It was just a few days ago that I was unboxing the new ASUS ROG XBOX Ally X20, which went on sale just five days ago on October 15th, and now both the handheld ($1,299) and the $2,499 bundle (handheld + XREAL glasses, dBrand skin) are sold out at both Best Buy and ASUS.com.

Indeed, I'm not even saying they sold out today, but rather that today was the first day I checked to see if there was any inventory left. Going by a Reddit thread, it appears it sold out sometime yesterday or Sunday.

That's a very impressive metric, when you consider the pricing here. The current ROG XBOX Ally X is available for $999, while this refreshed model (which is better in every way) is $300 more. And the $2,500 bundle is also no joke, especially for what many would consider a secondary gaming PC.

Sure, we can attribute this to limited production and a finite inventory on hand, but it’s worth noting that preorders began almost two months ago on August 25th, giving ASUS ample time to prepare for demand.

And we know there was demand. Looking at our internal numbers for click-throughs, we saw back in August an unusually high amount of interest in the ROG XBOX Ally X20, more than you might expect from the most expensive ROG Ally to date.

A lot of this goes back to what I've been saying for years: Gaming is one of the few price-proof areas in tech, practically insulated from the harsh economic realities that many people are facing, on top of the overall higher prices attributed to AI-driven demand for RAM and NAND (storage).

Whether a recession, a pandemic, a RAM shortage, or a crypto mining craze (remember that?), gamers are almost always willing to fork over big bucks to have the latest gear. It's one reason that, despite some of the doom-and-gloom over PC sales in the last decade, gaming PCs grew year-over-year consistently.

To wit, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has an MSRP of $1,799, and still sold out within days, resulting in resellers on eBay pushing $800 over retail. And people were absolutely buying those, too, as I wrote back in August. That device is still sold out at Best Buy, which raises all sorts of questions about how tight production is on it.

What's the big deal, anyway?

If you haven't followed this story closely, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is just a simple refresh of last year's XBOX Ally X, albeit with an OLED panel replacing the IPS.

That ... would be way oversimplifying it.

Yes, the same AMD Z2 Extreme and 24GB of RAM are here (albeit slightly faster memory), so overall performance is very much the same, but ASUS basically completely rebuilt this entire device with all new components. In fact, I've been documenting all the changes that I've noticed and collected from talking to ASUS and from past press events.

So, here's what's actually new:

• Larger 7.4-inch OLED panel (up from 7.0 IPS)
• 1,400 nits peak HDR (no HDR before)
• 600 nits peak SDR (was 500 before)
• Dolby Vision support
• Corning Victus + DXC anti-reflection coating
• Smaller bezels
• Redesigned airflow channel specifically for cooling the OLED panel
• Completely redesigned PCB USB4 ports
• Upgraded fan and heatsink fins for better cooling
• Hybrid metal dome switches for a more tactile D-pad
• Transforming D-pad
• TMR joysticks (Hall-effect style)
• LEDs increased from 2 to 4 per stick
• Quieter, more tactile ABXY buttons
• Realigned shoulder buttons
• Smoked black translucent housing
• Rubberized ergonomic grips
• Upgraded microSD Express slot (up to ~1 GB/s)

And this translates into a major real-world difference in terms of fit and finish, as well as overall enjoyment of the device, which is why so many people are praising the build quality.

While Intel's G3 Extreme trounces AMD in performance, the overall gaming experience on the ROG XBOX Ally X20 is very likely the best of any handheld. Plus, a faster AMD or newer Intel chip would have driven the price up even further (see MSI's $1,800 Claw).

Of course, the one pain point is still ... Windows 11. At least for the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE), but we'll talk about that another time. Once you're set up, the Ally X20 is top-tier.

ROG XBOX Ally X20 is getting great reviews

It's worth noting that reviews, both professional and from consumers, have been near-universal in their acclaim for the ROG XBOX Ally X20.

Yeah, Best Buy only has 10 reviews posted, but it's a solid 5.0 across the board, with some noting, "This is the single most refined PC handheld ... I’ve tried." and "it might be the best quality handheld device in the market," and "ASUS Definitely hit it out of the park with this one."

Going by more professional reviews, IGN says the OLED takes the machine "to a completely new level" and argues that the extra $300 is "absolutely worth it" if you have the cash. Notebookcheck is similarly effusive, calling the OLED a "game changer" and describing the image quality as "simply stunning."

And one of my favorite YouTube channels, 128KB, dedicated to handheld gaming, also gave high praise (you can see the podcast embed above).

That kind of word of mouth goes a long way, and ASUS seems to have quite a hit on its hands despite the current market circumstances.

Of course, my review is coming out shortly, but spoiler alert: I don't differ much from most of the other conclusions. Sure, "The X20 should have been the original Ally X last year" is a common theme, but OLED displays this small with variable refresh were hard to come by in 2025, so ASUS went with what it could mass-produce at the time.

The Ally X20 selling out across every configuration shows just how aggressively ASUS has captured the handheld gaming PC conversation. This launch isn’t a blip or a lucky surge; it’s a clear sign that ASUS understands what Windows handheld buyers want and is willing to push the category forward faster than anyone else.

When a premium bundle disappears instantly, it tells you the audience is hungry, confident, and ready to invest in hardware that feels genuinely next‑gen. ASUS, in my opinion (and others'), set a new bar, and the rest of the industry now has to decide whether it can keep up with the pace ASUS just established.

Now, just give me that AMD FSR 4.1 update!

Anyway, let me know in the comments what you think about the state of handheld gaming in 2026, and whether the ROG XBOX Ally X20 is on your radar (if it comes back in stock).

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Xbox turns 25 this year, and if you're going to commemorate a quarter-century of one of gaming's most recognizable brands, slapping a green logo onto some existing hardware isn't going to cut it.

Thankfully, Razer didn't phone it in.

The new Razer | XBOX 25 Anniversary Collection (now available) takes three existing Razer products, the BlackWidow V4 75%, Basilisk V3 Pro 35K, and Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed, and transforms them with translucent green shells, Xbox detailing, and some fantastic use of RGB lighting. Razer officially announced the limited-edition collection in August, describing it as a collaboration with Xbox celebrating 25 years of the brand.

I've now spent some time with all three, and there's one product that immediately stands above the rest.

The keyboard is ridiculously good.

The BlackWidow V4 75% is the star of the show

If I could only buy one thing from this collection, it would unquestionably be the BlackWidow V4 75%.

It's absolutely awesome-looking in person.

The translucent green chassis and keycaps make exceptionally good use of Razer's Chroma lighting because you're not simply seeing RGB through the legends. The light spills through the translucent structure of the keyboard itself, illuminating the switches and keys and giving the whole thing this glowing, almost radioactive Xbox-green appearance.

My photos don't really do it justice. I've generally kept mine predominantly green for obvious reasons, but you aren't locked into the Xbox color scheme. Razer Chroma gives you full RGB customization, including per-key lighting, while the keyboard also has two-sided underglow.

There are some lovely smaller touches, too. The spacebar carries the XBOX 25 branding; there are Xbox-inspired symbols scattered across the keycaps, and the familiar ABXY colors appear around the arrow cluster. Razer has even included a dedicated Xbox key for opening Game Bar.

But perhaps my favorite finishing touch is sitting in front of the keyboard.

The included magnetic wrist rest has Razer and XBOX 25 branding prominently printed on it in green, and that's the type of detail that pushes this beyond feeling like a basic special-edition colorway. It completes the look.

More importantly, this isn't just a keyboard that photographs well. It feels fantastic to type on (read our original BlackWidow V4 75% review for more details).

Razer uses its Orange Tactile Switches Gen-3 here, while retaining the BlackWidow V4 75%'s hot-swappable design.

At $209.99 on Razer.com, it's admittedly not cheap. But if I'm buying something specifically because it's a limited Xbox 25th-anniversary edition, I want it to actually feel special. This does.

The Basilisk V3 Pro 35K completes the look

My second favorite is easily the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K (see my review of the original non-35K Razer Basilisk V3 Pro for more info).

I'm already a fan of the Basilisk line, and underneath the translucent green makeover, this remains a very capable wireless gaming mouse. You get Razer's Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2, HyperScroll Tilt Wheel, 13 customizable controls, HyperSpeed Wireless connectivity, and Chroma RGB.

Razer lists up to 140 hours of battery life over HyperSpeed Wireless as well.

However, once again, it's the execution of the anniversary design that makes the difference.

The translucent green upper shell lets you see hints of the mouse's internal structure, while XBOX 25 branding runs down the side. RGB lighting beneath the mouse creates a bright green glow that makes it look fantastic beside the BlackWidow.

Honestly, if you're getting the keyboard, you really should just get the mouse too (sorry about your wallet).

There's even a translucent green 2.4GHz wireless dongle! Nobody needed to do that. Razer did it anyway, and that's precisely my point about this collection. Everywhere I look, there's another little bit of attention to detail.

The Basilisk costs $179.99 on Razer.com. Yes, Razer has subsequently moved the Basilisk family forward, so you're not buying the newest generation simply because this is a new Xbox edition. But considering what you're really paying for here, namely an excellent mouse transformed into a collectible anniversary design, I'm not going to complain too much.

The Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed does exactly what it needs to

Finally, there are the Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed earbuds.

I've been using these with my ASUS Xbox Ally X, where they've made a great little companion for handheld gaming. They sound great, and the transparent green design is wonderfully nostalgic without looking cheap.

The earbuds themselves are translucent right down through the stems, while the charging case gets the same treatment with a large XBOX 25 logo across the front. It's distinctive without Razer needing to reinvent the product underneath.

To be clear, I'm not sure what else Razer could have done here.

These support both Razer HyperSpeed Wireless over 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.3, including Razer SmartSwitch, alongside up to 35 hours of total battery life. They're also IPX4-rated, and Razer lists surround-sound support across Xbox and PC.

At $119.99 on Razer.com, they're also the least expensive route into the collection.

This is how you do an anniversary collection

The three anniversary models carry roughly a $10 to $20 premium over their standard counterparts, depending on the product. That's the sort of "special edition tax" I can live with when I'm actually getting something special in return.

And, in my opinion, Razer really went over the top here.

There's a consistency across all three products that makes them feel like an actual collection, rather than three unrelated products that happen to share a logo and color. Put the BlackWidow and Basilisk together on a desk, and they look fantastic.

The translucent green plastic immediately evokes Xbox, while the XBOX 25 logos, custom keycaps, ABXY colors, wrist-rest embroidery, RGB implementation, and even that ridiculous little green wireless dongle demonstrate that somebody cared about sweating the details.

And that's ultimately why I like these so much.

Razer started with some of its best hardware rather than using Xbox's anniversary to dress up cheaper peripherals, and then went far enough with the aesthetic changes that they feel genuinely unique.

The Razer | XBOX 25 Anniversary Collection is available to order from October 20, with the BlackWidow V4 75% at $209.99, Basilisk V3 Pro 35K at $179.99, and Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed at $119.99.

These are limited edition, so don't be shocked if they sell out.

If I were choosing only one, I'd take the BlackWidow without hesitation. (But let's be honest: the keyboard and mouse belong together.)

A+ from me, Razer. This is how you do anniversary hardware.

Hit me up in the comments if you have any questions while I still have these on hand! And you can follow the rest of our XBOX 25 coverage as we round out 2026.

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