I Love Handhelds, But the RAM Crisis is Threatening Their Future

As handheld gaming PCs reach performance milestones with chips like the Intel Arc G3 Extreme, a global RAM crisis is impacting the market.

The Bottom Line

• Rising Costs: Premium handhelds like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and Lenovo Legion Go 2 now command prices upwards of $1,799 to $1,999.
• Component Math: Because RAM makes up a larger share of a handheld’s total manufacturing cost compared to a desktop tower, memory price surges hit portable devices significantly.
• Market Fallout: Demand has softened—exemplified by a drop in Steam Deck demand following Valve’s price increases—raising concerns about whether hardware manufacturers will keep investing in the category.

How Memory Costs Changed the Game for Portable PCs

Over the last five years, handheld gaming PCs have become a popular way to play games. Valve’s Steam Deck let players take their Steam libraries on the go, even if it meant dialing settings down to 30 or 40 frames per second on heavy AAA games. Soon, competitors arrived with the original ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, pushing 1080p gaming further.

The underlying economics of manufacturing these systems have shifted. Memory suppliers have reportedly sold through their entire manufacturing capacity for 2027, keeping memory prices high. When the cost of 32GB of RAM spikes from $150 to over $400, the impact on an $800 handheld is higher than it would be on a $3,000 tower.

The Price Gap Between Portables and Desktops

As top-tier handhelds climb in price, consumers expect more performance. The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, equipped with the Arc G3 Extreme, outperforms Z2 Extreme-powered devices. Yet, at $1,799, its pricing is a factor for buyers.

Handheld Device	Primary Chipset	Approximate Market Price
ROG Ally (Non-X)	AMD Ryzen Z1	$599
Steam Deck	Custom AMD APU	$789
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+	Intel Arc G3 Extreme	$1,799
Lenovo Legion Go 2	AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme	$1,999

Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 costs $1,999 on Best Buy. Meanwhile, Valve raised the price of the Steam Deck by up to $300, pushing the starting price for a new unit to $789. That shift led to the Steam Deck being removed from the list of the best handhelds for the first time since it came out in 2022.

Can ASUS Hold the Line While Others Stumble?

ASUS remains an outlier with the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X maintaining relatively stable pricing in the United States, though regional price adjustments have surfaced elsewhere, according to Windows Central. Jackie Thomas, the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen, has tracked how component shortages squeeze manufacturers and consumers alike.

Photo: pk.ign.com

If memory costs continue, the long-term viability of the handheld PC market faces a crossroads. When portable systems approach the cost of a full workstation, manufacturers may no longer deem handhelds viable. For now, enthusiasts with deep pockets can enjoy the Claw 8 EX AI+, but the broader audience is being priced out.

Where do you stand on these hardware costs? Are you willing to pay nearly $2,000 for portable performance, or is the RAM crisis making you hold onto your current rig? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!