MSI Claw 8 AI+ Overview: 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 beautiful 8-inch show.
	Wonderful Gaming Efficiency Corridor-Impact Sticks And Sturdy Chassis Versatile Thunderbolt 4 Connectivity Giant And Vibrant 8-inch VRR Display Sturdy Combine Of Velocity And Battery Life	Might 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 based mostly on an Intel processor that was technically by no means meant for handheld use. We had a robust suspicion the second technology could 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, significantly 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 authentic recipe for a skinny & mild Lunar Lake SoC that provides radically improved gaming efficiency. In the meantime, the machine we’ve right here is the Claw 8 AI+, a essentially new design that sports activities an even bigger display screen, an even bigger battery, and higher cooling.

We have spent a few month with the Claw 8 AI+ as our main gaming system throughout downtime, and we have additionally in contrast it immediately in opposition to one in every of its closest opponents. It is a battle for the ages: ASUS versus MSI, AMD versus Intel, Radeon versus Arc. The conclusion may not go precisely the way you assume, so stick round for all the 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 precisely what you’d anticipate from a Lunar Lake-based gaming handheld. You get an economical 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 positive; the system is GPU-limited anyway. MSI was intelligent to equip this machine with one of many 32GB Core Extremely SKUs. If you happen to recall, on Lunar Lake, the reminiscence is on the identical bundle with the CPU, so it’s important to choose your RAM configuration when selecting the processor. (If you happen to weren’t conscious of that, head over and skim our deep dive on these chips.)

We’ll discuss 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 a number of 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 reasonably than being restricted to USB 3.x or only one Thunderbolt port, like lots of its opponents. It additionally has a big 80-Whr battery, which contributes to its sturdy battery life. Let’s go forward and take a look at this method intimately, we could?

MSI Claw 8 AI+ Gaming Handheld Design And Options

As you may see, the system itself has a reasonably customary structure. On the left facet you have got 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 proper you have got 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 brilliant and clear—if missing in bass response, as you would 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 important 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 popular a barely extra sturdy stand for taking these pictures. 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 is not even HDR. Nevertheless, it’s a 120-Hz LCD with VRR help and exceptionally good movement readability for such a display screen. It is also an IPS-type, so it would not expertise coloration shifting if you’re transferring the system round in your arms. Total, the massive display screen is not the biggest we have examined in a tool of this kind—that honor nonetheless goes to Lenovo’s Legion Go—and but it is nonetheless a lot sufficiently big to impress visually.

One other wonderful high quality of the show on the Claw 8 AI+ is that it’s a native panorama show. Which means that it isn’t a rotated portrait show. That is vital, as a result of it signifies that in the event you ever fresh-install an working system, or in the event 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 might be rotated in software program, which generally is a ache.

Then again, the odd beige or “greige” handgrips on the Claw 8 AI+ are an fascinating aesthetic selection. We do not thoughts the take a look at all, however others have commented that the system isn’t significantly engaging and “like a bit of utilitarian army tools.” Virtually all different gaming handhelds are pure black, pure white, or some mixture of black and white, so we’ve to applaud MSI for doing one thing totally different, however “totally different” would not at all times imply “higher.” Maybe swappable handgrips in quite a lot of colours is likely to be a pleasant improve for the following technology.

Across the again of the system you have got an enormous MSI Defend brand, giant vents for cooling the machine, two configurable macro buttons, and never a lot else. What else could possibly be on the again? Nicely, we’d have favored to have seen a kickstand, truly. The controllers aren’t removable, however the display screen on the Claw 8 AI+ is sufficiently big that it might simply be used to observe movies whereas propped up on a desk, and you’ll at all times use bluetooth controllers, too. It isn’t a crucial failure, however we do assume 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 all the I/O for the system is. From left to proper, you have got a pair of very nice-feeling buttons—the triggers are totally analog—a quantity rocker, the three.5mm headphone jack, a cool Claw brand, the twin Thunderbolt 4 ports, the MicroSD slot, the ability 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 massive vent there the place the twin followers are, but it surely actually would not make that a lot warmth—definitely nothing just like the ROG Circulation z13 we simply reviewed.

Then, on the underside, there’s not a lot to see in addition to some regulatory labeling, though we’ve to notice that the system is formed such that it can’t arise on its base. That is certainly not a singular 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 is not.

We needed to speak a bit extra in regards to the controls earlier than we transfer on. The Claw 8 is a reasonably large system and yours actually is a reasonably large man. In my arms, the Claw 8 feels very snug and pure, whether or not utilizing the odd-but-pleasant D-pad or the responsive analog sticks. Nevertheless, for somebody with smaller arms, significantly a toddler or younger girl, this machine could also be more durable to recreation on. Relating to the D-pad particularly, it feels nice for retro video games and indie video games, however titles that need fast faucets (for e.g. deciding on weapons) might take some observe because the stable nature of the pad could make it somewhat onerous to search out your house on it.

After all, earlier than we even discuss in regards to the dimensions of the sport controls, we’ve to speak in regards to the weight of the system. The Claw 8 AI+ weighs 794g in keeping with 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+ might be taxing to make use of for lengthy intervals. If you happen to’re after one in every of these, you’d higher have some fairly vital forearm power, particularly if you wish to make use of the gyro operate that requires exact actions.

We do not actually take into account 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 the event you’re contemplating a purchase order of one in every of these gadgets, it is best to know what you are entering into. The Claw 8 AI+ remains 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.