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

For lots of players, together with myself, handheld gaming PCs are a secondary machine, providing on-the-go play when your major PC or console is not out there. 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 transportable first, and virtually all the time come second to a different, major gaming machine.

Nevertheless, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the primary gaming handheld I’ve tried that feels prefer it might really change into the first means I play video games. With insane {hardware} beneath the hood, a high-quality display screen, and AI options that take the guesswork out of optimizing your machine in 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 price, and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is not a handheld for everybody. However if you’re in search of a gaming machine that fairly actually does all of it, and do not thoughts plunking down a hefty chunk of change, this simply is perhaps the console-replacement you are in search of.

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Value, availability, and specs

Energy in your fingers

Below 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 definitely 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 (excellent 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 each one this energy does come at a worth, because the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is without doubt one of the costliest gaming handhelds at the moment out there, costing an eye-popping $1000 as of July 2025. Little question a few of this worth could also be on account 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 components you must contemplate for those who’re considering of selecting up this machine.

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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 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 once I bought began with the MSI Claw 8 AI+, I famous a few of these similar points inside the first ten minutes or so of beginning the sport.

Nevertheless, the sport has a wise 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’re nonetheless free to make use of the machine’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 rapidly as attainable, with Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle working at a steady 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 once 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 effectively.

It doesn’t matter what you are enjoying, the MSI Claw 8 AI+’s large 8-inch IPS touchscreen seems shiny and delightful and makes use of VRR (variable refresh fee) at as much as 120Hz to make sure clean efficiency from even essentially the most demanding titles. Given the machine’s premium worth, you would be forgiven for questioning why the MSI Claw 8 AI+ does not have an OLED display screen, however I actually suppose the LCD will get the job accomplished effectively sufficient that if that is the place the nook needed to be lower to maintain the machine 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+

Typically, it isn’t nearly energy

There’s actually 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 beneath the hood, that worth 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 machine, although these largely fall beneath the “your mileage might fluctuate” umbrella.

First up, my largest difficulty personally with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has to do with ergonomics. I’ve very small fingers, and I discovered the machine’s slab-like form to be powerful to carry for lengthy intervals of time, particularly as a result of the machine weighs virtually two kilos and put plenty of pressure on my wrists. I discovered myself usually propping the machine up on a pillow or a countertop to offer my wrists a break after only a few hours of gaming. As with something, I’d encourage those that are considering shopping for this machine to discover a unit they’ll check out first, as my distinctive hand construction might merely be incompatible with the machine, whereas others might discover it simpler to carry.

One other small difficulty I had was with the MSI software program that ships with the machine. Very similar to different gaming handhelds, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has its personal proprietary app on the machine named Heart M, which permits customers a central hub from which they’ll launch video games, customise controls, alter settings, and customarily bypass plenty of Home windows 11. Although the launcher will get the job accomplished, it isn’t as totally featured as Legion Area or Armory Crate on ROG units, and it takes some digging to search out primary capabilities contained in the app. Fortuitously, for those who’re like me and also you hate it, you possibly can all the time simply bypass it completely. 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, it is 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 might get virtually double that quantity, however its vital to know that if you’re getting this handheld primarily to play top-tier video games, do not count on prolonged battery occasions, and be sure to have a high-capacity power bank with you for those who’re taking it on the go.

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

Take into consideration your personal use case first

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

Nevertheless, if you’re in search of a brand new major gaming machine (or simply have cash to burn I assume) that is virtually definitely the perfect handheld at the moment 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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