MSI’s $1,800 gaming handheld seems like a warning for PC gaming’s future

I don’t find out about you, however I can’t keep in mind the final time it was so costly to surf the reducing fringe of PC {hardware}.

I’ve been enthusiastic about the continued pricepocalypse engulfing the computing business all week, as a result of right here at PCWorld we’ve been testing the remarkably quick (and remarkably costly) MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ as a way to see the way it stacks up towards different handheld gaming PCs. And whereas the outcomes are promising (extra on that shortly), the $1,800 beginning worth ensures it stays out of attain for all however probably the most devoted or well-to-do PC gaming followers.

So what’s a nerd of modest means to do when the world’s provide of key PC parts is being devoured up by AI-obsessed tech corporations?

I don’t find out about you, however I discover myself slipping right into a “hunker down and wait it out” state of mind. The truth that brand-spanking-new {hardware} just like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and Valve’s new Steam Machine price lots of of {dollars} greater than I ever anticipated has killed quite a lot of their luster for me, and that’s a bummer I received’t quickly get better from. Heck, I acquired into this interest to play the newest and best video games with efficiency that’s means higher than something you’ll discover on a comparably-priced console.

However these days I discover myself returning to outdated PC video games or firing up my Xbox Collection X at night time as an alternative of hopping on my gaming PC, partially as a result of I’m afraid to place extra put on and tear on it throughout a time when even changing a dying laborious drive might price me by means of the nostril. Shucks, if the RAM began to fail and I needed to exchange all of it? Overlook about it.

Now don’t get it twisted, I’m not out right here advocating we abandon the PC and begin gaming on consoles. No, the PC stays the very best place to sport not simply due to the breadth and depth of software program on provide, nor its unparalleled management and customizability, however as a result of gaming consoles are additionally priced by means of the nostril proper now. Living proof: this week Microsoft raised costs on Xbox consoles for the third time in roughly a 12 months. Meaning the Xbox Collection X I paid $499 for at launch will now price roughly $799, a worth hike of over 50 p.c that comes six years after the console debuted.

I don’t suppose I’ve ever been happier about being an early adopter, however this isn’t how issues are presupposed to work. And with element costs displaying no indicators of falling over the following few years, I’m not assured new {hardware} will get any cheaper anytime quickly.

That makes a present like this week’s The Full Nerd much more fascinating, as a result of now pricing is a big issue when discussing new {hardware} just like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ or Valve’s second-gen Steam Machine. I’ve by no means been a voracious early adopter (Collection X however), and these days I ponder how of us who crave the newest and best are faring in our new actuality.

On this episode of The Full Nerd

Costs could also be skyrocketing however the present should go on, and there’s quite a lot of thrilling new data to get into as PCWorld’s Adam Patrick Murray, Alaina Yee and Michael Crider weigh in on Steam Machine opinions and our benchmark checks of the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ in this episode of The Full Nerd. That is the primary handheld to reach packing Intel’s new Arc G3 Excessive chipset, and our testing suggests it’s a beast.

PCWorld

You need to watch (or take heed to) the present for the total efficiency rundown and a few insightful commentary, however the quick model is that this: Intel’s Arc G3 Excessive helps the Claw 8 EX AI+ blow previous opponents in almost each efficiency check we ran. Whereas the unique MSI Claw 8 and Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 acquired shut, our checks present the G3 Excessive-driven Claw wins out in each artificial and real-world efficiency checks. And with an asking worth of almost $2,000, it higher!

Plus, the crew run down the primary batch of opinions for the brand new Steam Machine, which embody a slew of efficiency testing and a few fascinating insights into the construct of Valve’s newest PC. I used to be stunned to study that among the very first Machines got here with 16GB of RAM in two slots (so two 8GB sticks) whereas the remainder have the total 16GB in a single slot, for instance, which implies you’re dropping the efficiency advantage of dual-channel RAM on the latter configuration. Valve has now confirmed to TechRadar that every one Steam Machines for the foreseeable future will include 16GB of RAM in a single slot.

Plus, the Full Nerd squad solutions your questions on find out how to finest spend your cash on PC {hardware}, find out how to mitigate Bluetooth latency, and extra!

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Don’t miss out on our different reveals too—you’ll be able to catch episodes of Twin Boot Diaries, The Full Nerd: Further Version, and Expedition: Handheld by means of our channel!

And when you want extra {hardware} discuss all through the remainder of your week, come be part of our Discord neighborhood—it’s filled with cool, laid-back nerds such as you!

Nerd information of the week

• I constructed a DIY rival to the Steam Machine for $150 much less: Valve’s Steam Machine launched this month at a beginning worth of $1,049, which may really feel just a little steep. Sadly, the excessive worth of storage and reminiscence proper now makes the worth comprehensible and ensures the prospect of constructing one thing higher is much less interesting than normal, however PCWorld’s Michael Crider nonetheless managed to drag collectively a PC construct that rivals the Steam Machine (on paper) for almost $200 much less.

Valve/Zalman

• Microsoft provides one other 12 months to Home windows 10 prolonged replace program: Did you benefit from the Prolonged Replace Program to maintain utilizing Home windows 10 with full safety updates? Excellent news: Microsoft simply introduced they’re extending this system by a 12 months, so now it received’t expire till October 2027. Possibly if sufficient folks refuse to change to Home windows 11 the corporate will simply preserve quietly extending assist for Home windows 10, eh? Value a shot!

• Each time Norway scores on the World Cup, a metropolis trembles: In the event you wanted one other instance of how humanity impacts the planet with out realizing it, researchers on the College of Bergen have found that the entire metropolis trembles on a detectable scale every time the Norway crew scores a aim within the World Cup. Evidently the seismometer within the college basement recorded noticeable vibrations each time Norway scored a aim in video games on June 17 and June 22-23, with researchers claiming a “significantly clear sign was noticed when [Norwegian footballer] Erling Haaland scored.”

• A US army train in house acquired underway with barely anybody noticing: I by no means anticipated the ridiculously named “U.S. Area Power” to be something apart from a foolish PR transfer, however evidently they’re not less than appearing like an actual authorities company. After asserting plans to conduct its first space-based army train (“Victus Haze”) again in 2024, the Area Power not too long ago coordinated the launch of two small satellites that have been used to check how rapidly the U.S. might detect a brand new spacefaring object in orbit, then launch a satellite tv for pc to go up and conduct an “uncooperative rendezvous” to see what it’s. The launches have been neither live-streamed nor extensively publicized, however they appear to have been a hit.

We’ve spent a big chunk of this week (and this week’s podcast) speaking about find out how to discover the very best Prime Day tech offers on Amazon, however by the point you learn this there’s a great likelihood the selection Prime Day reductions shall be gone — they disappear at midnight Pacific on Friday. That mentioned, I count on most of the smaller reductions on cheaper merchandise will stick round for some time, and there are some nice offers on tech underneath $10 which are price trying out when you might use a brand new HDMI cable or USB-C dock on your setup. Discuss to you subsequent week!

This article is devoted to the reminiscence of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and government editor of {hardware} at PCWorld.