When Valve introduced the Steam Deck, it proved that PC gaming could be portable without costing a fortune. A few years later, however, gaming handhelds seem to be entering a completely different league. According to a Newegg listing spotted by VideoCardz, the upcoming MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ will retail for $1,699, making it one of the most expensive handheld gaming PCs yet.
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ packs flagship specs and an equally flagship price
The reported $1,699 price is for a configuration featuring Intel’s latest Arc G3 Extreme graphics architecture, alongside 32GB of LPDDR5X memory and a 1TB SSD. MSI’s own online store has even listed the device for $1,799, though Newegg and Best Buy currently show the lower price point. If accurate, it would put the Claw 8 EX well above most of its handheld rivals.
Beyond the sticker shock, the hardware itself is undeniably premium. The handheld features an 8-inch 120Hz display, an 80Wh battery, Hall Effect joysticks and triggers, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, and Intel’s next-generation integrated graphics aimed at delivering a significant leap in gaming performance. For enthusiasts chasing the best portable experience, it certainly checks plenty of boxes.
The price isn’t shocking, but it still raises eyebrows
To be fair, this isn’t entirely out of the ordinary. Component costs have been climbing across the industry, especially for cutting-edge silicon and high-speed memory, and gaming handhelds have steadily become more expensive with each generation. We recently saw Valve increase Steam Deck pricing in several regions, while newer premium devices from ASUS, Lenovo, and others have also crept upward, making higher prices an unfortunate trend rather than an exception.
That said, $1,699 is still a difficult number to ignore. At that price, the MSI Claw 8 EX isn’t just competing with other handhelds anymore. It’s competing with proper gaming laptops that offer larger displays, dedicated keyboards, upgradeable hardware, and, in many cases, more powerful dedicated GPUs. For gamers who value portability above everything else, the Claw may still make sense. But for everyone else, spending gaming laptop money on a handheld could be a much tougher pill to swallow.