MSI's new Claw 8 EX AI+ handheld shows up on Best Buy with higher-than-expected price and 1 TB SSD

MSI's latest gaming handheld has just shown up on Best Buy ahead of any formal sale date, giving us the clearest picture yet of what the Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM will actually cost — and it's higher than earlier estimates suggested.

The listing prices the device at $1,699.99, coming in above the ~$1,500 figure that had been making rounds prior to launch. The Best Buy page also confirms one previously unspecified detail: storage. The unit listed is the CG3EM-024US variant, which ships with a 1 TB NVMe SSD alongside 32 GB of RAM.

For those catching up, the Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM is MSI's first handheld built around Intel's new Arc G3 Extreme chip — part of the Panther Lake family unveiled on May 30. The processor packs a 14-core CPU (2P + 8E + 4LPE) and a 12-core Arc B390 iGPU with Xe3 architecture. This brings multi-frame generation support that wasn't possible on earlier Claw hardware. 

The 8-inch display runs at 1920×1200 with variable refresh rate up to 120 Hz, and an 80 Wh battery handles power duties. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, two Thunderbolt 4.0 ports, a microSD slot, and a 3.5 mm jack. The whole thing weighs in at 785 g.

MSI joins Acer and OneXPlayer as one of the first OEMs to ship Arc G3-powered hardware. The Best Buy listing shows no confirmed ship date yet and carries no reviews, which could only mean that availability is imminent but not live. MSI has not officially announced pricing.

Check out our hands-on video for MSI's new handheld refresh below: