MSI Claw 8 AI+
Specifications
Price comparison
Average of 6 scores (from 16 reviews)
Reviews for the MSI Claw 8 AI+
MSI's new Claw 8 AI+ is a massive improvement of the manufacturer's first gaming handheld. Adding to this is its more efficient Lunar Lake processor from Intel, as well as a larger 8-inch display with a 120-Hz refresh rate and VRR, and a big 80-Wh battery.
Source: Tom's Guide
So if you need a new gaming handheld, should you get the MSI Claw 8AI+? This is currently my favorite pick, but its not for everyone. If you’re willing to sacrifice performance, the Steam Deck OLED 1TB $649 model is a great way to play less demanding games without Windows 11 woes while the original ASUS ROG Ally offers exceptional value. The Claw 8AI+ outperforms competing handhelds and has re-sparked my love for playing games on the go, but its asking price is a tough pill to swallow.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/07/2025
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: PC Mag
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ improves on the original with its hardware and software while still being imperfect. The new body color, the larger screen, and the increased power are all welcome. The system feels well made, it can generally run games smoothly enough (as long as you lower some settings), and it has a respectable battery life. If this particular device speaks to you, it will do the job. On the other hand, the new ergonomics leave room for improvement; the performance needs a boost; and the price has officially entered the laptop zone. We still prefer the Editors'-Choice-award-holding Asus ROG Ally X and Steam Deck among handhelds, and if you're not hell-bent on a handheld, your dollar will still go further with a gaming laptop.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/02/2025
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Zdnet.com
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ will be available for pre-order on February 15 at Amazon for $899. It has actually already launched, but according to a company representative, pre-order demand was so high that the developer paused them. At $899, this handheld is more expensive than even the OLED Steam Deck, but given its top-notch performance, battery life, and eight-inch display, the MSI Claw 8 makes itself worth the price.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 02/27/2025
Source: Hubwood
We're taking a closer look at a variety of titles at 30W and 17W on the new MSI Claw 8 AI+ with the Core Ultra 7 258V
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 02/23/2025
Source: Tom's Guide
Is the MSI Claw 8AI+ the best gaming handheld of 2025? With its new Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and Intel Arc 140V GPU, 32GB of LPDDR5x memory, and up to a 1TB NVMe SSD, the Claw 8 outperforms its closest competitors including the ASUS ROG Ally X.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/22/2025
Source: Mash IT
In this video we take a look at the new Claw 8 AI+, a powerful Windows-based, Intel-powered handheld gaming device from MSI. We unbox the product, run some benchmarks, and of course play some games. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth reviews and unboxings!
Hands-On, online available, Very Long, Date: 02/18/2025
Source: The Shortcut
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is one of the most fun gaming handhelds I’ve ever played with. It’s a gorgeous device with an even prettier large 8-inch screen. The Intel Lunar Lake processor meanwhile delivers excellent FHD 60fps performance for most games and more than a playable experience with graphically challenging titles. It’s also a long-lasting device with up to three hours of AAA gaming, and AI helps it maintain power efficiency better than any other handheld. That said, it’s also the most expensive gaming handheld I’ve used at $899 – $100 more than its closest rival, the Asus ROG Ally X. The MSI Claw 8 Ai+’s price really makes consider whether this handheld is better than a laptop that would offer better cooling and longer battery life.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/14/2025
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Tech Spurt
Like the ROG Ally X, you get some decent battery life for a portable gamer. Over two hours of AAA action is standard, even when playing at 1200p resolution with the graphics scaled up. Performance also stays strong thanks to the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus' Lunar Lake smarts and that dual fan cooling. It's not an OLED screen but that panel is bright and boasts decent contrast for an IPS. Those stereo speakers are beefy too. And the MSI Claw 8 AI+ also offers an easily replaceable SSD (not tested), and pull-out controls for customising your game. But is it as good as the ASUS ROG Ally X and Steam Deck? If it wasn't for the sky high price, I'd say snap it up. However, you may wish to wait for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ to be on sale first.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 02/03/2025
Source: Laptop Mag
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is an incredible improvement over the original Claw A1M. The rebuilt Claw has slick gaming performance, impressive battery life, a stunning display, improved thermals, great ergonomics, improved triggers, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and 32GB of system memory to support it all. Plus, it’s far more stable than the original Claw, which suffered from numerous optimization issues with its Intel Meteor Lake processor. However, the Claw 8 AI+ is the most expensive of the mainstream handheld gaming PCs, costing $899 for the 8-inch model, and $799 for the smaller Claw 7 AI+ A2VM. However, the recently revamped Asus ROG Ally X is $799 for the 1TB model, which makes the Claw pricing seem reasonable since the Ally is a 7-inch handheld.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/27/2024
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Tom's Guide
This portable powerhouse is designed to deliver up to 113% higher peak FPS compared to its rivals like the ASUS ROG Ally X while maintaining impressive efficiency thanks to its 80Wh battery. While its unique Sandstorm color may not scream “gamer”, its tactile button upgrades, Bluetooth LE Audio support, and more are notable improvements. Could this be one of the best gaming handhelds in 2025? Let’s see if the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has what it takes to be your next gaming device!
Hands-On, online available, Short, Date: 12/24/2024
Source: Tom's Guide
MSI has made some excellent upgrades with the Claw 8 AI+, but the real question is whether Intel and MSI finally have what it takes to go head-to-head with AMD-powered competitors like the ROG Ally X or the rumored Legion Go S. Aside from seeing how well its performance holds up, its higher starting price and less traditional color make the MSI Claw 8 AI+ an interesting gaming handheld worth putting on your radar.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/18/2024
Source: Techradar
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ powered by Intel Lunar Lake is shaping up to be the PC gaming handheld to beat next year, thanks to its improved design, bigger screen, and a massive 80WHr battery which, when paired with the increased energy efficiency of the Lunar Lake SoC, could see a doubling of battery life over the previous Claw, along with up to 50% better gaming performance — assuming MSI prices it properly.
Hands-On, online available, Medium, Date: 09/10/2024
Source: Techtesters
Waar we vorig jaar geheel onverwacht met een Claw aan de slag gingen, zonder verwachtingen, kijken we nu naar een tweede generatie met hogere verwachtingen. Vooralsnog lijkt MSI echter goede stappen te zetten: nieuwe chip, een generatie aan driver updates, beter scherm, grotere accu, plus nog wat hardware upgrades. Het resultaat is een apparaat dat in een eerste hands-on een duidelijk meer volwassen indruk maakt. Als het mee zit kunnen we later deze maand nog aan de slag gaan met MSI’s nieuwste, en misschien nog belangrijker: Intel’s nieuwste drivers.
Positive: Powerful hardware; high gaming performance; big screen; great display; large battery capacity; premium design.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/14/2025
Foreign Reviews
Source: PC Games
DE→ENSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 02/13/2025
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Jagat Review
ID→ENPositive: Powerful processor; 32GB RAM; 1TB SSD storage; excellent display; Thunderbolt 4 ports; long battery life.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 03/26/2025
Source: Eprice.com.hk
zh-TW→ENPositive: Decent processor; nice gaming performance; big screen; great display; impressive battery life. Negative: Heavy and bulky; mediocre GPU.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 02/25/2025
Comment
Model:
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ marks a dramatic improvement over its underwhelming predecessor, delivering a refined handheld gaming experience powered by Intel's latest Lunar Lake architecture. It brings notable performance, a sharp display, and serious battery life, placing it shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the market. From the moment it is held, the Claw 8 AI+ feels like a premium device. Its chunky chassis lends both weight and durability, while Hall effect thumb sticks and improved triggers enhance the overall feel. It may not be the most compact handheld, but its 8-inch 1200p IPS display makes a striking impression, both vivid and immersive, perfect for gaming sessions on the go. While its size may make portability a bit trickier than rivals like the ROG Ally X, the larger screen and better thermals help justify the trade-off. At its core, the Claw 8 AI+ features the Intel Core Ultra 7 285V, a Lunar Lake chip paired with Arc 140V integrated graphics. This new platform focuses on efficiency and gaming prowess, with eight Xe² cores and ray tracing units, making it the first handheld to showcase this cutting-edge chip. Although ray tracing in demanding titles remains limited, the Claw handles AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Metro Exodus Enhanced impressively, often outperforming rivals in real-world gameplay. While synthetic tests like 3DMark Time Spy show inflated GPU scores typical of Intel Arc, in-game results tell a better story. The Claw frequently outpaces the ROG Ally X and matches or even edges out the OneXFly F1 Pro, despite its lower price tag. That said, the Intel chip’s multi-core CPU performance lags behind AMD’s Ryzen-based rivals which is noticeable in productivity benchmarks but negligible in most gaming scenarios.
Benchmark battles show the Claw 8 AI+ either leading or close behind top-tier devices. In games like F1 24 and Cyberpunk 2077, it delivers strong frame rates, especially with upscaling enabled. Occasional quirks, such as inconsistent performance in Horizon Zero Dawn, hint at lingering Intel driver issues, though stability remains solid overall. Controls are responsive, and the new thumb sticks feel durable over long sessions. However, competitors like the Ally X offer slightly better build tolerances in buttons and triggers. The Claw does not feel cheap, but it falls just short of that ultra-premium touch. One of the Claw’s standout features is its 80Wh battery, which, combined with the efficient Lunar Lake chip, delivers exceptional battery life. It outlasts both the Ally X and OneXFly in gaming battery tests, clocking in at over two hours under load. In real-world use, one can expect 90+ minutes of high-performance gameplay, a major win for handhelds. The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is a powerful contender in the handheld gaming space. It trades some portability and polish for raw performance, battery life, and a beautiful display. For gamers seeking big-screen immersion and excellent value, the Claw punches far above its weight. While it might not be perfect, it is still one of the best handheld gaming PCs available today.
Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam
Intel Arc 140V: A pretty fast integrated graphics adapter that higher-end Intel Lunar Lake family processors employ. This is a direct successor to the Arc 8; it can drive three SUHD 4320p monitors simultaneously via HDMI 2.1, eDP 1.5 and DP 2.1. With the 140V, all 2023 and 2024 games are playable at 1080p on low graphics settings.
Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Core Ultra 7 258V: An upper mid-range Lunar Lake family processor. It sports 4 new Skymont E-cores and 4 new Lion Cove P-cores running at up to 3.7 GHz and 4.8 GHz respectively, along with the new Arc 140V iGPU and 32 GB of on-package LPDDR5x-8533 RAM. It essentially matches the Core Ultra 7 165U and Core i7-1360P in multi-thread performance and it eats up to 37 W when under short-term workloads.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
8.00":
This display format is in the mid-range for smartphones. It offers a compromise between good visibility, details and resolution on the screen, and you can still fit it into trouser pockets.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.MSI: Micro-Star International (MSI) was founded in 1986 in Taiwan. MSI is especially known as a manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards for PCs, but also offers computer accessories, complete systems, motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, desktop PCs, monitors and other components. However, the Microstar brand name in Germany belongs to the Medion company. MSI is known for its gaming products and has developed a wide range of gaming laptops and desktop PCs. The company is also active in workstations, servers and industrial automation. MSI has offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
85.78%: This is an above-average rating. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that about one fifth of all tested models receive a better rating.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
