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

For lots of players, together with myself, handheld gaming PCs are a secondary gadget, providing on-the-go play when your main PC or console is not accessible. Although I personally use gaming handhelds rather a lot in my residence 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, main gaming gadget.

Nevertheless, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the primary gaming handheld I’ve tried that feels prefer it might truly change into the first means 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 gadget in your favourite recreation, 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 price, and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is not a handheld for everybody. However if you’re 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

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

Nevertheless, it ought 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 most costly gaming handhelds at the moment accessible, costing an eye-popping $1000 as of July 2025. Little doubt a few of this worth could also be resulting from 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 components it’s best to take into account should you’re pondering of choosing up this gadget.

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

Nevertheless, the sport has a sensible AI Engine function that mechanically optimized efficiency and as soon as I turned it on I used to be capable of get the sport working easily in only a matter of moments. Although you’re nonetheless free to make use of the gadget’s handbook settings mode if you want, I can not advocate the AI engine sufficient because it helped me get into the video games I wished to play as shortly as potential, 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 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 properly.

It doesn’t matter what you are taking part in, the MSI Claw 8 AI+’s huge 8-inch IPS touchscreen appears to be like brilliant and exquisite and makes use of VRR (variable refresh price) at as much as 120Hz to make sure easy efficiency from even essentially the most demanding titles. Given the gadget’s premium worth, you would be forgiven for questioning why the MSI Claw 8 AI+ does not have an OLED display screen, however I truthfully suppose the LCD will get the job achieved properly sufficient that if that is the place the nook needed to be minimize 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 is not nearly energy

There’s truthfully not rather a lot to dislike concerning 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 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 concerning the gadget, although these largely fall underneath the “your mileage could differ” umbrella.

First up, my largest problem 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 virtually two kilos and put a number of pressure on my wrists. I discovered myself typically propping the gadget up on a pillow or a countertop to provide my wrists a break after only a few hours of gaming. As with something, I’d encourage those that are serious about shopping for this gadget to discover a unit they’ll 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 problem 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 Middle M, which permits customers a central hub from which they’ll launch video games, customise controls, regulate settings, and customarily bypass a number of Home windows 11. Although the launcher will get the job achieved, it is not as absolutely featured as Legion House or Armory Crate on ROG gadgets, and it takes some digging to search out fundamental capabilities contained in the app. Happily, should you’re like me and also you hate it, you possibly can all the time simply bypass it solely. After all, which means you may be caught utilizing Home windows 11, which has its personal well-documented points, but when all you are attempting to do is get to your video games, it is a comparatively small drawback.

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 capable of 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 vital to know that if you’re getting this handheld primarily to play top-tier video games, do not anticipate prolonged battery occasions, and ensure you have a high-capacity power bank with you should you’re taking it on the go.

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Do you have to 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 players 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 often, that pricetag could merely make this gadget, as spectacular as it’s from a technical standpoint, not well worth the cash.

Nevertheless, if you’re on the lookout for a brand new main gaming gadget (or simply have cash to burn I assume) that is virtually actually one of the best handheld at the moment accessible. 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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