ARC Announces X1 Community Drop at ₹29,500, Pre-Orders Open October 2
ARC has announced that the Community Drop for the ARC X1 will open on October 2 at 3 PM IST, giving its community the first opportunity to pre-order the company’s debut gaming handheld.
Customers participating in the Community Drop will be able to reserve their ARC X1 for ₹999, with the device available at a special Community Drop price of ₹29,500.
Following the Community Drop, the ARC X1 is expected to retail at ₹33,500.
The announcement comes shortly after ARC unveiled the specifications of the X1, offering a detailed look at the hardware behind the company’s first dedicated gaming device.
ARC X1 Specifications
| Category | Specification |
| Gaming Platform | Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 |
| Process | 4nm |
| CPU | Qualcomm Kryo 8 Core CPU |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno A22 GPU |
| Memory | 8GB LPDDR5X 8533 MT/s |
| Storage | 128GB UFS 3.1 |
| Expansion | Upto 1TB microSDXC |
| Display | 7″ LTPS TFT LCD |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 FHD |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Brightness | 500 nits typical |
| Battery | 9,300mAh |
| Charging | 27W USB PD |
| Analog Sticks | TMR, zero-drift |
| Triggers | Analog Hall-effect + mechanical locks |
| Haptics | Dual LRA immersive precision haptics |
| Cooling | Active cooling |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| USB-C | USB 3.1 + Display Output |
| OS | OwlOS |
| Rear Buttons | 2 programmable |
| Speakers | Dual front-facing stereo |
| Headphone Jack | 3.5mm |
| Weight | 450-500g |
| Repairability | Replaceable battery & joysticks; modular daughterboards |
A Challenger Price for India’s Handheld Gaming Market
At ₹29,500 for the Community Drop and ₹33,500 at retail, ARC is positioning the X1 as a challenger in a handheld gaming category where Indian consumers have historically had limited locally available options.
Handhelds with comparable specification profiles are often available to Indian consumers primarily through international sellers or importers, where prices can reach approximately ₹40,000–₹46,000.
Beyond the higher price, imported devices can also leave buyers with limited or no dependable local warranty, difficult repair processes, uncertain spare-part availability and little after-sales support in India.
ARC is looking to change that equation by bringing a purpose-built gaming handheld to the Indian market at a more accessible price point, with an ownership experience designed around Indian gamers.
How the Community Drop Works
The ARC X1 Community Drop goes live on October 2 at 3 PM IST.
Customers can begin the pre-order process by reserving their device for ₹999.
ARC has outlined the complete reservation and purchase journey through the “How It Works” section on its website, including the steps following reservation and other details associated with the Community Drop.
Community Drop details:
- Community Drop opens: October 2, 2026
- Time: 3 PM IST
- Reservation: ₹999
- Community Drop price: ₹29,500
- Retail price: ₹33,500
- Process: Detailed in the “How It Works” section on ARC’s website
From Community Feedback to Community Drop
The Community Drop is also the next step in ARC’s product-development journey.
The ARC X1 has gone through multiple product iterations and testing cycles, with gamers involved across different stages of its development. The Community Drop gives the people who have followed that journey an opportunity to be among the first to reserve the final product.
For ARC, the X1 is part of a broader ambition to make dedicated gaming hardware more accessible to a new generation of players, starting with India.
