The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is priced at $1,699, which is quite a sum for a handheld device typically associated with gaming laptop expenses.
TL;DR: MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ will be released on June 23 for $1,699, featuring Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme, 32GB RAM, and an 8-inch 120Hz display.
MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ is set to launch on June 23 at a price of $1,699, making it the most expensive retail handheld gaming PC. This device is the first to feature Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme processor, which is built on the Panther Lake platform and includes 12 Xe3 GPU cores alongside a 14-core CPU. At $1,699, it costs $500 more than the Lenovo Legion Go 2, which was previously the most expensive handheld.
The $1,699 price is supported by listings on Newegg and Best Buy that launched this week, while MSI's own site lists it at $1,799. The specifications include 32GB of LPDDR5X memory, a 1TB NVMe SSD, an 8-inch 1920x1200 120Hz IPS touch display, and an 80Wh battery.
Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme is the company’s most powerful handheld chip, featuring integrated Arc B390 graphics that utilize the Xe3 architecture with support for hardware ray tracing and AI-enhanced upscaling via XeSS 3. Intel claims a 44% performance improvement at 1080p over its previous Lunar Lake chip with XeSS enabled.
Early simulations indicate that the chip can achieve 60 frames per second in Spider-Man 2 at 900p on medium settings and exceed 60fps in Cyberpunk 2077 on the Steam Deck graphics preset, both at a 25-watt power envelope. If these results are reflected in retail units, it would mark a significant upgrade from existing handhelds, though Intel has not released independent benchmarks.
The hardware features premium elements such as Hall Effect joysticks and triggers that prevent stick drift. It includes dual Thunderbolt 4 ports for external GPU support and data transfer, as well as Wi-Fi 7 for multi-gigabit wireless connectivity.
MSI also emphasizes compatibility with Windows 11’s Xbox Mode, which aims to reduce input latency and enhance frame pacing in portable devices. The device is designated as Copilot+ PC, but the specific benefits of this branding for a gaming handheld are not entirely clear.
Pricing context is crucial. Steam Deck OLED prices increased on May 27, with the 512GB model rising from $549 to $789 and the 1TB version from $649 to $949. The ASUS ROG Ally X retails for $999, while the Lenovo Legion Go 2 starts at $1,199.
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ surpasses all of these by $500. The increase in prices across all handhelds this year is due to a surge in LPDDR5X prices, which rose 250% as major manufacturers shifted memory production toward AI data centers; DDR5 prices have also skyrocketed by over 400% in some areas. The 32GB of LPDDR5X in the Claw 8 EX is significantly pricier than it was 18 months ago. However, rising component costs alone don’t fully justify the $1,699 price.
At this price, the Claw 8 EX isn't just competing with other handhelds, but also with gaming laptops that come with 15- or 16-inch screens, full keyboards, upgradeable storage, dedicated cooling systems, and often more powerful discrete GPUs. Gaming laptops from ASUS, Lenovo, or MSI in the $1,699 range will generally outperform the Claw 8 EX in every category except for portability.
Apple recently discontinued its $599 Mac Mini due to DRAM shortages making it unsustainable at that price. The entire consumer electronics industry is facing higher memory costs. MSI's challenge, however, lies in persuading consumers to invest in portability priced comparably to performance-focused options.
The handheld gaming market has expanded significantly since Valve introduced the original Steam Deck at $399 in 2022, proving that portable PC gaming could be mainstream. Now, four years later, the leading device in this category costs over four times that amount. While technology has progressed considerably, the market that MSI is aiming at with the $1,699 handheld is quite limited.
The Claw 8 EX AI+ can currently be pre-ordered from Newegg, Best Buy, and MSI’s online store, with shipments starting on June 23.
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The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is priced at $1,699, which is quite a sum for a handheld device typically associated with gaming laptop expenses.
MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ is set to launch on June 23, featuring Intel's Arc G3 Extreme, 32GB of RAM, and an 80Wh battery, but its $1,699 price tag surpasses that of all competing handheld devices.