MSI Claw 8 AI+ Evaluation: Plush And Premium Handheld Gaming

	MSI Claw 8 AI+ Home windows Gaming Handheld: $899 at Amazon, 7″ Mannequin for $799 MSI’s second-gen Claw 8 makes use of an environment friendly Lunar Lake CPU to ship higher gaming efficiency and battery life on a stunning 8-inch show.
	Wonderful Gaming Efficiency Corridor-Impact Sticks And Sturdy Chassis Versatile Thunderbolt 4 Connectivity Giant And Vibrant 8-inch VRR Display screen Robust Combine Of Velocity And Battery Life	Could Be Cumbersome Or Heavy For Some Premium Value For A Premium Product Drab Greige Aesthetics

MSI’s first-generation Claw was a PC gaming handheld primarily based on an Intel processor that was technically by no means meant for handheld use. We had a powerful suspicion the second technology can be higher, even earlier than we knew a lot about Intel’s spectacular Core Extremely 200V processors, code-named Lunar Lake. These chips are small, environment friendly, and speedy, notably because of their highly effective Xe2-based built-in graphics.

MSI has since launched two second-generation Claw handhelds round Lunar Lake chips. The primary, the MSI Claw 7 AI+, is actually a refresh of the first-gen Claw mannequin that swaps out the Meteor Lake half within the unique recipe for a skinny & mild Lunar Lake SoC that gives radically improved gaming efficiency. In the meantime, the machine now we have right here is the Claw 8 AI+, a basically new design that sports activities a much bigger display screen, a much bigger battery, and higher cooling.

We have spent a couple of month with the Claw 8 AI+ as our major gaming system throughout downtime, and we have additionally in contrast it straight in opposition to one among its closest rivals. It is a battle for the ages: ASUS versus MSI, AMD versus Intel, Radeon versus Arc. The conclusion won’t go precisely the way you suppose, so stick round for the entire knowledge and our full impressions on the finish.

For now, let’s check out the specs of this beefy little machine:

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is strictly what you’d anticipate from a Lunar Lake-based gaming handheld. You get a cheap mannequin of the Lunar Lake design, with the full-fat GPU and full 12MB of L3 cache, however with out the elevated clock charges of the 268V or 288V fashions. That is superb; the system is GPU-limited anyway. MSI was intelligent to equip this machine with one of many 32GB Core Extremely SKUs. In case you recall, on Lunar Lake, the reminiscence is on the identical package deal with the CPU, so it’s a must to decide your RAM configuration when choosing the processor. (In case you weren’t conscious of that, head over and browse our deep dive on these chips.)

We’ll speak in regards to the display screen and the bodily traits of the Claw 8 AI+ in our walk-around in only a second, however we did wish to level out just a few different specs, just like the 1TB SSD, the Intel-powered Wi-Fi 7 chip, and the truth that this machine has twin Thunderbolt 4 ports for exterior connectivity relatively than being restricted to USB 3.x or only one Thunderbolt port, like a lot of its rivals. It additionally has a big 80-Whr battery, which contributes to its robust battery life. Let’s go forward and take a look at this technique intimately, lets?

MSI Claw 8 AI+ Gaming Handheld Design And Options

As you’ll be able to see, the system itself has a reasonably customary format. On the left facet you could have a Corridor-effect analog stick, two “operate” keys (view and MSI Middle, on this case), and an uncommon D-pad with a deeply concave design. Over on the precise you could have one other Corridor-effect analog stick, two extra operate keys (menu and overlay), and naturally the same old 4 face buttons. The attractive show is touch-capable, and the audio system are surprisingly vivid and clear—if missing in bass response, as you may solely anticipate from 2W handheld audio system.

The Claw 8 AI+, like competing ASUS’ ROG Ally machines, comes with a stand, however not like these it’s a must to carve it out of the machine’s packaging after which fold it collectively like a bit of horrible origami. We applaud MSI for encouraging customers to upcycle the field, however we in all probability would have most well-liked a barely extra sturdy stand for taking these photographs. Nonetheless, it labored nicely sufficient—when augmented with paperclips, anyway.

The display screen on the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the star of the present and deserves particular consideration. It isn’t an OLED and it isn’t even HDR. Nonetheless, it’s a 120-Hz LCD with VRR help and exceptionally good movement readability for any such display screen. It is also an IPS-type, so it does not expertise shade shifting once you’re shifting the system round in your palms. Total, the big display screen is not the most important we have examined in a tool of this kind—that honor nonetheless goes to Lenovo’s Legion Go—and but it is nonetheless loads large enough to impress visually.

One other glorious high quality of the show on the Claw 8 AI+ is that it’s a native panorama show. Which means it isn’t a rotated portrait show. That is necessary, as a result of it implies that in case you ever fresh-install an working system, or in case you launch sure video games that set the display screen mode in deprecated methods, you do not have to fret in regards to the display screen being rotated 90 levels from what you’d anticipate. That is additionally true of the ROG Ally programs that we’re evaluating in opposition to, however another handhelds, notably the Steam Deck and Legion Go, use native portrait screens which can be rotated in software program, which could be a ache.

Then again, the odd beige or “greige” handgrips on the Claw 8 AI+ are an attention-grabbing aesthetic alternative. We do not thoughts the take a look at all, however others have commented that the system is just not notably engaging and “like a bit of utilitarian army gear.” Virtually all different gaming handhelds are pure black, pure white, or some mixture of black and white, so now we have to applaud MSI for doing one thing totally different, however “totally different” does not at all times imply “higher.” Maybe swappable handgrips in quite a lot of colours could be a pleasant improve for the following technology.

Across the again of the system you could have an enormous MSI Protect emblem, giant vents for cooling the machine, two configurable macro buttons, and never a lot else. What else may very well be on the again? Properly, we might have preferred to have seen a kickstand, really. The controllers aren’t removable, however the display screen on the Claw 8 AI+ is large enough that it may simply be used to observe movies whereas propped up on a desk, and you may at all times use bluetooth controllers, too. It isn’t a essential failure, however we do suppose the omission of a stand is a missed alternative.

On the highest of the Claw is the place the magic occurs; that is the place the entire I/O for the system is. From left to proper, you could have a pair of very nice-feeling buttons—the triggers are totally analog—a quantity rocker, the three.5mm headphone jack, a cool Claw emblem, the twin Thunderbolt 4 ports, the MicroSD slot, the facility button (which doubles as a fingerprint reader for Home windows Hey), after which lastly the left bumper and left set off. The system exhausts out of the highest, primarily at both finish of the big vent there the place the twin followers are, but it surely actually does not make that a lot warmth—definitely nothing just like the ROG Circulate z13 we simply reviewed.

Then, on the underside, there’s not a lot to see in addition to some regulatory labeling, though now we have to notice that the system is formed such that it can not arise on its base. That is not at all a novel fault to the Claw so we’re completely not dinging MSI for this, however simply know that regardless of this picture making it look fairly flat, it isn’t.

We needed to speak a bit extra in regards to the controls earlier than we transfer on. The Claw 8 is a fairly large gadget and yours actually is a fairly large man. In my palms, the Claw 8 feels very snug and pure, whether or not utilizing the odd-but-pleasant D-pad or the responsive analog sticks. Nonetheless, for somebody with smaller palms, notably a toddler or younger lady, this machine could also be more durable to sport on. Concerning the D-pad particularly, it feels nice for retro video games and indie video games, however titles that need speedy faucets (for e.g. choosing weapons) might take some apply because the stable nature of the pad could make it somewhat exhausting to search out your house on it.

In fact, earlier than we even speak in regards to the dimensions of the sport controls, now we have to speak in regards to the weight of the system. The Claw 8 AI+ weighs 794g based on MSI; our machine weighs in at 789g, which is shut sufficient to be measurement error. The purpose is, it is comparatively heavy and practically a full 200 grams heavier than the ASUS ROG Ally and Steam Deck OLED, to say nothing of the Nintendo Swap which is a measly 420 grams with its Pleasure-Cons hooked up. Put merely, the Claw 8 AI+ could be taxing to make use of for lengthy durations. In case you’re after one among these, you’d higher have some fairly important forearm energy, particularly if you wish to make use of the gyro operate that requires exact actions.

We do not actually contemplate this to be a fault of the system as a result of it’s simply the character of the beast, as a bigger handheld. in case you’re contemplating a purchase order of one among these gadgets, you must know what you are moving into. The Claw 8 AI+ continues to be lighter than the Lenovo Legion Go by round 50 grams.

Anyway, that is sufficient leering on the system. Let’s check out the MSI software program earlier than hitting the benchmarks.