MSI Claw 8 AI+

MSI's second-gen Claw 8 uses an efficient Lunar Lake CPU to deliver better gaming performance and battery life on a gorgeous 8-inch display.

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ achieves a high bar of quality and performance for a gaming handheld, but it comes at a high price that upsets the value-based formula that worked so well for the Steam Deck. It’s no match for similarly priced gaming laptops, and while it can run faster than a Steam Deck, it probably won’t make a big enough difference for most of the games people will play on a handheld to justify the massive difference in price.

Sometimes you get what you pay for, and while MSI's revision of the Claw is on the priciest end of the PC gaming handheld mainstream, it's also on the bleeding edge. Its adoption of the latest Intel processor makes it a powerful beast – indeed, it might just be the most powerful handheld you can get your hands on.

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ offers powerful PC gaming handheld performance like we've never seen before. It easily outshines ROG Ally and Legion Go when it comes to frame rates in games, but the lack of customization options like VRAM adjustment is disappointing. Additionally, the unpleasant back casing texture takes away from the ergonomic grips and balanced design. Still, it offers responsive controls like Hall Effect joysticks, provides two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and has a respectable 8-inch VRR display that looks good in person. In terms of power and performance, it's the best Windows handheld out there.

MSI has improved the second generation of its gaming handheld massively, but this was much needed after how poorly the original performed. Its inefficient Meteor Lake processor was particularly problematic. Thanks to the new Claw 8 AI+'s Lunar Lake chip, however, this model does a lot better. This means better gaming performance (also compared to the ROG Ally X), lower consumption and longer runtimes.

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ packs a larger 8-inch display and a solid 10-15% performance boost over its AMD rivals, proving Intel’s handheld ambitions are taking shape. But at $899, it’s among the priciest handhelds, edging into gaming laptop territory.

Thanks to its new Intel chip and a massive battery, MSI’s Claw 8 AI+ offers great performance and longevity. Unfortunately, with a starting price of $900, it’s also more expensive than almost all of its competitors.

MSI's Claw 8 AI+ handheld PC gaming console is an improvement on the original and capable of running most games on its roomy screen, but it's underpowered for its price.