OneXPlayer X2 Mini joins the Arc G3 lineup with a premium price tag

OneXPlayer has introduced another premium gaming handheld, and this one comes with a price tag that makes even other expensive portables look relatively reasonable. The new X2 Mini is powered by Intel's Arc G3 Extreme SoC and starts at a staggering $1,999 / €1,999 / £1,799.

The price might have sounded outrageous not too long ago, but soaring memory costs and growing demand from AI data centers have made high-end handhelds increasingly expensive. OneXPlayer is clearly targeting the enthusiast crowd with this machine, which combines a powerful processor, high-end display, and unusually flexible hardware.

The Intel Arc G3 features a 14-core CPU that reportedly delivers multi-core performance around the level of AMD's Ryzen AI 7 350. Its integrated Arc B390 GPU packs 12 Xe3 cores and can reportedly reach almost 90% of the performance offered by an RTX 4050 Laptop GPU. Keeping all that hardware cool are two 5,400 RPM fans and four copper heat pipes. The detachable controllers also bring RGB lighting, dual vibration motors, and Hall-effect triggers with adjustable travel distance.

The centerpiece is an 8.8-inch 1920 x 1200 AMOLED display running at 144Hz. OneXPlayer claims 100% DCI-P3 coverage and up to 1,100 nits of peak brightness in small areas, which should make HDR content considerably more impressive. Memory options include 24GB or 32GB of soldered RAM, so there's no upgrading that part later. Storage is considerably more flexible, however, with room for two SSDs through a full-size M.2 2280 slot and a smaller SSD slot, reportedly using PCIe 4.0 x2.

Connectivity includes USB4, USB 3.2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Type-A, a TF 4.0 card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The handheld also has an 85Wh removable battery, while the detachable controllers allow it to double as a tablet. Attach a keyboard and it can even function in a laptop-style configuration.

The X2 Mini is already available through OneXPlayer's official store, although its $1,999 / €1,999 / £1,799 starting price puts it firmly in enthusiast territory. That's becoming an increasingly crowded price bracket. ASUS recently launched the ROG Xbox Ally X20 at $1,299 / €1,399 / £1,299, making OneXPlayer's latest machine dramatically more expensive. With memory shortages, tariffs, and AI-related demand continuing to push hardware costs upward, premium handheld pricing could become an increasingly difficult barrier for the market.

If prices continue climbing at this pace, the once-promising handheld PC market could end up becoming a playground primarily for enthusiasts with very deep pockets. As always, for the latest news on gaming handhelds, Intel's latest hardware, and the latest industry developments, be sure to follow our dedicated hardware coverage.