New MSI Claw gaming handhelds debut with Intel Lunar Lake to challenge Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go
MSI's latest gaming handhelds are now official after a somewhat soft launch last week. To recap, while the Claw 7 AI+ and Claw 8 AI+ were available through retailers like Amazon and Excaliber PC in the US, MSI itself had not commented on availability. However, not only has MSI now officially acknowledged what it refers to as its A2VM series, but it has shed new light on technical specifications too.
For instance, the Claw 7 AI+ and Claw 8 AI+ will be exclusively available with the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V. As a result, both machines will feature 32 GB of LPDDR5X RAM that Intel has clocked at 8,533 MT/s, as well as its Arc Graphics 140V iGPU. Moreover, MSI equips the Claw 7 AI+ and Claw 8 AI+ with 512 GB and 1 TB of storage, respectively. For some reason, the former drops to Wi-Fi 6E connectivity though; the original MSI Claw (curr. $499.99 on Amazon) matches the Claw 8 AI+ with Wi-Fi 7.
Unfortunately, MSI has not revealed when its new gaming handhelds will be available outside the US at the moment. For reference, the company charges $899 for the Claw 8 AI+, which makes it $100 more expensive than the Asus ROG Ally X. By contrast, the Claw 7 AI+ comes in at $799 to price match the most expensive version of the original Claw when it debuted earlier this year. Full MSI Claw 7 AI+ and Claw 8 AI+ spec sheets are as follows:
| Claw 7 AI+ A2VM | Claw 8 AI+ A2VM | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 258V | Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 258V |
| Graphics | Intel Arc 140V | Intel Arc 140V |
| RAM | 32 GB LPDDR5X-8533 | 32 GB LPDDR5X-8533 |
| Display | 7-inch IPS-level panel, 1,920 x 1,080, 16:9 aspect ratio, Touchscreen, 120 Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB, 500 nits, VRR | 8-inch IPS-level panel, 1,920 x 1,200, 16:10 aspect ratio, Touchscreen, 120 Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB, 500 nits, VRR |
| Battery | 6-Cell, Li-Polymer, 54.5 Wh/65 W USB Type-C PD 3.0 | 6-Cell, Li-Polymer, 80 Wh/65 W USB Type-C PD 3.0 |
| Storage | NVMe M.2 2230 SSD (PCIe Gen 4 x4) | NVMe M.2 2230 SSD (PCIe Gen 4 x4) |
| Sensors | 6-axis IMU, vibration motor | 6-axis IMU, vibration motor |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 & Wi-Fi 6E | Bluetooth 5.4 & Wi-Fi 7 |
| Audio | 2x 2 W speakers, DTS sound effects, Hi-Res Audio support | 2x 2 W speakers, DTS sound effects, Hi-Res Audio support |
| I/O | 1x 3.5 mm jack1x MicroSD card reader2x Thunderbolt 4 | 1x 3.5 mm jack1x MicroSD card reader2x Thunderbolt 4 |
| Dimensions | 290 (W) x 117 (D) x 21.2 (H) mm | 299 (W) x 126 (D) x 24 (H) mm |
| Weight | 675 g | 795 g |
Source(s)
MSI via Liliputing & VideoCardz
