MSI Claw 1 price hits $749 Best Buy sparking controversy

$749.99 is a bad price for a new handheld. For a two-year-old MSI Claw A1M, it’s a joke.

GamesRadar reports that Best Buy has the older MSI Claw A1M Windows handheld listed at $749.99. That beats the device’s original launch price and more than doubles the sub-$400 clearance deals it was already hitting. The unit, with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, arrived roughly two years ago and quickly earned a poor reputation after launch, because it could not keep a steady frame rate in demanding games.

The pricing is indefensible. $749.99 for a two-year-old handheld that already flopped is not a strategy; it’s a bet that buyers won’t notice the shelf date. GamesRadar puts it bluntly: the move is “simply unbelievable.” With new-generation handhelds landing at higher prices, Best Buy is hoping sticker shock will push hesitant buyers back toward old warehouse stock, where they will pay new-hardware money for hardware that was never competitive.

On paper, the spec sheet looks decent: a 1080p 120Hz display, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and a Core Ultra 7-155H processor. The problem is that Intel’s Core Ultra 7-155H is not the chip you want in a handheld PC. At launch, modern AAA titles struggled to hold a stable 30fps, and action games suffered from visible input lag. Two years later, the gap between the hardware and modern game requirements has only widened. Newer AAA releases are more demanding, and the chip is not any faster than it was in 2024.

GamesRadar’s analysis is pointed: component and supply-chain cost increases may give manufacturers a reason to raise current MSRPs, but those pressures have no bearing on a 2024-produced inventory unit that was already clearing below $400. The machine’s performance is not worth $500, let alone $749.99. At this price, Best Buy is not matching market realities; it is counting on buyers not noticing how old and outclassed this stock has become.

For anyone actually shopping for a Windows handheld, the $749.99 bracket has better options. The ROG Ally and Steam Deck OLED are both available in that range, and both outperform the old MSI Claw A1M in frame rate and compatibility. The A1M makes no sense above $400; even at that price, it would be a niche recommendation. Check recent benchmarks before you buy, and let the frame-rate charts—not the price tag—make the call.