00:00Today, I'm getting my first hands-on with the new MSI CLAW 8 AI Plus gaming handheld
00:05PC.
00:06This is MSI's chance to redeem themselves after the less-than-stellar release of the
00:10original CLAW 7.
00:12The buttons sometimes don't work, sometimes the touch interface doesn't work.
00:15So the question is, does the CLAW fix enough of those issues to be more competitive and
00:18a great choice for gamers this year?
00:20MSI and Intel are making some big promises, so let's dive into everything that's new
00:23and exciting.
00:25Let's start things off with the design.
00:27We have an overall very similar profile that we first saw with the CLAW 7, but in a larger
00:32package.
00:33We've got an ergonomic build here with some nice upgrades.
00:35It's rocking a larger 8-inch 1920x1200 16x10 touchscreen display with 120Hz refresh rate
00:43and 500 nits of brightness.
00:45The D-pad is more concave now, giving off very strong Xbox controller vibes, and the
00:50joysticks have been upgraded to Hall-effect sensors.
00:53And even the left and right bumpers feel more satisfying to click and can be triggered more
00:56easily.
00:57And that's thanks to the new top-actuated switch, which MSI calls Tactile Edge Pressing.
01:03At 795 grams, it is about 100 grams heavier than the CLAW 7, which is to be expected because
01:08of its larger 8-inch display, as well as its new 80-watt battery.
01:12Now that said, I have been holding and gaming on this for a while and I haven't noticed
01:15that extra weight, but maybe with extra time and longer gaming sessions, it'd be something
01:19I'd be a little bit more concerned with.
01:22We find the new Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, Series 2, paired with an Intel Arc 140V GPU,
01:2932GB of LPDDR5X memory, and a 1TB NVMe SSD.
01:35So this is doubling the original CLAW 7's 16GB of RAM and 500GB of base storage.
01:40As for other upgrades, the CLAW 8 AI Plus is also packing newer Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth LE
01:46audio, plus improved speakers which are louder and more clear.
01:50But let's be real, while those are great new features to have, they're probably not
01:53the biggest deciding factors when choosing your next handheld.
01:57Another big improvement, which will probably get overlooked by a lot of gamers, is MSI's
02:01new mCenter software.
02:02MSI now offers quick access to key device settings like switching performance modes,
02:07viewing your FPS, changing your brightness and volume levels, quickly turning your Bluetooth
02:11or Wi-Fi on or off, and a lot more.
02:15And because of that, I found that it makes navigating and customizing the device settings,
02:18especially mid-game, a lot more seamless.
02:21Moving on to performance, MSI is claiming that the CLAW 8 AI Plus delivers up to 20%
02:26better performance than the ASUS ROG Ally X when both are set to 17W.
02:32What's interesting though is that the CLAW 8 AI Plus also supports a 30W power mode,
02:36however we don't have any benchmarks for it, so stay tuned and subscribe to see our full
02:40test results.
02:42As these are handhelds, another big consideration is going to be battery life.
02:46Now rocking the same 80Wh battery, which is found on the Ally X, MSI is still claiming
02:51that the CLAW 8 AI Plus can get up to 44% better battery life.
02:56What about pricing and availability?
02:58The CLAW 8 AI Plus starts at $899 and is available currently in the one sandstone color.
03:04It kind of reminds me of a tank, just because of its build quality and that color scheme.
03:10Some people may dig it, some people may prefer the black or all white that we've seen on
03:15other handhelds, whether it's the Ally X, the original Ally, or other options like that.
03:19Though, and this is just my opinion, I think it was a missed opportunity that they didn't
03:22add a little bit of red either on the CLAW logo on the top here or on the back of the device.
03:27But what do you think about its higher starting price and its new color option?
03:30Is that enough to sway you one way or the other?
03:32Let me know in the comments.
03:34Pre-orders are available now and shipping starts in late December.
03:37I'm really excited to get the full review unit in hand so we can give you more of those
03:40pros and cons, so stay subscribed and follow us everywhere on social so you know when that
03:44video drops.
03:45Until the next one, I'll catch you later.
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