This $1000 gaming handheld may simply be value 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 main PC or console is not obtainable. Although I personally use gaming handhelds rather a lot in my residence 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, main gaming gadget.

Nevertheless, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the primary gaming handheld I’ve tried that feels prefer it may truly grow to be the first manner 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 gadget to 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 value, and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is not a handheld for everybody. However if you’re in search of a gaming gadget that fairly actually does all of it, and do not thoughts plunking down a hefty chunk of change, this simply is likely to be the console-replacement you are in search of.

See our course of

How we test and review products at Pocket-lint

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

Value, availability, and specs

Energy in your palms

Beneath the hood, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is rocking the extremely highly effective Intel Core Extremely 7 258V processor, which supplies a lot 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 probably 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.

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 costliest gaming handhelds at present obtainable, costing an eye-popping $1000 as of July 2025. Little doubt 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 certainly one of many first components you must take into account in case you’re pondering of choosing up this gadget.

Associated

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

The Lenovo Legion Go S is a wonderfully high quality handheld, however pricing holds it again from being actually 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+ by its paces, I attempted to pick 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 obtained began with the MSI Claw 8 AI+, I famous a few of these similar points throughout 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 am unable to advocate the AI engine sufficient because it helped me get into the video games I wished to play as rapidly as doable, 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 supplied ample efficiency as properly.

It doesn’t matter what you are taking part in, the MSI Claw 8 AI+’s large 8-inch IPS touchscreen seems to be shiny and delightful and makes use of VRR (variable refresh charge) at as much as 120Hz to make sure clean efficiency from even probably 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, however I actually assume the LCD will get the job achieved properly sufficient that if that is the place the nook needed to be reduce to maintain the gadget 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 is not 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 certain, however with loads of energy below 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 gadget, although these largely fall below the “your mileage could range” umbrella.

First up, my greatest problem personally with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has to do with ergonomics. I’ve very small palms, and I discovered the gadget’s slab-like form to be powerful to carry for lengthy intervals of time, particularly as a result of the gadget weighs virtually two kilos and put lots of pressure on my wrists. I discovered myself usually propping the gadget up on a pillow or a countertop to present 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’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 Heart M, which permits customers a central hub from which they’ll launch video games, customise controls, regulate settings, and usually bypass lots of Home windows 11. Although the launcher will get the job achieved, it is not as totally featured as Legion House or Armory Crate on ROG units, and it takes some digging to seek out fundamental features contained in the app. Luckily, in case you’re like me and also you hate it, you may 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, this can be 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 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 count on prolonged battery occasions, and be sure to 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 usually, the ROG Ally X reigns supreme.

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 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 just use commonly, that pricetag could merely make this gadget, as spectacular as it’s from a technical standpoint, not definitely worth the cash.

Nevertheless, if you’re in search of a brand new main gaming gadget (or simply have cash to burn I assume) that is virtually definitely the very best handheld at present obtainable. 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

In case you have an outdated NVMe SSD mendacity round or are merely in search of a fast option to join one to your PC, this gadget is the answer.