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MSI Claw 8 AI+ - Full Review
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Jun 16, 2025
Is the MSI Claw 8AI+ the best gaming handheld of 2025? With its new Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and Intel Arc 140V GPU, 32GB of LPDDR5x memory, and up to a 1TB NVMe SSD, the Claw 8 outperforms its closest competitors including the ASUS ROG Ally X. It’s jump to an 8" 16:10 VRR display may feel unwieldy at times, but for many this will be the sweet spot for immersion and portability. At $899, it is currently the most expensive Windows handheld in early 2025, but it also manages to offer the best performance in many popular AAA games. Combine that with its 80Whr battery giving you even better efficiency, and this might be the benchmark for future handhelds to beat.
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If you've been to the channel before, you know there's no shortage of gaming handhelds announced
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for this year. That said, the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus is shaping up to be one of the more interesting
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ones, and it's not just because of improved gaming performance, but at $899, this is currently the
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most expensive handheld that you can buy today. So in this video, I'll help you decide if it's
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worth your money. How about we start things off with the most obvious change from the original
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MSI Claw. It's rocking a larger 8-inch 1920x1200 VRR touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate
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and 500 nits of brightness. While it's not going to give you those deep OLED blacks, the screen is
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still very punchy and looks excellent and very immersive in titles like Kingdom Come Deliverance
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2 or Cyberpunk 2077. Now, it's not as light as I'd like it to be, but I still think this is the
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sweet spot for screen size and portability. It's much easier to read text that's smaller and finer
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details like grass or action happening in the background aren't lost as easily on the screen
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Overall, I feel like this provides a much more immersive gaming experience compared to 7-inch
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counterparts including the ROG Ally X, and it's one of those cases where it might be hard for me
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to go back to a smaller handheld after testing this. For controls, we got the same Hall Effect
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joysticks, and the D-pad is more concave now. The left button and right button are also Hall
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Effect and feel more satisfying to click. And then on the back, we have two programmable buttons
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but honestly, I never ended up using them, but they're there for added customization
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The biggest issue with last year's Klaus 7 was that it was inconsistent. Why? Well
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Intel's processor just wasn't well optimized for most games, and its real-world performance was
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either just on par or behind competing options like the nearly two-year-old ASUS ROG Ally
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Even in games where it did manage to sneak in a few extra frames per second, it often hit random performance steps that really took you out of the game
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So under the hood now, we find the new Intel Core Ultra 7 processor Series 2, paired with
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an Intel Arc 140v GPU, 32GB of LPDDR5X memory, and up to a 1TB NVMe SSD
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This is double the original Klaus 7's 16GB of RAM and 500GB of base storage
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It also packing Wi 7 Bluetooth LE audio and improved speakers though let be honest audio probably isn the biggest deciding factor for most handheld gamers It retains its second USB Thunderbolt port at the top connecting to accessories hard drives you name it
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is still easy while being able to keep the device charged, something the original ASUS ROG Ally and
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Steam Deck lack. But with those updated specs, how good is the new Claw 8? While it still won't
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blow your socks off with performance, when running it at its full 30-watt power mode in many titles
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I'm seeing some really great results. I like playing my games at native resolution and hate
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using frame generation. Unlike my less powerful ASUS ROG Ally, the Claw 8 AI Plus is better able
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to do that while still hitting respectable frame rates. It can get loud under heavy load when
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installing games and updates, but aside from that, when it comes to actual gaming, it was one of the
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quietest handhelds that I've tested. Although this still can get pretty hot near its back center
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under heavy load, it never gets that warm on the actual controllers while I'm gaming
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Black Ops 6 is a game that runs surprisingly well on the Claw 8. In its built-in low-town
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map benchmark, I hit an average of 82 frames per second at 1080p with low settings. And bumping
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that up to medium normal settings, I still managed to get about 58 frames per second
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which is still very respectable for a handheld. Given that this is a more competitive game where
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I prioritize smooth gameplay while still having relatively good clarity where I can see my enemies
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that are further away without needing to upscale and mucking things up. I was very impressed here
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On the other hand, Dragon Dogma 2 is an example of a more demanding AAA game that still isn't very
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well optimized for handhelds and can struggle to run well here. Even in its opening level
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the Claw 8 was hitting about 25 to 28 frames per second at 1080p low. Interestingly
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lowering things to 720p and using frame gen didn't offer more than about two to five extra
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frames, so it wasn't really worth it. That said, newer games like Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
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run exceptionally well on the Claw 8. I can consistently hit high 30s to low 40s at 1080p with a mix of low, medium, and high
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settings, which I think offers a really good balance of visuals and performance
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Battery life is another big selling point. With its 80 battery MSI claims that the Claw 8 AI Plus can hit up to 44 better battery life compared to the Ally X in some games With the Claw 8 AI Plus at its full 30 power mode and PC Mark 10 battery life tests it gets almost two and a half hours MSI claims that the Claw 8 AI Plus can hit up to 44 better battery life compared to the Ally X in some games With the Claw 8 AI Plus at its full 30 power mode and PCMark10 battery life tests it gets almost two and a half hours MSI also claims that the Claw 8 can offer over four hours of gaming time in its endurance mode
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but that's going to take a huge hit to performance, so it's really best suited for more casual titles
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In my experience, though, I was able to get reliably about two hours or so of gaming at
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its max 30-watt performance mode. But this larger battery and its more efficient processor also
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means that for non-gaming tasks like browsing the web or writing documents, if you're someone who
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does that on the go, it can last about 12 or even 13 plus hours in its endurance battery saver mode
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And finally, I'm a big fan of MSI's cleaner quick bar overlay, which not only feels less
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intrusive to pull up when you're in the middle of a game, but it actually feels like an extension
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of Windows 11, and I actually mean that in a good way. It's semi-transparent, looks very polished
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and is very snappy. Its main quick settings give you access to the usual brightness, volume
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power modes and other device settings like switching performance modes, viewing FPS
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or changing color effects, all without the clunky intrusive sidebars that we've seen
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on previous versions. You'll also find access to Xbox Friends and Xbox Achievements and other really cool widgets
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with the option to add even more. It's the closest thing to feeling like an Xbox handheld for now
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You can find our full review and the best deals for the MSI Claw 8 in the description
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And while you're there, be sure to subscribe for more handheld content. But now, let's get into some of the reasons you may want to skip on this
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First, it might be the most powerful gaming handheld for now, but you're definitely paying a premium for it
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On one hand, the Claw 8 offers a larger display and better specs and performance than the Ally X, which is currently its biggest competitor
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And in many ways, I do think it is worth the extra $100 over that Ally X
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But I also consider the Ally X to be overpriced. When you remember that the base Steam Deck starts at just $399 and the original ROG Aller that I keep bringing up with the same Z1 Extreme processor as its successor can be found frequently for under $550 when it's on sale, it puts these newer handhelds in a very awkward position
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And then considering that you can get a really powerful RTX 4070 gaming laptop like the HP
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Victus or MSI Katana for nearly the same price these more expensive handhelds aren just competing with other handhelds They nearly as expensive as laptops that can easily blow them out of the water in terms of performance So the question is how much do you value the extra 15 to 20 of performance
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you'll get on average compared to other Windows handhelds? And how much do you need or want to
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play your games on the go? Speaking of gaming on the go, some people will argue that the MSI Claw
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8 is too heavy or too big. And at 795 grams, it's heavier than the original Claw 7 by over
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100 grams. Sure, the large display and battery helped justify that, but take it from me. Unless
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you have your arms leaning on something like an office chair, you'll quickly notice that extra
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weight. But besides that, another thing you might not be a big fan of is the sandy color scheme
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On one hand, it is a fresh take on the sea of all black or all white gaming handhelds out there
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and to me it does give off some really cool retro vibes. But at the same time, I don't think it's
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exactly complementing its gaming DNA. I'm not saying it needs to be black and red and scream
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gamer, but let's be honest, this tan color isn't that fun. Windows 11 allows you to do a lot more
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than just game on this, but it's terrible to use on a small touchscreen, especially with no
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peripherals connected. And like I've shared, MSI Center does a good job at helping you change
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important settings and jumping between your games, but for everything else, without a mouse or
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keyboard, you're going to have a really rough time. So if you need a new gaming handheld today
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Should you get the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus? This is currently my favorite handheld, but it comes with some caveats
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It offers an excellent combo of performance and display that has actually re-sparked my love for playing games on the go
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But its asking price is a very tough pill to swallow. It does outperform competing handhelds, but again, you can get a really solid gaming laptop for around the same price
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So, are you willing to take a big hit to performance just so you can game with it on the go
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Maybe. But what do you think of the new MSI Claw 8 AEI Plus? And who do you think this handheld is best for
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Let me know in the comments. You can find us everywhere at Tom's Guide, and you can follow me to see what other cool tech I'm reviewing
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And until the next one, catch you later
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