{
  "id": 1071820,
  "title": "I Love Handhelds, But I’m Worried the RAM Crisis is Going to Kill Them",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/i-love-handhelds-but-im-worried-the-ram-crisis-is-going-to-kill-them",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-15T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/i-love-handhelds-but-im-worried-the-ram-crisis-is-going-to-kill-them"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Handheld gaming PCs have been a passion of mine for the last few years, with consistent improvements in hardware and operating systems. The latest offerings, such as the Xbox Ally X and MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, are truly impressive in terms of performance. However, the soaring prices of these devices make them hard to justify. The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, priced at $1,799, far exceeds the cost of its predecessor, the MSI Claw 8 AI+, which was around $899. The primary reason for the price hike is the new Arc G3 Extreme integrated graphics chip, which is essentially a Panther Lake chip with some CPU cores disabled. This new chip offers superior performance compared to AMD's previous Z2 Extreme-powered devices, but the cost of RAM has become a significant factor in the overall expense of handheld gaming PCs. The Lenovo Legion Go 2, another high-performance option, now costs a staggering $1,999, even more than the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. Valve's Steam Deck has also seen a price increase, now starting at $789 for a new unit, which is not a great value in today's market. Despite these high prices, the Xbox Allies from Asus remain the best options for those seeking a more affordable handheld experience. However, there is a concern that Asus might follow suit and raise prices on their Xbox handhelds as well. Ultimately, the RAM crisis is putting a strain on the handheld gaming PC market, making it challenging to find devices that offer great value for their price.",
  "summary": "Handheld gaming PCs have been getting better every year, but with skyrocketing prices, they might not make much sense to either gamers or manufacturers.",
  "key_points": [
    "Prices of handheld gaming PCs soaring due to RAM crisis",
    "Arc G3 Extreme chip in MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ costs more than previous models",
    "RAM shortage impacting affordability of handheld gaming devices"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}