'There is no room for budget consoles': MSI explains the price of Claw and announces further increases

The market for handheld gaming consoles is going through a critical phase, characterized by rising component costs and uncertainty about future prices. In this scenario, Valve has been forced to significantly increase the price of the current Steam Deck, while MSI has chosen to still release the new Claw 8 EX AI+ at a price of $1,799.

The company’s new handheld integrates the Intel Arc G3 Extreme SoC, paired with 32 GB of LPDDR5x-8533 memory and a 1 TB PCIe SSD. According to MSI, this hardware configuration allows for even the latest AAA games to be played at playable frame rates without necessarily relying on frame generation technologies or upscaling systems.

The console also introduces revamped grips and buttons aimed at improving ergonomics and comfort during extended gaming sessions. MSI considers this platform to be the first able to offer a balance between resolution, graphical settings, and fluidity that eliminates much of the typical compromises found in the handheld segment.

However, in an interview with FRVR, the product marketing manager Andy Chu explained the reasons behind a price that is, objectively, quite steep. According to him, MSI has no alternatives and before selecting the price, explored all possible avenues to keep costs as low as possible. Unfortunately, it seems that going below this threshold is not feasible, and indeed further increases could be applied in the immediate future.

"All I can say is that we have tried every possible avenue to obtain memory and storage at a lower cost. For example, we have attempted to consolidate relationships with suppliers, forge new partnerships...and I believe we have done everything necessary to make our system as accessible as possible. But unfortunately, the situation, the result, is what you see here. So, I would say yes, it will be a difficult year for us and for gamers," explained Chu.

Chu also borrowed Valve's console for a comparison with the new Claw. In fact, Valve's offering has a platform that is already four years old, half the system memory, and a significantly less performant display. Nevertheless, compared to its release, the price of the Steam Deck has almost doubled recently due to increases in storage and RAM.

"Maybe in the past, for example, the Steam Deck was really affordable in terms of price, so we didn’t think too much before buying one. But, as you can see, even the Steam Deck now costs a lot. So I would say it's the right time to assess the true potential and capabilities that this new portable device [Claw 8 EX AI+] can offer us."

For MSI, the generalized increase in prices is pushing the market for handheld consoles toward a more demanding and performance-oriented clientele. The goal of the Claw 8 EX AI+ is therefore to intercept enthusiast users looking for a machine capable of offering a significant performance boost; thus, it targets not a wide customer base, but simply a selected one.

According to the company, sales of handheld consoles are nonetheless maintaining a certain stability, and there continues to be a segment of users interested in increasingly powerful and comprehensive devices, even in the face of high financial investment.

But what about those who desire a capable yet accessible device? Well, according to Chu, at present, there is no room for this clientele. The executive explained that, as shown by the Steam Deck, the current price of a low-tier device is disproportionate to its specifications.