Asus has significantly increased the price of its Xbox handheld in Australia. According to industry reports, the ongoing RAM and storage shortage is to blame. The big question: Is a global price hike coming?
The ROG Xbox Ally X now costs 200 Dollars more in Australia. The official retail price has jumped from AUD 1,599 to AUD 1,799 (roughly $1,250 USD), according to PC Gamer. That’s a much steeper increase than the recent adjustments from Microsoft and Sony, which typically hovered around AUD 50. The new price is already in effect at major retailers across the country, as well as through Asus directly.
The Ally X is the more powerful of the two Xbox handhelds Asus released last year. The standard ROG Xbox Ally remains at an MSRP of AUD 999 (about $700 USD) in Australia. As VGC reports, the ROG Xbox Ally X has also seen a similar price increase in Japan — again equivalent to roughly AUD 200. That suggests this isn’t just an Australia-specific move but part of a broader shift tied to global supply and manufacturing costs.
RAM and Storage Shortages Behind the Hike
Asus had not issued an official statement explaining the increase at the time of reporting. Still, the likely cause is obvious: the ongoing shortage of RAM and flash storage driven by the AI boom and the massive data centers required to power it. These bottlenecks aren’t limited to Asus — they’re affecting much of the tech industry.
In some regions, even the Steam Deck OLED is facing limited availability. Reports suggest Nintendo is reevaluating the pricing of the Switch 2. Sony is reportedly considering delaying the PS6, while Valve has confirmed that its own hardware projects — including Steam Machine and Steam Frame — are being pushed back due to current market conditions.
A Global Price Increase May Only Be a Matter of Time
Given the ongoing strain on memory supply chains, don’t expect reports of hardware price hikes to slow down anytime soon. Gaming hardware could become noticeably more expensive again, as manufacturers may no longer be willing — or able — to subsidize consoles and handhelds to hit key price points.
If you’ve been considering picking up the more powerful Xbox handheld, it may be wise to act sooner rather than later. There’s a real possibility that pricing could climb in your region as well — and when it does, you’ll likely feel it in your wallet.
