Starting this week, Best Buy is taking $200 off the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme gaming handheld, now only $449.99. That's the lowest price I've seen for a brand-new unit, even during Black Friday. In addition, you get a free official ROG Ally travel case, one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and two months of a Crunchyroll Mega Fan subscription. The ROG Ally is one of the best gaming handhelds currently available, especially if you don't want to be tied to Steam's ecosystem. Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme Gaming Handheld for $449.99Asus ROG Ally AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Gaming HandheldThe Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is a Windows 11 based gaming handheld PC. This is the higher end of the two Asus ROG Ally models with an AMD Zen 4 based Z1 Extreme CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It boasts a 7" screen size with a sharp 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.Whereas its main competitor, the Steam Deck, runs off a Linux-based Steam OS, the ROG Ally uses the tried-and-true Windows 11. The benefit is that the ROG Ally is compatible with pretty much any Windows-based game launcher, including Steam, Battle.net, Xbox Games Pass, Epic Games Store, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, and more. Obviously that makes it more attractive to gamers who like to play games that aren't available or are harder to install on the Steam Deck.In our Asus ROG Ally review, Robert Anderson wrote that "the Asus ROG Ally truly feels like the portable Xbox Game Pass machine that many fans have been clamoring for. While a frustrating user experience, poor battery life, and a lack of Steam Deck-style touchpads do hold it back a bit, its undeniable how much fun this handheld is to use when it really gets ticking. With a beautiful 1080p screen thats marvelously bright and perfect for playing on the go in any condition, alongside its powerful set of specs and a fierce price tag, it might actually be the Steam Deck competitor weve been anticipating."Note that since CES 2025 has come and gone, there's soon to be even more competition in the hot handheld gaming PC market. The latest release is the new Lenovo Legion Go S, although it's not necessarily better than the ROG Ally, and much pricier. This is the Windows 11 version with an Z2 Go and 32GB of RAM for $729. However, a more affordable version is launching in May 2025, with your choice of Windows 11 or SteamOS for only $599. The Asus ROG Ally X was also released in late 2024 and it's an all-around better gaming handheld, albeit at a $300 higher price point.Why Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at. Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.