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 system, providing on-the-go play when your major PC or console is not accessible. Although I personally use gaming handhelds rather a lot in my dwelling so I can play on the sofa or in mattress, these units are designed to be moveable first, and virtually at all times come second to a different, major gaming system.

Nevertheless, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the primary gaming handheld I’ve tried that feels prefer it may truly turn out to be the first means I play video games. With insane {hardware} below the hood, a high-quality display, and AI options that take the guesswork out of optimizing your system to your favourite sport, 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 searching for a gaming system that fairly actually does all of it, and do not thoughts plunking down a hefty chunk of change, this simply may be the console-replacement you are searching for.

See our course of

How we test and review products at Pocket-lint

We do not do arm-chair analysis. We purchase and check our personal merchandise, and we solely publish purchaser’s guides with merchandise we have truly reviewed.

Worth, availability, and specs

Energy in your palms

Underneath 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 collection 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 most costly gaming handhelds presently accessible, costing an eye-popping $1000 as of July 2025. Little question a few of this worth could also be as a result 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 it is best to contemplate in case you’re pondering of selecting up this system.

Associated

The Lenovo Legion Go S is a big, bright beast that might blow your budget

The Lenovo Legion Go S is a superbly high quality handheld, however pricing holds it again from being really nice.

What I preferred in regards to the MSI Claw 8 AI+

Gaming on the go with out limitations

When placing the MSI Claw 8 AI+ via its paces, I attempted to pick out a sport 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 sport that has pissed off 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 identical points inside the first ten minutes or so of beginning the sport.

Nevertheless, the sport has a wise AI Engine function that robotically 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 might be nonetheless free to make use of the system’s handbook settings mode if you want, I am unable to suggest 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 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 taking part in this sport, 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 supplied satisfactory efficiency as nicely.

It doesn’t matter what you are taking part in, the MSI Claw 8 AI+’s huge 8-inch IPS touchscreen appears brilliant and exquisite and makes use of VRR (variable refresh charge) at as much as 120Hz to make sure easy efficiency from even essentially the most demanding titles. Given the system’s premium worth, you would be forgiven for questioning why the MSI Claw 8 AI+ does not have an OLED display, however I actually assume the LCD will get the job performed nicely sufficient that if that is the place the nook needed to be reduce to maintain the system from costing over a grand, the IPS display is an appropriate substitution.

Associated

This $80 controller does a lot to justify its own existence

The GameSir G7 Professional is not constructed for the informal gamer.

What I did not like in regards to the MSI Claw 8 AI+

Typically, it isn’t nearly energy

There’s actually not rather a lot to dislike in regards to the MSI Claw 8 AI+. It is a dear handheld to make sure, however with loads of energy below the hood, that worth is justified if you’re out there 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 system, although these largely fall below the “your mileage might fluctuate” umbrella.

First up, my greatest concern personally with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has to do with ergonomics. I’ve very small palms, and I discovered the system’s slab-like form to be robust to carry for lengthy durations of time, particularly as a result of the system weighs virtually two kilos and put numerous pressure on my wrists. I discovered myself usually propping the system 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 eager about shopping for this system to discover a unit they will check out first, as my distinctive hand construction might merely be incompatible with the system, whereas others might discover it simpler to carry.

One other small concern I had was with the MSI software program that ships with the system. Very like different gaming handhelds, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has its personal proprietary app on the system named Middle M, which permits customers a central hub from which they will launch video games, customise controls, modify settings, and usually bypass numerous Home windows 11. Although the launcher will get the job performed, it isn’t as absolutely featured as Legion Area or Armory Crate on ROG units, and it takes some digging to seek out fundamental features contained in the app. Fortuitously, in case you’re like me and also you hate it, you’ll be able to at all times simply bypass it completely. 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, 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 taking part in 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 taking part in different, much less resource-intensive video games like Slay the Spire or Persona 3: Reloaded, I may get virtually double that quantity, however its essential to know that if you’re getting this handheld primarily to play top-tier video games, do not anticipate prolonged battery instances, and be sure you have a high-capacity power bank with you in case you’re taking it on the go.

Associated

I wasn’t expecting the ROG Ally X to outshine the Steam Deck quite this much

Each gaming handhelds have particular strengths and weaknesses, however typically, the ROG Ally X reigns supreme.

Must you 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 an enormous funding up entrance, and if you have already got a handheld, a laptop computer, even a Swap 2 that you simply use usually, that pricetag might merely make this system, as spectacular as it’s from a technical standpoint, not definitely worth the cash.

Nevertheless, if you’re searching for a brand new major gaming system (or simply have cash to burn I suppose) that is virtually definitely the perfect handheld presently 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 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. 

Associated

This $23 gadget is all you need to reuse an old NVMe SSD

When you’ve got an outdated NVMe SSD mendacity round or are merely searching for a fast option to join one to your PC, this gadget is the answer.