This $1000 gaming handheld may simply be value 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 out there. Although I personally use gaming handhelds lots in my house so I can play on the sofa or in mattress, these gadgets are designed to be moveable first, and virtually all the time come second to a different, major gaming system.

Nonetheless, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the primary gaming handheld I’ve tried that feels prefer it might really turn out to be the first approach I play video games. With insane {hardware} underneath the hood, a high-quality display screen, and AI options that take the guesswork out of optimizing your system in your favourite sport, I discovered myself prioritizing taking part in 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 in case you are in search of a gaming system that fairly actually does all of it, and do not thoughts plunking down a hefty chunk of change, this simply could be the console-replacement you are in search of.

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Value, availability, and specs

Energy in your palms

Underneath the hood, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is rocking the extremely highly effective Intel Core Extremely 7 258V processor, which offers significantly 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 may 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 (excellent for attaching a controller or exterior show whereas nonetheless charging), RGB lighting, whisper-quiet Hyperflow followers, and a high-capacity 80WHr battery.

Nonetheless, it must be famous that each one this energy does come at a worth, because the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is likely one of the costliest gaming handhelds presently out there, costing an eye-popping $1000 as of July 2025. Little doubt a few of this worth could also be as a consequence 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 you must take into account when you’re considering of choosing up this system.

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

Gaming on the go with out limitations

When placing the MSI Claw 8 AI+ by means of its paces, I attempted to pick a sport 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 sport that has pissed off me on different gadgets 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.

Nonetheless, the sport has a sensible AI Engine function that mechanically optimized efficiency and as soon as I turned it on I used to be in a position to get the sport working 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 am unable to advocate the AI engine sufficient because it helped me get into the video games I wished to play as shortly as attainable, with Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle working 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 taking part in this sport, 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 supplied satisfactory efficiency as nicely.

It doesn’t matter what you are taking part in, the MSI Claw 8 AI+’s large 8-inch IPS touchscreen appears vivid 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 worth, you would be forgiven for questioning why the MSI Claw 8 AI+ would not have an OLED display screen, however I truthfully assume the LCD will get the job finished 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 screen is a suitable substitution.

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

Generally, it isn’t nearly energy

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

First up, my greatest problem 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 robust to carry for lengthy intervals of time, particularly as a result of the system weighs virtually two kilos and put numerous 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 curious about shopping for this system to discover a unit they’ll 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 problem I had was with the MSI software program that ships with the system. Very similar to different gaming handhelds, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has its personal proprietary app on the system named Heart M, which permits customers a central hub from which they’ll launch video games, customise controls, alter settings, and customarily bypass numerous Home windows 11. Although the launcher will get the job finished, it isn’t as absolutely featured as Legion Area or Armory Crate on ROG gadgets, and it takes some digging to seek out fundamental capabilities contained in the app. Happily, when you’re like me and also you hate it, you’ll be able to all the time simply bypass it fully. In fact, 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 taking part in 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 taking part in different, much less resource-intensive video games like Slay the Spire or Persona 3: Reloaded, I might get virtually double that quantity, however its necessary to know that in case you are 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 when you’re taking it on the go.

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Must you 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 a giant funding up entrance, and if you have already got a handheld, a laptop computer, even a Swap 2 that you simply use frequently, that pricetag might merely make this system, as spectacular as it’s from a technical standpoint, not definitely worth the cash.

Nonetheless, in case you are in search of a brand new major gaming system (or simply have cash to burn I suppose) that is virtually actually the most effective handheld presently out there. 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 most likely 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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