This $1000 gaming handheld would possibly simply be price its insane pricetag

For lots of avid gamers, together with myself, handheld gaming PCs are a secondary system, providing on-the-go play when your major PC or console is not accessible. Although I personally use gaming handhelds lots in my dwelling so I can play on the sofa or in mattress, these units are designed to be moveable first, and virtually all the time come second to a different, major gaming system.

Nevertheless, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the primary gaming handheld I’ve tried that feels prefer it may really turn out to be the first manner I play video games. With insane {hardware} below the hood, a high-quality display, and AI options that take the guesswork out of optimizing your system to your favourite recreation, I discovered myself prioritizing enjoying video games on a handheld over a console for the primary time ever.

Sadly, such a premium expertise does come at a value, and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is not a handheld for everybody. However if you’re searching for a gaming system that fairly actually does all of it, and do not thoughts plunking down a hefty chunk of change, this simply is likely to be the console-replacement you are searching for.

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Worth, availability, and specs

Energy in your palms

Beneath the hood, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is rocking the extremely highly effective Intel Core Extremely 7 258V processor, which gives a lot better efficiency than different handhelds just like the ROG Ally sequence and the Lenovo Legion Go S, which use an AMD Z1 Excessive. Paired with 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage, this handheld is actually essentially the most highly effective I’ve examined and might go toe to toe with loads of mid-range gaming laptops and PCs, which is fairly spectacular for a handheld.

Along with uncooked energy, this handheld packs Corridor Impact joysticks, two Thunderbolt 4 ports (good for attaching a controller or exterior show whereas nonetheless charging), RGB lighting, whisper-quiet Hyperflow followers, and a high-capacity 80WHr battery.

Nevertheless, it needs to be famous that every one this energy does come at a value, because the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is among the most costly gaming handhelds presently accessible, costing an eye-popping $1000 as of July 2025. Little doubt a few of this value could also be because of elevated prices thanks to political policy, however with this unit costing greater than a PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Swap 2 mixed, price is unquestionably one of many first elements it is best to contemplate if you happen to’re pondering of selecting up this system.

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What I appreciated in regards to the MSI Claw 8 AI+

Gaming on the go with out limitations

When placing the MSI Claw 8 AI+ by its paces, I attempted to pick out a recreation that I knew would push the {hardware} to its limits. On this case, that title ended up being Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle, a recreation that has annoyed me on different units with frequent crashes, framerate drops, and loading points. And after I obtained began with the MSI Claw 8 AI+, I famous a few of these identical points throughout the first ten minutes or so of beginning the sport.

Nevertheless, the sport has a sensible AI Engine function that routinely optimized efficiency and as soon as I turned it on I used to be in a position to get the sport operating easily in only a matter of moments. Although you might be nonetheless free to make use of the system’s handbook settings mode if you want, I can not suggest the AI engine sufficient because it helped me get into the video games I needed to play as rapidly as doable, with Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle operating at a secure 50 FPS when in handheld mode. Sadly, the sport’s power-saving endurance mode was merely less than the duty when it got here to enjoying this recreation, however after I booted up lighter weight video games like Persona 3: Reloaded and Slay the Spire, the MSI Claw 8 AI+’s battery saving mode offered satisfactory efficiency as nicely.

It doesn’t matter what you are enjoying, the MSI Claw 8 AI+’s huge 8-inch IPS touchscreen seems to be vibrant and delightful and makes use of VRR (variable refresh price) at as much as 120Hz to make sure clean efficiency from even essentially the most demanding titles. Given the system’s premium value, you would be forgiven for questioning why the MSI Claw 8 AI+ does not have an OLED display, however I truthfully suppose the LCD will get the job achieved nicely sufficient that if that is the place the nook needed to be minimize to maintain the system from costing over a grand, the IPS display is a suitable substitution.

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What I did not like in regards to the MSI Claw 8 AI+

Typically, it isn’t nearly energy

There’s truthfully not lots to dislike in regards to the MSI Claw 8 AI+. It is a dear handheld to make certain, however with loads of energy below the hood, that value is justified if you’re available in the market for a top-of-the line handheld. Nevertheless, there have been some nitpick-y issues that I did not personally like in regards to the system, although these largely fall below the “your mileage might differ” umbrella.

First up, my greatest subject personally with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has to do with ergonomics. I’ve very small palms, and I discovered the system’s slab-like form to be powerful to carry for lengthy durations of time, particularly as a result of the system weighs virtually two kilos and put plenty of pressure on my wrists. I discovered myself typically propping the system up on a pillow or a countertop to provide my wrists a break after just some hours of gaming. As with something, I’d encourage those that are all for shopping for this system to discover a unit they will check out first, as my distinctive hand construction might merely be incompatible with the system, whereas others might discover it simpler to carry.

One other small subject I had was with the MSI software program that ships with the system. Very like different gaming handhelds, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has its personal proprietary app on the system named Middle M, which permits customers a central hub from which they will launch video games, customise controls, alter settings, and customarily bypass plenty of Home windows 11. Although the launcher will get the job achieved, it isn’t as absolutely featured as Legion Area or Armory Crate on ROG units, and it takes some digging to seek out primary features contained in the app. Happily, if you happen to’re like me and also you hate it, you may all the time simply bypass it solely. After all, which means you may be caught utilizing Home windows 11, which has its personal well-documented points, but when all you are making an attempt to do is get to your video games, this can be a comparatively small downside.

Lastly, like just about any gaming handheld, the battery life on the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is not nice. When enjoying Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle, I used to be in a position to simply barely eke out 90 minutes of gameplay earlier than needing to plug in. Granted, when enjoying different, much less resource-intensive video games like Slay the Spire or Persona 3: Reloaded, I may get virtually double that quantity, however its essential to know that if you’re getting this handheld primarily to play top-tier video games, do not anticipate prolonged battery occasions, and be sure to have a high-capacity power bank with you if you happen to’re taking it on the go.

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Do you have to purchase the MSI Claw 8 AI+?

Take into consideration your individual use case first

At an MSRP of $1000, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is asking avid gamers for an enormous funding up entrance, and if you have already got a handheld, a laptop computer, even a Swap 2 that you just use repeatedly, that pricetag might merely make this system, as spectacular as it’s from a technical standpoint, not well worth the cash.

Nevertheless, if you’re searching for a brand new major gaming system (or simply have cash to burn I assume) that is virtually actually the perfect handheld presently accessible. Regardless of some issues I had with ergonomics, the onboard software program, and the battery life, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ nonetheless is one premium buy you may in all probability be glad you made.

Weight

1.75 kilos

Chipset

Intel Core Extremely 7 processor

RAM

32 GB

Storage

1 TB

A premium gaming handheld powered by Intel Core Extremely 7-258V with 32GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. 

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