The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X will hit the market on October 16, ASUS has confirmed. The release date announcement coincides with the start of Gamescom 2025, where visitors can get hands-on time with the upcoming Xbox handhelds.

The original ROG Ally launched in June 2023, with ASUS positioning it as a response to the growing interest in Windows-powered handheld PCs. The ROG Ally X debuted 13 months later, offering more RAM, larger internal storage space, and a significantly bigger battery, among other improvements. During the June 2025 Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft and ASUS announced Xbox-themed variants of both devices.

Recent ROG Xbox Ally Leak Was Only Partially Correct

The upcoming handhelds now have a firm release date, October 16, announced at the start of Gamescom 2025. The ROG Xbox Ally release date was already leaked in early August by insider Billbil-kun. However, the Gamescom reveal marks a rare instance where the usually reliable leaker was proven (partially) incorrect, as they also claimed pre-orders would open today, August 20. This won’t actually be the case, with ASUS and Microsoft now stating that pre-order details will follow in the weeks ahead.

ASUS ROG Xbox Ally Availability Details

• Release date: October 16
• Pre-order date: TBA
• Pricing: TBA

ASUS has confirmed that the upcoming handheld lineup will launch in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. According to one prior leak, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X could be priced at €599 and €899, respectively. It’s presently unclear whether ASUS will opt for nominal parity pricing—meaning the U.S. prices would end up being $599 and $899—or adjust prices by market. The Taiwanese tech giant has historically utilized both strategies, depending on the product.

Upcoming Xbox Handhelds Now Playable at Gamescom

The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are both playable at the Republic of Gamers’ Gamescom 2025 booth beginning today, August 20. ASUS is offering hands-on experiences with a curated selection of games, including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Final Fantasy 7: Remake Intergrade, Hogwarts Legacy, Doom: The Dark Ages, Balatro, and Lies of P. Select Roblox experiences—including Grow a Garden, Rivals, and 99 Nights in the Forest—are also on offer.

New ROG Xbox Ally Marketing Campaign Stars GTA 5 Actors

The Gamescom demos will run throughout the convention, which concludes on August 24. The ROG booth also features select gaming laptops powered by Nvidia’s RTX 50 Series GPUs, alongside other consumer electronics. In a bid to commemorate the upcoming debut of the ROG Xbox Ally lineup, ASUS is reuniting Grand Theft Auto 5 actors Ned Luke (Michael De Santa) and Shawn Fonteno (Franklin Clinton) for yet another ROG Travel marketing campaign. Luke reprises his role as a ROG Travel supervisor, while Fonteno plays a new recruit. Both actors will appear at the company’s Gamescom 2025 booth.