This $1000 gaming handheld may simply be price its insane pricetag

For lots of avid gamers, together with myself, handheld gaming PCs are a secondary gadget, providing on-the-go play when your major PC or console is not out there. Although I personally use gaming handhelds so much in my residence so I can play on the sofa or in mattress, these gadgets are designed to be moveable first, and nearly at all times come second to a different, major gaming gadget.

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 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 gadget 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 value, and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is not a handheld for everybody. However in case you are on the lookout for a gaming gadget 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 on the lookout for.

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Worth, availability, and specs

Energy in your arms

Beneath 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 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 needs to be famous that every one this energy does come at a value, because the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is among the most costly gaming handhelds at the moment out there, costing an eye-popping $1000 as of July 2025. Little doubt a few of this value could also be because of elevated prices thanks to political policy, however with this unit costing greater than a PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Swap 2 mixed, value is unquestionably one of many first elements it is best to take into account when you’re pondering of choosing up this gadget.

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What I favored concerning the MSI Claw 8 AI+

Gaming on the go with out limitations

When placing the MSI Claw 8 AI+ by way of 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 pissed off me on different gadgets with frequent crashes, framerate drops, and loading points. And after I acquired 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.

Nonetheless, the sport has a sensible AI Engine characteristic that robotically optimized efficiency and as soon as I turned it on I used to be in a position to get the sport operating easily in only a matter of moments. Although you might be nonetheless free to make use of the gadget’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 needed to play as shortly as doable, with Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle operating at a steady 50 FPS when in handheld mode. Sadly, the sport’s power-saving endurance mode was merely lower than the duty when it got here to enjoying this recreation, 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 sufficient efficiency as properly.

It doesn’t matter what you are enjoying, the MSI Claw 8 AI+’s huge 8-inch IPS touchscreen seems to be vivid and delightful and makes use of VRR (variable refresh fee) at as much as 120Hz to make sure easy efficiency from even essentially the most demanding titles. Given the gadget’s premium value, you would be forgiven for questioning why the MSI Claw 8 AI+ would not have an OLED display screen, however I truthfully suppose the LCD will get the job completed properly sufficient that if that is the place the nook needed to be lower to maintain the gadget from costing over a grand, the IPS display screen is an appropriate substitution.

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What I did not like concerning the MSI Claw 8 AI+

Generally, it isn’t nearly energy

There’s truthfully not so much to dislike concerning the MSI Claw 8 AI+. It is a expensive handheld to make sure, however with loads of energy beneath the hood, that value 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 concerning the gadget, although these largely fall beneath the “your mileage could range” umbrella.

First up, my greatest situation personally with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has to do with ergonomics. I’ve very small arms, and I discovered the gadget’s slab-like form to be robust to carry for lengthy durations of time, particularly as a result of the gadget weighs nearly two kilos and put a variety of pressure on my wrists. I discovered myself usually propping the gadget up on a pillow or a countertop to offer my wrists a break after just some hours of gaming. As with something, I might encourage those that are fascinated about shopping for this gadget to discover a unit they will check out first, as my distinctive hand construction could merely be incompatible with the gadget, whereas others could discover it simpler to carry.

One other small situation I had was with the MSI software program that ships with the gadget. Very similar to different gaming handhelds, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has its personal proprietary app on the gadget named Heart M, which permits customers a central hub from which they will launch video games, customise controls, modify settings, and customarily bypass a variety of Home windows 11. Although the launcher will get the job completed, it isn’t as totally featured as Legion Area or Armory Crate on ROG gadgets, and it takes some digging to search out primary features contained in the app. Happily, when you’re like me and also you hate it, you may at all times simply bypass it solely. In fact, meaning 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 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 nearly 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 an enormous funding up entrance, and if you have already got a handheld, a laptop computer, even a Swap 2 that you simply use repeatedly, that pricetag could merely make this gadget, as spectacular as it’s from a technical standpoint, not well worth the cash.

Nonetheless, in case you are on the lookout for a brand new major gaming gadget (or simply have cash to burn I assume) that is nearly definitely the most effective 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 in all probability 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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