The embers of Black Friday may have begun to cool, but the fire sales are only getting started as we head deeper into the weekend and onto Cyber Monday. One of the top brands on a lot of minds is Xbox, with many searching for the best deals on the Xbox Series X or more affordable Series S. Even with those discounts, though, the best Xbox for you may not be a console at all — it may actually be a PC gaming handheld.
Even Microsoft agrees that "Xbox" refers to a whole lot more than consoles, and you can get an ASUS ROG Ally handheld for only $349.99 at Best Buy, the lowest-price ever for our highest-rated, most-recommended Windows-powered gaming handheld. You won't need a TV, outlet, or any other accessories to make the most of the ROG Ally — all you need is the handheld itself, which lets you play thousands of Xbox and PC games anywhere you want. In my eyes, that's the superior deal to the Xbox Series S.
• Check out our LIVE hub for all the best PC gaming handheld Black Friday deals
Recent updates
Dec. 3, 2024 @ 2:55 p.m. ET — Final update now that Cyber Monday is concluded. Most of the deals have ended, with a handful of exceptions in the below section. I've substituted the original ASUS ROG Ally deal with an alternative from Walmart that's $50 higher, although it's not clear when that deal will end as well.
🔥The hottest post-Cyber Monday deals🔥
- 💻HP EliteBook 14 (Ryzen 7 PRO) | $899 at HP (Save $2,023!)
- 🎮Xbox Series X Digital Edition (1TB) | $398 at Walmart (Save $52!)
- 🕹️Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months) | $29.29 at CDKeys (Save $11!)
- 🎮Lenovo Legion Go (Z1 Extreme) | $534.44 at Amazon (Save $166!)
- 💻Surface Pro 11 w/ keyboard (X Plus) | $999.99 at Best Buy (Save $350!)
- 💽Seagate Xbox Series X|S Card (2TB) | $199.99 at Best Buy (Save $160!)
💽More Cyber Monday deals that won't quit💾
- Dell: Lowest PC prices of the year for a little longer after Cyber Monday
- HP: Aggressive "Cyber Week" deals on laptops while supplies last
- Lenovo: Still save up to 68% on laptops, desktops, and select doorbusters
- Samsung: Week-long holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more
It's all an Xbox, and this one can play more games in more places
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.
RELATED: Our LIVE hub of all the best Xbox deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
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 through cloud services like Xbox Cloud Gaming.
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 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. At the end of the day, the ASUS ROG Ally is also an Xbox, and Microsoft agrees (the Lenovo Legion Go handheld is an Xbox, too, and you can also find that one on sale).
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 $199.99 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 $49.99 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).
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 did Black Friday end?
On paper, at least, Black Friday ended the moment Midnight chimed on Nov. 29, 2024, or the Friday following the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA. However, that didn't necessarily mean all the deals up and disappeared at that time. Many persisted throughout the weekend and into Cyber Monday, even as many others ended or went out of stock. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become more of a four-day sales event than two separate days.
When did Cyber Monday end?
While it feels that Black Friday and Cyber Monday seemingly start earlier each year, the four-days sales event tends to end its annual run on a similar note. Cyber Monday marks the tumultuous finale on Dec. 2, 2024, ending when the day does. The vast majority of deals do tend to end when Cyber Monday is over, and the deals that remain often become less aggressive, with smaller price cuts. You're not likely to get another chance at most of those deals until next Black Friday rolls around.
Are there still deals after Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
It's not as if the entire world returns to MSRP after Cyber Monday ends, but many of the best deals absolutely do end before Tuesday arrives. Some retailers and companies will continue Cyber Monday promotions throughout the week, but even then, many of those discounts won't be as steep. You can keep an eye on Windows Central's deal coverage for help finding the sales that are still worth your time, since the majority of Black Friday and Cyber Monday coverage online will now be concluded or out of stock.
