The premium gaming handheld is expected to cost around $1,500.
A new wave of premium handhelds is on the way and MSI’s upcoming Claw 8 EX AI+ is leading the way. The company revealed its latest handheld during a hands-on event at its headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan ahead of Computex 2026. The Claw 8 EX AI+ will follow MSI’s previous handhelds introduced in 2024, which started at around $800, but will reportedly cost up to $1,500. It will arrive on June 23.
To justify that higher cost, the latest MSI handheld is getting a big performance boost thanks to the new Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip. according to ZDNet KoreaThe Claw 8 EX AI+ offers an updated SSD design that lets owners easily upgrade storage via the M.2 2280 slot. The handheld still gets up to 32GB of memory, an 80Wh battery, and an eight-inch touchscreen display with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. However, it was announced at the hands-on event that the Claw 8 EX AI+ will have a better ergonomic design as well as improved haptics for its buttons and joystick.
according to pcgamerMSI hasn’t set a final price for the Claw 8 EX AI+, but the configuration shown at its event is priced at $1,500. This means we could see more affordable options with less memory and storage or smaller displays. However, this price estimate is not too surprising given the ongoing crisis around component costs. As far as potential cheaper alternatives, MSI’s Claw 8 EX AI+ will see competition from the Acer Predator Atlas 8 and a handheld from OnePlus, which also feature Arch G3 Extreme chips.
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