Cheaper Panther Lake-powered MSI Claw gaming handheld arrives with Arc G3

At launch, MSI made the Claw 8 EX AI+ available only with the Arc G3 Extreme, a Panther Lake processor designed for gaming handhelds. Intel has, however, introduced this G-series lineup of processors with two SKUs, and the second configuration of the handheld was recently spotted on retailer websites.

Now, MSI has formally launched the Claw 8 EX AI+ with non-Extreme Intel Arc G3 in China. It's available with 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, and in that market, this cheaper version of the gaming handheld costs CNY 1,0499, about $1,563. The other configuration with the same storage and memory, on the other hand, goes for CNY 1,1499, around $1,712.

It's only the processor that differs between the two, and it's worth noting that the Arc G3 has a similar 14-core CPU configuration to the Extreme SKU. The B370 iGPU is the key difference, featuring a 10-core Xe3 GPU configuration instead of the 12-core one found in the Arc B390 iGPU.

As for the other core specs, they remain identical, including the 8-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, and VRR support. There's still an 80Wh battery inside, and the more affordable Arc G3 handheld seems to have the same chassis.

Given that MSI has now formally launched the relatively cheaper configuration in China, it should soon go global. Of course, a recent listing on EXcaliberPC, an e-retailer, suggests that the gaming handheld with the non-Extreme Arc G3 will be available outside China on October 30, 2026, and it's already available for pre-order at $1,499.

In comparison, the starting price of the Claw 8 EX AI+ with Arc G3 Extreme is $1,799.99 (32GB/1TB config cur. $1,999.99 on Amazon). Check out our comprehensive review to learn more about the upper-end configuration of the gaming handheld.