Xbox Ally X Price Reportedly Increases Nearly $200 in Japan Amid Rising Memory Costs

The ever-increasing memory prices are hitting consoles hard, and the latest one to feel the pressure is the ROG Xbox Ally X. For those unaware, the ROG Xbox Ally X is priced at $999.99 in the US. However, reports coming in from Japan suggest that the high-end Xbox handheld has seen a price hike of nearly $200, putting it well above $1,100 in local terms. Analysts suggest that the shortage and cost of high-speed RAM modules are the main reasons behind the sudden price hike.

RAM shortages push Xbox Ally X Price Higher in Japan

As reported by Otaku Souken (via VGC), the Xbox Ally X, which runs on 24GB of LPDDR5X-8000 RAM and offers twice the storage of the standard model, now retails for ¥169,800, up from ¥139,800 at launch.

However, the base Xbox Ally, which uses 16GB LPDDR5-6400 RAM and less storage, has remained at its original price since October. The disparity in specs and memory requirements points directly to RAM costs as the primary factor behind the price hike.

While Xbox and Asus have not issued an official explanation, industry watchers note that Japan’s low demand for Xbox hardware may have amplified the price adjustment. Elsewhere, the console remains largely at its original price, with pre-orders of the high-end model reportedly selling out immediately despite its steep tag.

Some analysts warn that 2027 and beyond may see price adjustments for the Ally X in other regions, particularly if RAM shortages persist or expand. For now, Japanese buyers are shouldering the brunt of the cost spike, offering a glimpse of how hardware supply chains can ripple into consumer pricing.

Not to forget that this news comes at a time when Valve has confirmed that the ongoing memory crunch has also triggered a shortage of Steam Deck OLED in the U.S. Now that the ROG Xbox Ally X has seen a price hike in Japan, it will be interesting to see whether the increase takes effect globally.