With Black Friday in full swing and the biggest deals of the year on display, many are scrambling to complete their holiday season shopping — or pick up something sweet for themselves. Those looking for the greatest value entryway into the world of video games may understandably arrive at the Xbox Series S, the most affordable of all the next-gen consoles and an excellent gaming machine in its own right.
However, while the Series S may be enjoying its own sales, it’s not the best deal you can take advantage of right now. That honor goes to the ASUS ROG Ally, a portable and capable gaming handheld that can play Xbox, PC, and cloud games in equal measure. For a limited time, all versions of the ASUS ROG Ally are at their lowest price ever. You can pick up the most affordable ASUS ROG Ally and score a free protective travel case for only $349.99 at Best Buy, and out of the box you’ll have a 100% complete modern gaming setup — no additional accessories or peripherals required.
🍁The hottest Black Friday deals🦃
Why get the Xbox Series S when you can have so much more?
I personally love the Xbox Series S. It’s an adorable, capable, and surprisingly affordable console that can play all the latest and greatest games. It’s certainly the best value for those looking for an all-in-one console entertainment system, or are looking to upgrade from their Xbox One or PlayStation 4, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other very compelling options.
As great as the Xbox Series S is, it’s limited simply by its nature. This is a console, meant to sit in your living room or on your desk. You’ll need a good TV or monitor to use it, as well as a nearby power outlet, and moving it from place to place will always be a hassle. The Series S is meant for those who know they’ll only ever really game in one place and don’t mind giving up features and flexibility for incredible ease-of-use.
The Xbox Series S with 512GB of SSD storage is actually discounted for $249.99 at Best Buy, a cool $50 savings on the most affordable next-gen console. For those who know what they want, that’s a solid deal. It’s not the deal that I would choose, though.
For me, it’s obvious what the current Black Friday deal champion is: the ASUS ROG Ally. If you’re not in the know, the ASUS ROG Ally is a portable gaming handheld, similar to the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, but it’s also a full-blown gaming PC powered by Windows 11. That means having the most flexible and capable gaming system fit right in the palm of your hands, able to go wherever you go.
Unlike the Xbox Series S, the ASUS ROG Ally doesn’t need anything else to work out of the box. The ROG Ally has its own internal battery for power, its own gaming-optimized display, its own powerful gaming hardware, and its own built-in controls, speakers, and rumble motors. Whether you’re sitting in your living room, laying in your bed, flying on an airplane, or trapped waiting in a queue, the ASUS ROG Ally will let you play all your games.
And I do mean all. Being a gaming PC, the ASUS ROG Ally has access to the largest and most diverse collection of video games in the world. You can download any launcher like Steam or Epic Games, play Xbox and PC games through the Microsoft Store and Xbox app, emulate thousands of games from classic consoles, and even stream all the games a handheld PC shouldn’t be able to play.
All of that, and the ASUS ROG Ally is also at the lowest price I have ever seen it. You can get the ASUS ROG Ally, its official travel case, and an included subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (which immediately lets you play literally hundreds of games to your heart’s content on the ROG Ally) for only $349.99 at Best Buy. That’s a $150 discount, and there are no memberships required to take advantage.
For context, the ASUS ROG Ally normally costs the same as the Xbox Series X, the bigger and more powerful sibling to the Series S. At the full $500, pitting the ROG Ally against the Xbox Series S is a tougher sell and really depends on you wanting portable gaming. With this discount, though, you’re getting an all-in-one mobile gaming station with 512GB of SSD storage, a smooth 120Hz display to support higher framerates, and access to thousands of games for only $100 more than just the Xbox Series S by itself.
Oh, but the ASUS ROG Ally isn’t just limited to gaming. After all, this is a Windows PC. Unlike the Series S and its highly restricted custom interface, the ASUS ROG Ally can also do everything a normal laptop or desktop PC can do. Hook the ROG Ally up to a dock or USB hub, and you can connect an external monitor, a keyboard and mouse, even other peripherals like speakers, webcams, external storage, headsets, and more.
I’ve actually seen people convert to using the ASUS ROG Ally as their primary PC for school or work and — more importantly — succeed. You can’t do that with the Series S, and the ROG Ally is more compact and portable than even your average ultrabook.
The ASUS ROG Ally isn’t perfect, of course. The most affordable model doesn’t quite have the power of an Xbox Series S, the battery life can be killed quickly with serious gaming, and Windows is a little awkward to use on handhelds, so it’s not as easy to navigate as a console. For me, though, that trade-off is worth gaining so much flexibility and capability.
You can enhance the ASUS ROG Ally with accessories and peripherals, too. I’ve actually been tracking the best gaming handheld and handheld accessories deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and there are a ton of great sales.
Want to quadruple the internal storage of your new ASUS ROG Ally and improve loading speeds? You can get our highest-rated handheld SSD, the WD_BLACK SN770M, with 2TB of storage for $179.99 at Best Buy. For more modest storage increases to save all your files, photos, or casual games, you can get a high-performance Samsung SD card with 512GB of storage for $58.99 at Best Buy — and there’s no installation process there, you just have to stick it in the SD card slot.
Looking to protect your new ASUS ROG Ally and add some personality? dbrand’s Black Friday sales include big price cuts on its excellent Killswitch cases and screen protectors for the ASUS ROG Ally, and you get your choice of custom, high-quality skins to deck out your handheld and make it your own. You can pick up a dbrand Killswitch for the ASUS ROG Ally from $49.95 at dbrand right now.
Finally, I suggest stocking up on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Your ASUS ROG Ally will come with at least one month in the box, but you’ll want to stay subscribed if you want access to Game Pass’ library, which includes hundreds of Xbox and PC titles — and anything your ROG Ally can’t play can be streamed through Xbox Cloud Gaming, also included in Game Pass Ultimate. The absolute best deal on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gets you 3-months for only $29.29 at CDKeys, rather than the $19.99/month you’d pay normally.
Don’t waste time, get your own ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld for $349.99 at Best Buy before this sale ends. If you want more power for better gaming performance or enhanced visuals, you can get the ASUS ROG Ally with beefier internals for $499.99 at Best Buy ($449.99 if you have a My Best Buy Plus membership). That price includes a free ASUS ROG Ally Travel Case worth $40.
Even those who desire the absolute best are being served with the lowest pricing we’ve ever seen. The brand-new ASUS ROG Ally X with 1TB of SSD storage and a number of improvements (including better performance and longer battery life) is $699.99 at Best Buy, which cuts $100 off the retail price. If you already own an ASUS ROG Ally, you can trade it and its charger in for an additional $230 off! The ROG Ally X is my current personal handheld, and it’s an incredible device that I heartily recommend.
Is the Xbox Series S or ASUS ROG Ally right for me?
I’ve already made my case for why the ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld is the superior deal this holidays season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best deal for you. Whether you should consider the Xbox Series S or ASUS ROG Ally for yourself or as a gift mostly comes down to one question: do you want to game on the go? The Series S is very portable for a console, but it’ll always need an outlet and an external display.
The ROG Ally, on the other hand, is ready to game straight out of the box, and you’ll only have to charge its battery to keep it alive after gaming sessions. If you know you’ll do all your gaming in one place, like your living room or office, then the ROG Ally’s portability may not add additional value for you.
The second consideration is how you plan to use it. The ROG Ally can do much more than the Series S, being a full-blown Windows PC, but the compromise is that it’s a little more difficult to use. In stark contrast, the Xbox Series S is very limited to just gaming and entertainment apps for streaming movies, TV shows, and music. However, it’s also incredibly easy to use and safer for children to have free reign on.
Do I need anything else to use my ASUS ROG Ally?
No, the ASUS ROG Ally is a complete, all-in-one gaming system. It has its own battery, display, controller, sound system, haptics, and internal hardware; all it needs is you (and an internet connection, if you want to download or stream games). You’ll only need to plug it in to recharge that battery, get the best possible performance, or expand the ROG Ally’s capabilities with a docking station or USB hub.
Any other accessories are purely optional, but you can make the ROG Ally more durable, comfortable, and capable with a few accessories. You can even extend that battery life so you can game longer without worry. We have a guide on the best ASUS ROG Ally accessories if you want some pointers.
How do I upgrade my ASUS ROG Ally’s storage?
Every gaming handheld is a little different, but we have an in-depth, step-by-step guide on how to upgrade your ASUS ROG Ally SSD for more storage and better loading speeds. This does mean you’ll have to physically open your ROG Ally and may void your warranty in the process, so be sure you’re comfortable doing so and are prepared with the tools you’ll need to get the job done.
When is Black Friday?
This year, Black Friday is technically on Nov. 29, 2024, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States. However, Black Friday has become less of a “day” and more of an event spreading across weeks of diverse sales and discounts. Retailers seem to start Black Friday a little earlier every year, and it’s already in full swing for all intents and purposes.
Black Friday itself may have some highly limited, highly aggressive deals, but many of the best sales we’re going to see are already live (like these deals on the ASUS ROG Ally, for example).
When is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday is often blended into the consumerism phenomenon that is Black Friday, but if you need a specific date that would be Dec. 2, 2024, the Monday following Black Friday. This will be your last chance to take advantage of the best Black Friday deals, as many sales end the moment Cyber Monday does.
Why should I shop at Best Buy?
Best Buy is one of our most trusted retailers for many good reasons, with a great reputation for offering great customer service and being a reliable source of quality technology, appliances, accessories, and more. Best Buy gives all shoppers a standard 15-day return window, price matches with its biggest competitors (to guarantee you’re getting the best deal), and offers universal free shipping with a $35 minimum.
However, there are a lot of additional benefits if you become a My Best Buy member. Even the free account immediately grants you universal free shipping, but the Total and Plus annual subscriptions expand those benefits to include free two-day shipping, extended 60-day return windows, exclusive or early access to the best deals, and even expanded customer service with discounted repair options. You can join My Best Buy for free at Best Buy.
