Intel confirms new MSI Claw 8 handheld with Intel Panther Lake; leaked pictures reveal radical redesign
Intel announced its Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme processors on May 28. Designed for PC gaming handhelds, the pair feature Arc B370 and Arc B390 graphics with 2 P-cores, 8 E-cores and 4 LP E-cores at their disposal. In short, the Arc G3 family will replace existing Lunar Lake handhelds, such as the Claw 8 AI+ we reviewed in 2025 (curr. $1,881 on Amazon).
At the time, Intel added the following:
Handheld designs from leading partners will launch in the coming months, beginning with Acer's Predator Atlas 8, MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, and OneXPlayer.
So far, Acer and OneXPlayer have officially presented the Predator Atlas 8 and the OneXPlayer 3. Meanwhile, MSI has not said anything about the Claw 8 EX AI+ yet. Nonetheless, images of the company's next 8-inch gaming handheld have now emerged online.
Embedded above and below, the images highlight that the Claw 8 EX AI+ adopts ROG Xbox Ally-style controller grips. Theoretically, this should provide a more ergonomic design than MSI's previous 8-inch handhelds, whose ergonomics fall short of alternatives. The Claw 8 EX AI+ features repositioned front-facing speakers, too. However, it retains the same button layout as previous MSI Claw releases.
Based on recent leaks, the Claw 8 EX AI+ leverages the same 8-inch IPS display as the Claw AI+ 8 and the Claw A8, which outputs at 1,920 x 1,200 pixels with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Likewise, MSI's next 8-inch handheld is said to feature 32 GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD and an 80 Wh battery.
The adoption of Intel's Arc G3 Extreme processor could push pricing to €1,599 (~$1,550), including taxes. Currently, the Claw 8 EX AI+ is expected to make its full debut during Computex 2026 in Taipei, which runs between June 2 and June 5.
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