"This hardly feels like the time to show off": MSI's powerful gaming handheld hints at a $2,000 price, but wants it?

Close-up of an MSI Claw handheld gaming PC with vibrant buttons, a colorful joystick, and a bright screen. In the background, a hand pours money from a bucket. — At these prices, these all-out PC gaming handhelds could become little more than a proof of concept. (Image credit: Getty Images | MSI | Windows Central)

Ever confident, MSI is pushing ahead with its Claw 8 handheld, with the perplexingly named MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, and a move to Intel's Panther Lake-based Arc G3 Extreme chip. It's a processor expected to appear at the Computex show in Taipei next month (via VideoCardz), and Australian retail links have seemingly confirmed their inclusion in a "Void Purple" model.

It sounds great in theory, especially since I tested the previous MSI Claw 8 AI+ last year and came away impressed by the phenomenal performance from its Lunar Lake-based iGPU. However, that model came with a price that I already described as "absurd", but I'll have to find a stronger synonym after seeing the ~$1,900 price tag on the Claw 8 EX AI+ (converted from $2,749 AUD).

There's also a "Launch Pack" listed at ~$2,000 ($2,849 AUD), bundled with a tempered glass screen protector, claw-grip caps, a travel case, and a keychain. Unfortunately, any eager gamers with pockets full of money in Australia will be disappointed to see that Scorptec's listings are set to "out of stock", but the price doesn't feel unrealistic when the Claw 8 AI+ still sells for $1,299.99 in the US.

MSI never implied that the Claw range was anything but high-end, premium gaming handhelds, and it's still offering 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, a 120Hz touchscreen, and an 80Whr battery on the Claw 8 EX AI+ model. It's certainly an impressive display of what you can pack into a portable PC gaming device, but I'd struggle to convince anyone that a handheld is worth over $1,000.

I’m from Australia…No one in their right mind would spend this much on a handheld in the current economic climate.
stmok, VideoCardz community

At this point, I'm not sure who would be legitimately excited to buy the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ when there are more viable options on the market. Valve's still-brilliant Steam Deck remains the champion, and Windows-based alternatives start with ASUS' comparable ROG Xbox Ally (that's the $599 white one) and realistically end at the also eye-wateringly expensive $999 ROG Xbox Ally X.

Perhaps it's just a display of what's possible; a spectacle of sorts. Then again, this hardly feels like the time to show off your ability to push prices to their extreme — even with Intel's Arc G3 Extreme. Give me more affordable hardware that runs games at a consistent framerate, otherwise I'm sticking with the Steam Deck and ASUS' original ROG Ally (and so should you).

Windows Central will be at Computex, so we'll keep an eye out for Intel's new handheld-centric processor and any of the OEMs that might be showing it off — including MSI — to see how it justifies such a monstrous asking price. Until then, I wouldn't hold your breath for a price change before this launches. At least, not one in the cheaper direction.

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Ben is a Senior Editor of Windows Central, covering PC gaming hardware, software, and everything connected to it. He's built more custom desktops than he can count, and has hands-on experience with some of the most exciting components and accessories for Windows PC and Xbox. A lifelong obsession with Microsoft's technology has led to broad expertise in laptops and in the cutting-edge processors that are pushing the industry forward.