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This PC gaming launcher for Windows handhelds lets you browse stores and compare the best prices — all in one place

I've covered Winhanced quite a few times at this point, most recently when it added achievement support to the launcher UI for Steam, Xbox, and even PlayStation games. If you haven't heard of it, Winhanced is a complete replacement for Xbox Mode on Windows handhelds, acting as a unified launcher for your library across various digital stores, all in one easy-to-navigate interface.

Now, its feature set is expanding once again, bringing with it my most requested addition: a built-in store browser. Honestly, it's something I wasn't even sure was possible, but it's now available in testing for users supporting the project.

The store is still very much a work in progress, so don't expect a perfect experience. At the time of writing it only supports certain currencies, although regional currency support is on the way, but even in its current state it's already incredibly useful. You can browse games, compare prices across multiple storefronts, see if a title is included with Game Pass, and purchase it from whichever store offers the best deal.

So yes, if a game is cheaper on Xbox than Steam, you can simply buy it there instead. It is also worth mentioning that when you purchase games, it opens a web browser where you can complete your purchase; Winhanced does not have access to your payment details.

The launcher also personalizes recommendations, generating suggestions based on what you've been playing, and in my case, after spending plenty of time in Forza Horizon 6, it immediately recommended another racing game. If you'd rather browse for yourself, though, you can search for any game you like or explore categories to discover something new.

Winhanced's game store compares prices for Baldur's Gate 3 across Steam, GOG, and Xbox, highlighting the cheapest option with wishlist and review features.

Baldurs Gate 3 price comparisons in Winhanced. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Winhanced is also bringing several features out of early access, including back paddle support, SteamGridDB artwork browsing, and RGB controls, meaning they're now considered ready for general use rather than experimental additions.

I've been a big fan of Winhanced for quite some time now. It makes my Xbox Ally X feel much more like a proper console than the Xbox app ever has in Xbox Mode, so if you're interested, I'd definitely recommend checking out the project's Discord and supporting it on Patreon if you can.

With that said, do let me know in the comments if this new store feature is finally enough to get you interested in giving Winhanced a try, or what other features you'd still like to see added. As always, be sure to take part in our poll below!

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It may cost $1,799, but MSI's new handheld gaming PC has already sold out at Best Buy, Newegg, Micro Center, and B&H

In my MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review, I pulled no punches, calling it a generational leap in handheld gaming, with Intel's new Arc G3 Extreme chip blowing AMD out of the water.

But the big story, unfortunately, was not so much how good the (terribly named) Claw 8 EX AI+ was, or how Intel is doing some impressive things these days, but rather the $1,799 price, which is probably about $500 more than planned thanks to the ongoing high demand for RAM and storage.

However, if there is one thing I know about PC gaming after 20 years on this site, it's basically that gaming is "recession-proof," meaning no matter how bad economic conditions may get, gamers don't stop spending. Anyone doing research on this will reach the same conclusion: Gamers will spend, and high price tags are no obstacle.

Screenshot of a store listing for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ showing out of stock/sold out from Best Buy.
Best Buy
Screenshot of a store listing for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ showing out of stock/sold out from B&H retailer.
B&H

To wit, in checking in Best Buy, Newegg, Micro Center, and B&H inventory levels this past weekend, I noticed the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ was sold out for shipping and local pickup.

Likewise, checking in on /r/MSIClaw reveals plenty of people sharing photos of their MSI handhelds with early impressions, mini-reviews, and those coveted gaming benchmarks (the tl;dr is near universal praise).

Now, for this story, it is totally fair to point out that each of these stores likely had very limited launch inventory. For all we know, your local Best Buy had one or two units available, so "selling out" here is doing a lot of heavy lifting when you consider availability.

Indeed, MSI (and we suspect Intel) are not the best at stocking MSI Claws. We reviewed last year's model, the Claw 8 AI+, and gave it high praise, but noted how it was impossible to actually buy one. We even launched an MSI Claw inventory tracker, but finally gave up after weeks of no restocks.

This isn't just an MSI issue, either. In December, I noted that Lenovo, literally the world's top PC shipper by a mile, could not keep its Legion Go 2 in stock, either, causing prices to skyrocket even before the RAMpocalypse took full effect on gaming handhelds.

Who knows if we'll even see the SteamOS version, announced at CES earlier this year.

While we think demand is strong for handheld gaming PCs, there are also some hardware shortages at play here.

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is a high‑end Windows gaming handheld built for serious performance on the move. It runs on Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme processor for smooth gameplay, fast responsiveness, and reliable power delivery. With upgraded hardware, improved thermals, and polished software, the Claw 8 EX AI+ delivers MSI’s most advanced handheld experience.

Newegg for $1,699.99
Best Buy for $1,799.99
B&H for $1,799.99
Micro Center for $1,799View Deal

When will MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ be back in stock?

LEGO Batman running on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ with Intel XeSS enabled, resulting in 157 FPS thanks to frame-gen.

(Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

So, the million-dollar question is whether a new shipment of Claws is en route to your local store?

Probably not.

One Reddit user noted, "I spoke with someone from Best Buy earlier. They said they tried to order more from MSI, but MSI hasn’t told them when they will restock them." That sounds about right for MSI, meaning this could be a weeks-to-months-long wait, and your best bet is to sign up for inventory notifications from whichever store you prefer.

What is likely to happen is that your local Best Buy will get maybe one unit at a time, and whoever gets it first is the winner.

👉I gamed on the new Intel Arc G3 handhelds from Acer and MSI — here's what to expect

As to why this keeps happening, it's like a combo of those high prices, MSI being shy on overproducing what is likely a low-volume product, and Intel likely doing low-yield production on that Arc G3 Extreme chip (currently only MSI, Acer, and some smaller boutique manufacturers like ONEXPLAYER are on board, with some of those devices, like Acer's Predator Atlas 8, coming later this year).

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