MSI Claw 8 AI+ will be the first Intel Lunar Lake gaming handheld
MSI’s next handheld looks to fix all the problems of the maligned MSI Claw
🧠 MSI Claw 8 AI+ comes equipped with the latest Intel Lunar Lake CPU
🎮 Lunar Lake promises much lower power usage and 50% better graphics
🎈 Bigger 8-inch screen makes the MSI Claw 8 AI+ massive
🔋 80Wh battery should also help greatly improve battery life
📦 Releasing this September with pricing to still be announced
A new challenger has appeared. That’s pretty much how MSI has announced its second gaming handheld, the MSI Claw 8 AI+, when it miraculously showed up at its Computex 2024 booth
In every way this new PC handheld looks like massive improvement over the original MSI Claw in specs and very literal size. The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is a now a much larger device, almost reaching Lenovo Legion Go size thanks to its new 8-inch screen. Though larger, this display will still feature a 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.
In a hand-on-but-not-actually-our-hands look at the device, you’ll be able to easily hold the device just from its very edges. The new handheld also seems exceeding tall. We were able to witness how the device will look in hand when the system was being reset on the show floor.
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is also the first Intel Lunar Lake-powered handheld. The new handheld also features up to 32GB of LPDDR5x memory running at 8.5Gbps and 1TB of storage. MSI has also chosen to use a full-sized M.2 2280 SSD slot, so it should be easier to upgrade than the previous Claw.
We were only able to see the MSI Claw 8 AI+ running a video loop and even then it was under a sheet of plexiglass, so we can’t tell you how well it performs. However, Intel has promised the Xe2 graphics in its new Lunar Lake processors offer a 50% boost in graphical power, so we’re hoping the MSI Claw 8 AI+ will be a very capable portable.
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ also features a larger 80Wh battery, just like the newly announced Asus ROG Ally X. Combined with the new power-saving promises of Lunar Lake, the new MSI Claw 8 AI+ could be one of the longest-lasting gaming devices ever.
One change the MSI Claw 8 AI+ brings is a second USB-C port, though, annoyingly like the Asus ROG Ally X, they’re placed right next to each other. If you use any modern wireless gaming headset with a USB-C dongle (which are usually T-shaped), you’re almost guaranteed to block the second port.
We hope the MSI Claw 8 AI+ will be a stark improvement over the original Claw, which has only been battered in reviews and online criticism since its launch three months ago.
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ will arrive this September but pricing has yet to be announced.