The ROG Xbox Ally price starts at $999 in Australia, and pre-orders are open now

Ahead of the ROG Xbox Ally's Australian launch on October 16, official prices have been revealed. As we expected based on prices abroad, this handheld collab between Microsoft and Asus does not come cheap.

The ROG Xbox Ally, which is the base model, will sell for AU$999 in Australia. Meanwhile, the fancier high-performance model dubbed the ROG Xbox Ally X will RRP for AU$1,599.

Several local retailers have already started taking pre-orders, including Amazon, which is selling the base model but not the pricier and more powerful advanced model. This is actually the case for several retailers, but I'll keep checking in and will update if / when they appear.

It's also possible to buy units from Asus direct. The Microsoft Store has listings, but they just redirect to Asus.

Check out a list of all retailers below. We'll add more as more appear:

Amazon
✅ Taking pre-orders
ROG Xbox Ally - AU$999

JB Hi-Fi
✅ Taking pre-orders
ROG Xbox Ally X - AU$1,599
ROG Xbox Ally - AU$999

Bing Lee
❌ Not currently taking pre-orders
ROG Xbox Ally X - AU$1,599
ROG Xbox Ally - AU$999

JW Computers
✅ Taking pre-orders
ROG Xbox Ally - AU$999

ASUS
✅ Taking pre-orders
ROG Xbox Ally X - AU$1,599
ROG Xbox Ally - AU$999

EB Games
✅ Taking pre-orders with an AU$100 deposit
ROG Xbox Ally - AU$999

Is the ROG Xbox Ally worth it, and how does it stack up, specs-wise, with something like the Steam Deck?

James Bentley has a brilliant rundown of the value offered by the ROG Xbox Ally X and the ROG Xbox Ally respectively, in terms of their specs compared to other handhelds on the market.

Meanwhile, Jacob Fox went hands-on with the device back in August and found a lot to like.