Acer sets November 1 US launch for $1,299.99 Predator Atlas 8 handheld

Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 gaming handheld is scheduled to go on sale in the United States on November 1, 2026, exclusively at Best Buy for $1,299.99. The launch gives US buyers an official way to purchase an Acer Predator handheld for the first time, according to The Verge, but only one of the two Atlas 8 configurations announced in May will be offered.

What US buyers can order

The US model uses Intel Arc G3 Extreme, the more powerful of the two configurations Acer announced in May. The Verge reports that it pairs Intel Arc B390 graphics, with 12 Xe3 GPU cores, and 24GB of LPDDR5x memory. The less powerful Intel Arc 3 version is not part of the reported US launch.

The Atlas 8 runs Windows 11 and supports Xbox Game Pass, both outlets report. Those details matter to buyers weighing it against other handheld PCs: Acer is selling a Windows gaming device with access to a PC game subscription, rather than a console tied to its own game library.

Best Buy availability after sold-out preorders

Best Buy’s first round of preorders sold out, according to the retailer as reported by Engadget. The Verge says those preorders opened the previous week. Neither account gives a unit count, so the sellout does not establish how many devices were ordered.

Acer says online orders will reopen on November 1, according to The Verge, alongside availability in Best Buy stores. Engadget also attributes the new online order window to the retailer. November 1 remains the scheduled sales date; the second order window had not opened when the reports were published on October 27.

The US release resolves a practical question left open when Acer announced the Atlas 8 in May: whether American customers would get an official launch and at what price. Best Buy exclusivity means the announced US sales route is a single retailer, and the $1,299.99 price applies to the higher-spec version rather than a choice between configurations.

Acer unveiled a smaller Predator Atlas 7 with a seven-inch screen in September, Engadget reports. It also uses Intel Arc G3 Extreme, but Acer has not announced US availability for that model. For now, the Atlas 8 is the Predator handheld with a stated US retailer, price and sales date.