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The handheld gaming PC scene might be in tatters, but there's no scenario where I'd pay $750 for one of the worst-received portables
Handheld gaming PC prices are out of control, and you could argue that it's out of everyone's hands. The effects of RAMageddon and absurd AI data centre demand are driving MSRPs up to impossible levels, but retailers like Best Buy appear to be using it as an excuse to flog one of the worst-received portables from 2024 for way above odds. mchezo.co.za
Having searched the internet far and wide for handhelds at a reasonable price, the only portable PC right now I'd actually entertain is the base ROG Xbox Ally. It starts at $599.99, and that beats paying $700 for MSI's underpowered alternative. There's open-box stock in excellent condition for $497.99, and that's the price I'd personally pay.
If you keep up with all the best gaming handhelds and my general thoughts at GamesRadar+, you'll already know I'm talking about the OG MSI Claw. The A1M version of the portable with its Intel Core Ultra 7-155H chipset was pretty poorly received two years ago, failing to pose any threat to the then-popular Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck OLED when it comes to performance.
It's for that reason that I find it bananas that the MSI Claw A1M is currently $749.99 at Best Buy, especially given that the whole issue with the handheld is price. Keep in mind this is a discontinued portable that, as far as I'm aware, isn't in production, so the retailer is asking full price for a portable that previously dipped under $400 due to its reception.
Here's the thing: I don't hate the MSI Claw A1M. I'd never dream of paying above $500 for one, as I've tested too many handheld PCs to know it doesn't provide appropriate performance for that price range. It could serve as the portable we need while the proper new-gen options are nearly unobtainable, especially given that it's armed with the same 1080p 120Hz screen and similar controls to the ROG Ally.
The Claw A1M isn't a new handheld, and the price increases tied to component shortages and fabrication being hogged for AI reasons shouldn't apply to a device produced in 2024. That's precisely why it took a while for manufacturing costs to catch up with Valve, as it only started charging more for the Steam Deck once existing stock had run dry.
I should also clarify that while Newegg also has MSI Claw A1M stock for even more, those are by third-party sellers applying the usual inflated price tags. The blue and yellow big box store doesn't have that excuse to fall back on, though, as its listings have that "sold by Best Buy" badge at the bottom that signals a direct sale.
Simply put, Best Buy should be lowering MSI Claw A1M stock to its previous average rates. It feels very much like the retailer is hoping players will fall back to the 16GB/1TB handheld upon seeing the price of newer portables like the MSI Claw 8 AI+ or its EX variant that are still in production, and that's simply aggravating a pricing situation that manufacturers are struggling to control.
TL;DR - Don't buy the MSI Claw A1M for anything above $500, and if anything, retailers should be helping fend players from RAMageddon with stock under $400.
- Handheld gaming PCs at Best Buy
- Gaming handhelds at Amazon
Swing by the best retro handhelds if you'd prefer to revisit classic capers on the go.
Fans begynner å tro at undertittelen til The Elder Scrolls VI er «Sentinel
Har fansen allerede knekt koden til det fulle navnet på den neste The Elder Scrolls-tittelen? Det har ikke kommet noe offisielt ennå, men da Xbox-sjefen Asha Sharma nylig la ut et innlegg på sosiale medier, refererte hun til spillet som « The Elder Scrolls VI: ********, noe som førte til at fansen gikk helt av hengslene i forsøket på å finne ut hva dette betyr.
Fansene utelukket umiddelbart den tidligere ledende teorien om tittelen « The Elder Scrolls VI: Hammerfell», da den var for lang, men kanskje er den ikke så langt unna. Ved å kombinere The Elder Scrolls-universet og et skjult serienummer funnet i Starfield Direct fra for noen år siden, er den nye teorien at den fullstendige tittelen er « The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel».
Du kan se hvordan Starfield Direct henger sammen med den utmerkede teorien og spekulasjonen nedenfor, men når det gjelder hvordan Sentinel knytter seg til Tamriels verden, er Sentinel faktisk et av de ni største kongedømmene i regionen Hammerfell, og hovedstaden bærer også dette navnet.
Igjen, ingenting av dette er en endelig bekreftelse på spillets fulle tittel, men det er definitivt en sammenheng her – og en som har både grunnlag og god grunn.
Hva er din nåværende teori?
ICE möchte Agenten mit Elektroschockhandschuhen ausstatten
Die US-Einwanderungs- und Zollbehörde (ICE) kann ihre Beamten mit Handschuhen ausstatten, die Elektroschocks verteilen können. Die Behörde plant, laut einer Mitteilung des Heimatschutzministeriums bis zu 20 Millionen Dollar für die Handschuhe auszugeben.
Die Handschuhe können laut BBC News bis zu 380 Volt Strom liefern. Bürgerrechtsgruppen lehnen diese Pläne klar ab, da sie Menschen schaden könnten, während ICE seine Durchsetzungs- und Ermittlungsmaßnahmen durchführt. "ICE hat das letzte Jahr damit verbracht, diesem Land zu zeigen, dass es bereit ist, das Gesetz zu missachten, und zu schnell Gewalt anwendet, mit verheerenden und mitunter tödlichen Folgen für Bürger und Nicht-Bürger gleichermaßen... Einwanderungsbeamten ein verstecktes Mittel zu geben, um schrecklichen Schmerz zuzufügen, ist ein Rezept für mehr Schaden für die Öffentlichkeit und weniger Rechenschaftspflicht", sagte Jenn Rolnick Borchetta von der American Civil Liberties Union.
Während der ICE-Operationen gab es Todesfälle, da die Behörde unter Druck steht, ein tägliches Ziel von Festnahmen im Rahmen von Trumps Abschiebungsagenda zu erreichen. "ICE bewertet ständig die Bedürfnisse unserer Beamten vor Ort, um sicherzustellen, dass sie über die nötigen Werkzeuge und Ausrüstung verfügen, um kriminelle illegale Einwanderer sicher zu verhaften und aus unserem Land zu entfernen", teilte das Department of Homeland Security in einer Erklärung mit.
Den første store Crimson Desert-udvidelse lander senere på året
Udvikleren og udgiveren bag Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss, fejrer endnu en gang succesen med deres enorme åben verden-actionspil og minder os om, hvor godt spillet har klaret sig, og at Pearl Abyss ønsker at udnytte den succes hurtigst muligt. Med det for øje afslører udvikleren i deres seneste finansielle meddelelse, at DLC er på vej til en udgivelse i år.
Der var et fald i salgspræstationen sammenlignet med lanceringskvartalet, som Pearl Abyss bemærker, men dette må i vid udstrækning forventes, efterhånden som den første hype lægger sig, og folk bevæger sig videre til andre store 2026-hits. Crimson Desert formåede alligevel at sælge mere end 2 millioner eksemplarer i dette kvartal, hvoraf over 80 % var digitale kopier. Driftsresultat, omsætning og nettoresultat faldt markant i forhold til sidste kvartal, men sammenlignet med Q2 sidste år viser Pearl Abyss stadig monstrøs succes.
Vedrørende DLC'en til Crimson Desert havde Pearl Abyss følgende at sige:
"Crimson Desert is preparing key initiatives, including DLC, strategic pricing, and platform expansion, to ensure long-term success. The DLC is currently under development scheduled for release this year while we refine its content direction and overall quality. Specific details regarding pricing, content composition, and launch timing will be officially announced in 3Q26."
Når Pearl Abyss kigger fremad, planlægger de yderligere kampagner for Crimson Desert samt en ny platform, som spillet skal udkomme på. "In the case of Switch 2, the game has reached a playable baseline, and we are currently conducting technical reviews regarding performance optimization and quality standard compliance, targeting a release in the first half of next year," skriver Pearl Abyss. Selskabet slår desuden fast, at de ikke ønsker, at dette blot bliver en simpel portering, men at de vil sørge for, at ting som de karakteristiske grafiske elementer og oplevelsen bevares fuldt ud. Held og lykke til Switch 2 - lad os håbe, den kan håndtere verdenen i Crimson Desert.