We reported a few days ago that Intel is about to release a new handheld processor Arc G3 at Computex 2026. As a result, the product was exposed by a foreign distributor before the time came. Recently, a model CG3EM-013IT MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ The new phone appears at Italian retailer OllopageIt is equipped with an Intel display chip code-named “Arc G3 Extreme” and is priced at 1,599 euros (approximately NT$54,000. Prices in Europe are usually much more expensive than in Taiwan), directly targeting the high-end game handheld market.
What is Intel Arc G3 Extreme?
According to speculation, Arc G3 Extreme is the most powerful model in Intel’s latest generation of mobile-specific display chip series. G3 Extreme will be equipped with 12 Xe3 cores, which is Intel’s most significant performance upgrade in display architecture in recent years. Compared with the Arc G2 used in the previous generation of Claw, the Xe3 core has significantly improved game rendering capabilities, directly corresponding to the highest performance gaming requirements of current notebook computers.
Now that the “EX” and “AI+” models are on the market, MSI is not sloppy in terms of hardware specifications this time. According to the Ollo page, key specifications of Claw 8 EX AI+ include:
- processor：Intel Arc G3 Extreme (integrated into SoC)
- memory: 32GB LPDDR5X, clock 9600 MT/s
- store：1TB SSD（Windows 11 Home）
- screen: 8-inch IPS, resolution 1080p, update rate 120Hz, brightness 500 nits, 100% sRGB color gamut
- Battery：80Wh
- network：Wi-Fi 7
The price of 1,599 euros is about 200 euros more than the suggested selling price of the previous generation Claw 8 AI+. The main reason is that the cost of memory and storage chips will continue to rise in 2026, which is the main reason for the higher pricing. However, compared with other brands of high-end handheld consoles, this price range has its own market reference.
Void Purple color matching, low-key release time
The Ollo page shows that this console adopts the “Void Purple” color scheme, which echoes the “Polar Void” color concept displayed by MSI at major technology exhibitions. The fuselage is currently marked as “out of stock”, but the complete hardware specifications have been revealed, and the official release should not be too far away. Supply chain news indicates that Intel will hold a Keynote during the Computex computer show in June, and is expected to announce more complete product information at that time. The time when ordinary consumers can buy it is expected to fall in the second half of 2026.
The handheld console market enters a new round of performance competition
The exposure of MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ not only represents the update of MSI’s handheld products, but also reflects that Intel is actively deploying high-performance built-in GPU display chip performance to catch up with AMD and NVIDIA’s leading advantages in the mobile gaming market. Coupled with the direct upgrade of the memory bandwidth to LPDDR5X 9600 MT/s, Wi-Fi 7 support, and a 120Hz high refresh rate panel, MSI’s ambition for this new handheld console is obvious: not only to do better than the previous generation, but also to set a new performance benchmark in the entire handheld market.
For readers who are interested in buying a high-end gaming handheld console, it is recommended to wait until Computex before making a decision. We will also conduct follow-up reports at that time. Specification
Source: KOCPC Chinese