For a lot of gamers, including myself,handheld gaming PCsare a secondary device, offering on-the-go play when your primary PC or console isn’t available. Though I personally use gaming handhelds a lot in my home so I can play on the couch or in bed, these devices are designed to be portable first, and almost always come second to another, primary gaming device.
However, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the firstgaming handheldI’ve tried that feels like it could actually become the primary way I play games. With insane hardware under the hood, a high-quality screen, and AI features that take the guesswork out of optimizing your device for your favorite game, I found myself prioritizing playing games on a handheld over a console for the first time ever.
Unfortunately, such a premium experience does come at a cost, and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ isn’t a handheld for everyone. But if you are looking for a gaming device that quite literally does it all, and don’t mind plunking down a hefty chunk of change, this just might be the console-replacement you’re looking for.
MSI Claw 8 AI+
A premium gaming handheld powered by Intel Core Ultra 7-258V with 32GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
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Price, availability, and specs
Power in your hands
Under the hood, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is rocking the ultra powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, which provides much better performance than other handhelds like the ROG Ally series and the Lenovo Legion Go S, which use an AMD Z1 Extreme. Paired with 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage, this handheld is certainly the most powerful I’ve tested and can go toe to toe with plenty of mid-range gaming laptops and PCs, which is pretty impressive for a handheld.
In addition to raw power, this handheld packs Hall Effect joysticks, two Thunderbolt 4 ports (perfect for attaching a controller or external display while still charging), RGB lighting, whisper-quiet Hyperflow fans, and a high-capacity 80WHr battery.
However, it should be noted that all this power does come at a price, as the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is one of the most expensive gaming handhelds currently available, costing an eye-popping $1000 as of July 2025. No doubt some of this price may be due to increased coststhanks to political policy,but with this unit costing more than a PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 combined, cost is definitely one of the first factors you should consider if you’re thinking of picking up this device.
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What I liked about the MSI Claw 8 AI+
Gaming on the go without limitations
When putting the MSI Claw 8 AI+ through its paces, I tried to select a game that I knew would push the hardware to its limits. In this case, that title ended up being Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a game that has frustrated me on other devices with frequent crashes, framerate drops, and loading issues. And when I got started with the MSI Claw 8 AI+, I noted some of these same issues within the first ten minutes or so of starting the game.
However, the game has a smart AI Engine feature that automatically optimized performance and once I turned it on I was able to get the game running smoothly in just a matter of moments. Though you are still free to use the device’s manual settings mode if you wish, I can’t recommend the AI engine enough as it helped me get into the games I wanted to play as quickly as possible, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle running at a stable 50 FPS when in handheld mode. Unfortunately, the game’s power-saving endurance mode was simply not up to the task when it came to playing this game, but when I booted up lighter weight games like Persona 3: Reloaded and Slay the Spire, the MSI Claw 8 AI+’s battery saving mode provided adequate performance as well.
No matter what you’re playing, the MSI Claw 8 AI+’s massive 8-inch IPS touchscreen looks bright and beautiful and uses VRR (variable refresh rate) at up to 120Hz to ensure smooth performance from even the most demanding titles. Given the device’s premium price, you’d be forgiven for wondering why the MSI Claw 8 AI+ doesn’t have an OLED screen, but I honestly think the LCD gets the job done well enough that if this is where the corner had to be cut to keep the device from costing over a grand, the IPS screen is an acceptable substitution.
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What I didn’t like about the MSI Claw 8 AI+
Sometimes, it’s not just about power
There’s honestly not a lot to dislike about the MSI Claw 8 AI+. It’s a pricey handheld to be sure, but with plenty of power under the hood, that price is justified if you are in the market for a top-of-the-line handheld. However, there were some nitpick-y things that I didn’t personally like about the device, though these largely fall under the “your mileage may vary” umbrella.
First up, my biggest issue personally with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has to do with ergonomics. I have tiny hands, and I found the device’s slab-like shape to be tough to hold for long periods of time, especially because the device weighs almost two pounds and put a lot of strain on my wrists. I found myself often propping the device up on a pillow or a countertop to give my wrists a break after just a few hours of gaming. As with anything, I would encourage those who are interested in buying this device to find a unit they can try out first, as my unique hand structure may simply be incompatible with the device, while others may find it easier to hold.
Another small issue I had was with the MSI software that ships with the device. Much like other gaming handhelds, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ features its own proprietary app, Center M, which serves as a central hub for users to launch games, customize controls, adjust settings, and generally bypass many of the features of Windows 11. Though the launcher gets the job done, it’s not as fully featured as Legion Space or Armory Crate on ROG devices, and it takes some digging to find basic functions inside the app. Fortunately, if you’re like me and you hate it, you’re able to always just bypass it entirely. Of course, that means you’ll be stuck using Windows 11, which has its own well-documented issues, but if all you’re trying to do is get to your games, this is a relatively small problem.
When playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I was able to eke out just 90 minutes of gameplay before needing to plug in
Finally, like pretty much any gaming handheld, the battery life on the MSI Claw 8 AI+ isn’t great. When playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I was able to eke out just 90 minutes of gameplay before needing to plug in. Granted, when playing other, less resource-intensive games like Slay the Spire or Persona 3: Reloaded, I could get almost double that amount, but its important to know that if you are getting this handheld primarily to play top-tier games, don’t expect lengthy battery times, and make sure you have ahigh-capacity power bank with youif you’re taking it on the go.
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Should you buy the MSI Claw 8 AI+?
Think about your own use case first
At an MSRP of $1000, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is asking gamers for a big investment up front, and if you already have a handheld, a laptop, even a Switch 2 that you use regularly, that pricetag may simply make this device, as impressive as it is from a technical standpoint, not worth the money.
However, if you are looking for a new primary gaming device (or just have money to burn I guess) this is almost certainly the best handheld currently available. Despite some problems I had with ergonomics, the onboard software, and the battery life, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ still is one premium purchase you’ll probably be glad you made.
This device was provided to Pocket-lint by MSI.
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