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Handheld consoles have become somewhat of a premium market. That’s because the hardware that powers them is often capable enough to stand in for a budget PC build, while avoiding the headache of setup and space. The Steam Deck is a good example: It is built using a custom AMD processor, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and an M.2 2230 NVMe SSD inside. Other manufacturers, like Lenovo, MSI, and Asus have their own premium lineup for PC handheld hardware.
The next big PC manufacturer to jump into the mix is Acer, which is set to release its Predator Atlas 8 (one model only), available exclusively at Best Buy on November 1st, 2026. It’s priced at $1,300, which is a little hefty for a PC handheld, but not totally outrageous considering the 2026 price hikes and the rising costs for components. Unlike the Steam Deck, Acer’s handheld is is fitted with Microsoft’s Windows 11, and is powered by Intel’s next-gen chips for handheld gaming, the Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor. The device includes an Intel Arc B390 GPU, with 12 Xe3 GPU cores and Intel XeSS 3 AI-powered upscaling. Theoretically, you should have no problem achieving 1080p gaming at roughly 55-60 frames in many titles, even in some fast-paced and AAA entries with a few optimizations. The downsides of the Predator Atlas 8 are its relatively small 512GB internal SSD and the display choice; it doesn’t come with OLED — it has an IPS-level LCD instead. But for sheer performance and design, it is hard to argue with the device’s specs, since this might be one of the most powerful PC gaming handhelds to be released in 2026.
Where does the Acer Predator Atlas 8 land?
The million-dollar question is how the Predator Atlas 8’s $1,300 price and specs compare to other handheld options. Ergonomically (while still subjective), Acer’s premium handheld is quite good, despite its heavier design, at least according to some outlets that got to preview it ahead of release. However, the biggest selling point is that it marks one of Intel’s biggest entries into handheld gaming, outside its partnership with MSI. Previously, most of the popular devices on the market have all been powered by AMD.
Acer isn’t alone at the $1,300 price point. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 is also asking that much, though it comes with a 1TB drive, as well as other standout goodies like two months of Xbox Game Pass Premium. One Reddit user has done the legwork and pitted the specs of the two devices against each other, noting that the Acer Predator Atlas 8 clearly wins on performance alone, by 30-40% in “Gears of War: E-Day” and “Cyberpunk 2077” at medium presets, full resolution at 25W. That’s not surprising, since the ROG Xbox Ally X20 still uses the same chip as the $600 ROG Xbox Ally X, with a few hardware upgrades, most notably an OLED screen, an improved built-in gamepad, better cooling and thermals, and added microSD Express compatibility. Our reviewer noted that the price difference between the two Allys makes it hard to recommend the X20.
The other notable contender is the $1,800 MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, since it is also powered by the same processor, the Intel Arc G3 Extreme. The specs are similar, except that MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, compared to the Predator Atlas 8’s 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD configuration. That’s pretty much it. Those storage options make the $500 difference. Otherwise, reviewers and spec watchers say they’re effectively the same.
