh, I use BestBuy financing all the time. Why spend cash when you get free financing. I can stick the cash into short term CDs, savings out, treasuries, etc…

And essentially with 0 interest and inflation you are paying less money each month.

 

[twilo99]

Buying a gaming device based on zen2/rdna 2 in 2025 is simply a horrible proposition.

Stay away from that lower tier spec

 

[Haint]

"Buy Now, Pay Later" is the Subscription 2.0, expect this to be rolled over in any space possible within the next 12-18 months. Also works incredibly well by hiding the increase in cost of living.

You're retarded if you're not taking advantage of long term interest free financing for everything, every time it's available. It's literally free money you can earn interest on and a massive credit builder, just make absolute certain you set up auto pay and pay a bit ahead to avoid any chance of the back interest gotcha's.