Acer Predator Atlas 8 Launches in the US for $1,299.99

What's new

• The US launch is today, November 1, 2026, exclusively at Best Buy. Acer told HotHardware that pre-orders went live the week before and sold out. Digital Trends and sffgeek report that online orders reopen on launch day, alongside in-store availability.
• The US configuration is the higher-end model only, at least initially: an Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor with Arc B390 graphics, 24GB of LPDDR5X memory and a 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD, for $1,299.99. The Best Buy listing (model PA08-I51-G9Y7) shows it in Shale Black. Acer also sells a standard Arc G3 version in other markets, but Best Buy is only listing the Extreme model for now.
• At $1,299.99 it matches the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20's price and undercuts the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, which HotHardware lists at $1,799.99 at Best Buy.
• The hardware: an 8-inch WUXGA (1920x1200) IPS touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate, VRR support and 500 nits of brightness, an 80Wh battery, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, a microSD slot, and Windows 11 Home. Controls include Hall Effect analog triggers with adjustable trigger stops, full-size TMR joysticks aimed at stick drift, rear macro buttons and dual 2W speakers.
• Best Buy's listing includes two months of Xbox Game Pass Premium with the device.

How it runs

• Notebookcheck, reporting on YouTuber ETA Prime's testing, puts the Arc G3 Extreme well ahead of the Ryzen Z2 Extreme in the same-priced ROG Xbox Ally X20: the Atlas 8 scored 6,607 in 3DMark Time Spy at 35W, against 4,091 for Asus's Z2 Extreme handheld, about 38% lower (or put the other way, the Atlas 8 is about 61% faster). The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, also running a G3 Extreme, breached 7,000, so the Atlas 8 is not the fastest G3 Extreme handheld of the bunch.
• In games, ETA Prime's testing via Notebookcheck has Forza Horizon 6 above 70 fps at 1200p on medium settings with no upscaling at a 30W TDP, Crimson Desert at an average 78 fps at 1200p on high settings with 2x XeSS Multi-Frame Generation at 35 to 40W, and Spider-Man 2 at 60+ fps at 1200p on medium with XeSS set to Quality.
• One early software caveat from the same testing: the Turbo power mode meant to push TDP to 35W did not work well in Forza Horizon 6, which Notebookcheck reads as Acer having software kinks to iron out, so performance may improve with updates.
• The trade-off Notebookcheck flags at this price: the Atlas 8's IPS display against the slower Ally X20's OLED panel, at the same $1,299.99.
• We haven't tested it ourselves yet. See our compatibility list for what we have actually verified.

Sources: Acer press release (PR Newswire, May 28, 2026), HotHardware, Notebookcheck, Digital Trends, sffgeek, Best Buy listing. Facts verified against the original reports; written by Overclocked.