RAM crisis or not, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ should not cost anywhere near $1,800
but I fear this is just the start of overpriced handhelds

Date:
Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Description:
Pricing for handheld gaming PCs has hit a new level of absurdity, with the
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ available at retailers for $1,799.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Handheld gaming PCs have come a long way since Valve's Steam Deck launched in 2022, back when the handheld market was still very much in a niche form.

The Steam Deck appealed to so many gamers simply because of its affordability and performance, running both indie and triple-A games with little difficulty (with reasonable graphics settings). The device provided gamers with an easy way to tackle their game libraries when away from their desks. Unfortunately, the ongoing RAM crisis, combined with other difficult market conditions in 2026, has not only forced Valve to delay the launch of new hardware, but also drastically increased the price of the Steam Deck OLED . That handheld is now $789 / 649 / AU$1,199 and $949 / 779 / AU$1,429 for the 512GB and 1TB models respectively. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

We're not focusing on the Steam Deck today, though. Instead, our attention
has been grabbed by the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, coming straight out of
Computex 2026 and delivering exceptional performance across several games we tested. And frankly, it may turn out to be the best handheld of 2026 in terms of raw power and performance, but there's one massive problem the same one Valve faced with its Steam Deck OLED. The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ price is a joke (Image credit: Future) While I can happily admit that the Steam Deck OLED isn't worth its new price by a long shot, the cost of that device doesn't
even come close to the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ in terms of absurdity. You may like After spending all week gawking at the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, I think Im finally ready to bid adieu to my beloved Steam Deck MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ with Intel Arc G3 Extreme inside revealed at Computex 2026 2026 is the year of handheld gaming, and Computex reveals are proof alone

The Claw 8 EX AI+ will be available at retailers and from the MSI Store
priced at $1,799 (around 1,340 / AU$2,540). Yes, you read that right. MSI's new handheld is almost the same price as an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 (going by the GPU's MSRP, that is), or to look at it another way, the Claw is the same price as an full desktop gaming PC.

There's no denying how great MSI's new handheld is, especially considering
the claims of its Intel G3 Extreme processor being 44% faster at 1080p than the MSI Claw 8 AI+'s Intel Core Ultra 258V. On paper, the only benefit it seems to be missing compared to other upcoming handhelds like the OneXPlayer
3 is an OLED screen. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. (Image credit: MSI) However, I suppose it's a good thing there's still no OLED panel with this new Claw handheld, as I can only
imagine how much more expensive the device would be if that was included. And frankly, the $1,799 price still wouldn't be justified if an OLED panel was part of the picture.

Simply put, it's pretty difficult to imagine anyone who will be willing to spend so much for a device like this when, as noted, you can get a full-blown gaming rig for this money. Okay, it's a handheld packing a lot of power and top quality performance, so it's definitely going to cost more, sure but pushing close to $2,000? Absolutely not.

It's fair to point out that the RAM crisis has definitely had a part to play in the obscene pricing here, as shortages have put the entire PC market in disarray. Regardless, even with the memory shortage and other problems with
PC components, I don't think the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has any business being as costly as it is and I believe MSI will find that out sooner rather than later.

I also fear that this won't be the only seriously overpriced gaming portable to be winging our way in the future. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/gaming-pcs/ram-crisis-or-not-the-msi-claw- 8-ex-ai-should-not-cost-anywhere-near-usd1-800-but-i-fear-this-is-just-the-sta rt-of-overpriced-handhelds


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