The ROG Xbox Ally X Price Shoots Up Nearly $200 In Japan

Why It Matters

The adjustment signals that even niche gaming devices are vulnerable to macro‑level component shortages, which could reshape pricing strategies across the handheld market.

Key Takeaways

• Japan price jumps ¥30,000 (~$200) for Ally X.
• RAM shortage drives cost spikes for high‑end handhelds.
• Base Ally stays at ¥89,800, highlighting memory tier impact.
• AI data‑center demand squeezes LPDDR5X supply.
• Competitors like Steam Deck face similar pricing pressure.

Pulse Analysis

The recent price surge for Asus' ROG Xbox Ally X in Japan is more than a regional anomaly; it mirrors a global tightening of the high‑bandwidth memory market. As AI-driven hyperscalers pour billions into data‑center builds, LPDDR5X‑8000 chips—critical for the Ally X’s 24 GB configuration—have become scarce and expensive. Asus’ decision to pass a ¥30,000 increase onto consumers reflects a broader reality: premium handhelds now sit at the intersection of gaming demand and enterprise‑grade component scarcity.

For gamers, the price jump reshapes the value proposition of the Ally X relative to its lower‑spec sibling and rivals like the Steam Deck. While the base Xbox Ally remains at ¥89,800, the premium model’s cost now rivals high‑end laptops, potentially dampening adoption among price‑sensitive users. Retailers are also seeing inventory shifts, with the Ally X’s stock moving slower than anticipated, prompting Asus to accelerate production plans announced last year. Meanwhile, competitors are feeling similar pressure; Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 and Sony’s tentative PS6 timeline hint at possible price adjustments as they grapple with the same memory constraints.

Looking ahead, the handheld market may experience a recalibration of pricing tiers, with manufacturers either absorbing component costs or redesigning devices to use more readily available memory. Consumers could see a rise in mid‑range options that balance performance with affordability, while flagship models may adopt modular or upgradeable architectures to mitigate future supply shocks. Ultimately, the Ally X price hike serves as a bellwether for how component scarcity, driven by AI and cloud computing, will influence the economics of portable gaming for years to come.

The ROG Xbox Ally X Price Shoots Up Nearly $200 In Japan

By Ethan Gach · Published February 16, 2026

The ROG Xbox Ally X is one of the premier PC‑gaming handhelds currently on the market. Despite some half‑baked UI tweaks and finnicky Windows holdovers, it’s an excellent way to play PC games on the go for existing Xbox and Game Pass users. The only problem when it launched last fall was the $1,000 price tag. And in Japan at least, that’s just gone up even higher.

Automaton reports that Asus has raised the price of the ROG Xbox Ally X in Japan from 139,800 yen (tax‑included, ≈ $911) to 169,800 yen (tax‑included, ≈ $1,107). That’s a jump of 30,000 yen—almost $200 at the current exchange rate. Notably, the price hasn’t been changed on Microsoft’s website in Japan; its listing for the ROG Xbox Ally X now redirects users to the Asus page with the new price.

Interestingly, the base ROG Xbox Ally price has remained the same. That price is still listed at 89,800 yen, or roughly $585. One obvious reason for the discrepancy is that the regular Xbox Ally has 16 GB of LPDDR5‑6400 memory compared to 24 GB of LPDDR5X‑8000 in the Ally X. As RAM prices spike amid the ongoing shortage, the Ally X is much more susceptible to pricing volatility.

Asus was one of the first PC‑gaming manufacturers to tell its partners at the start of 2026 that some prices would be going up as AI “hyperscaler” companies race to acquire available memory supply for data‑center builds. At the time, nothing was mentioned specifically about the Xbox Ally X handhelds. While it’s unclear how many Ally X units Asus has sold, the company promised consumers late last year that it was ramping up production to meet higher demand than originally expected.

A similar issue is facing every other hardware manufacturer in the gaming space. Valve already delayed announcing the price of the Steam Machine as it evaluates the rapidly changing economic conditions, and its existing Steam Deck—a much cheaper competitor to the Xbox Ally X—has quickly become impossible to buy. Sony is reportedly considering delaying the launch of the PS6, Nintendo is looking at having to hike the price of the Switch 2, and—god help you—if your PC is at the end of its life and you need to buy or build a new one, you may find RAM prices sky‑rocketing.