- 6 weeks ago
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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00:00If you've been to the channel before, you know there's no shortage of gaming handhelds announced
00:03for this year. That said, the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus is shaping up to be one of the more interesting
00:08ones, and it's not just because of improved gaming performance, but at $899, this is currently the
00:14most expensive handheld that you can buy today. So in this video, I'll help you decide if it's
00:18worth your money. How about we start things off with the most obvious change from the original
00:24MSI Claw. It's rocking a larger 8-inch 1920x1200 VRR touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate
00:31and 500 nits of brightness. While it's not going to give you those deep OLED blacks, the screen is
00:36still very punchy and looks excellent and very immersive in titles like Kingdom Come Deliverance
00:402 or Cyberpunk 2077. Now, it's not as light as I'd like it to be, but I still think this is the sweet
00:46spot for screen size and portability. It's much easier to read text that's smaller and finer details
00:52like grass or action happening in the background aren't lost as easily on the screen. Overall,
00:57I feel like this provides a much more immersive gaming experience compared to 7-inch counterparts,
01:02including the ROG Ally X, and it's one of those cases where it might be hard for me to go back
01:07to a smaller handheld after testing this. For controls, we got the same Hall Effect joysticks,
01:12and the D-pad is more concave now. The left button and right button are also Hall Effect and feel
01:17more satisfying to click. And then on the back, we have two programmable buttons, but honestly,
01:22I never ended up using them, but they're there for added customization.
01:25The biggest issue with last year's Claw 7 was that it was inconsistent. Why? Well,
01:30Intel's processor just wasn't well optimized for most games, and its real-world performance was
01:35either just on par or behind competing options like the nearly two-year-old ASUS ROG Ally.
01:41Even in games where it did manage to sneak in a few extra frames per second,
01:45it often hit random performance steps that really took you out of the game.
01:48So under the hood now, we find the new Intel Core Ultra 7 processor Series 2 paired with an Intel
01:54Arc 140v GPU, 32 gigabytes of LPDDR5X memory, and up to a 1 terabyte NVMe SSD. This is double the
02:02original Claw 7's 16 gigabytes of RAM and 500 gigabytes of base storage. It's also packing Wi-Fi 7,
02:08Bluetooth LE audio, and improved speakers. So let's be honest, audio probably isn't the biggest
02:13deciding factor for most handheld gamers. It retains its second USB-C Thunderbolt port at the top,
02:19connecting to accessories, hard drives, you name it. It's still easy while being able to keep the
02:23device charged, something the original ASUS ROG Ally and Steam Deck lack. But with those updated specs,
02:30how good is the new Claw 8? While it still won't blow your socks off with performance,
02:34when running it at its full 30-watt power mode in many titles, I'm seeing some really great results.
02:40I like playing my games at native resolution and hate using frame generation. Unlike my less
02:45powerful ASUS ROG Ally, the Claw 8 AI Plus is better able to do that while still hitting respectable
02:50frame rates. It can get loud under heavy load when installing games and updates, but aside from that,
02:56when it comes to actual gaming, it was one of the quietest handhelds that I've tested. Although this
03:00still can get pretty hot near its back center under heavy load, it never gets that warm on the actual
03:05controllers while I'm gaming. Black Ops 6 is a game that runs surprisingly well on the Claw 8.
03:11In its built-in low-town map benchmark, I hit an average of 82 frames per second at 1080p with low
03:16settings. And bumping that up to medium normal settings, I still managed to get about 58 frames
03:20per second, which is still very respectable for a handheld. Given that this is a more competitive
03:25game where I prioritize smooth gameplay while still having relatively good clarity, where I can see my
03:30enemies that are further away, without needing to upscale and mucking things up, I was very impressed
03:35here. On the other hand, Dragon Dogma 2 is an example of a more demanding AAA game that still
03:40isn't very well optimized for handhelds and can struggle to run well here. Even in its opening
03:45level, the Claw 8 was hitting about 25 to 28 frames per second at 1080p low. Interestingly,
03:50lowering things to 720p and using frame gen didn't offer more than about 2 to 5 extra frames,
03:55so it wasn't really worth it. That said, newer games like Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 run a
04:00exceptionally well on the Claw 8. I could consistently hit high 30s to low 40s at 1080p
04:06with a mix of low, medium, and high settings, which I think offers a really good balance of
04:10visuals and performance. Battery life is another big selling point. With its 80-watt battery, MSI
04:16claims that the Claw 8 AI Plus can hit up to 44% better battery life compared to the Ally X in some
04:22games. With the Claw 8 AI Plus at its full 30-watt power mode and PC Mark 10 battery life tests,
04:27it gets almost two and a half hours. MSI also claims that the Claw 8 can offer over four hours
04:32of gaming time in its endurance mode, but that's going to take a huge hit to performance, so it's
04:36really best suited for more casual titles. In my experience, though, I was able to get reliably
04:41about two hours or so of gaming at its max 30-watt performance mode. But this larger battery and its
04:47more efficient processor also means that for non-gaming tasks like browsing the web or writing documents,
04:52if you're someone who does that on the go, it can last about 12 or even 13-plus hours in its
04:57endurance battery saver mode. And finally, I'm a big fan of MSI's Cleaner Quick Bar Overlay,
05:02which not only feels less intrusive to pull up when you're in the middle of a game, but it actually
05:06feels like an extension of Windows 11, and I actually mean that in a good way. It's semi-transparent,
05:11looks very polished, and is very snappy. Its main quick settings give you access to the usual
05:16brightness, volume, power modes, and other device settings like switching performance modes,
05:20viewing FPS, or changing color effects, all without the clunky, intrusive sidebars that
05:26we've seen on previous versions. You'll also find access to Xbox Friends and Xbox Achievements
05:31and other really cool widgets with the option to add even more. It's the closest thing to feeling
05:36like an Xbox handheld for now. You can find our full review and the best deals for the MSI Claw 8
05:41in the description. And while you're there, be sure to subscribe for more handheld content.
05:45But now, let's get into some of the reasons you may want to skip on this.
05:49First, it might be the most powerful gaming handheld for now, but you're definitely paying
05:54a premium for it. On one hand, the Claw 8 offers a larger display and better specs and performance
05:59than the Ally X, which is currently its biggest competitor. And in many ways, I do think it is
06:04worth the extra $100 over that Ally X, but I also consider the Ally X to be overpriced.
06:09When you remember that the base Steam Deck starts at just $399, and the original ROG Ally that I keep
06:15bringing up with the same Z1 Extreme processor as its successor can be found frequently for under $550
06:20when it's on sale, it puts these newer handhelds in a very awkward position.
06:24And then considering that you can get a really powerful RTX 4070 gaming laptop like the HP Victus
06:30or MSI Katana for nearly the same price, these more expensive handhelds aren't just competing
06:34with other handhelds. They're nearly as expensive as laptops that can easily blow them out of the water
06:40in terms of performance. So the question is, how much do you value the extra 15 to 20% of
06:45performance you'll get on average compared to other Windows handhelds? And how much do you need
06:49or want to play your games on the go? Speaking of gaming on the go, some people will argue that
06:54the MSI Claw 8 is too heavy or too big. And at 795 grams, it's heavier than the original Claw 7 by
07:01over 100 grams. Sure, the large display and battery help justify that, but take it from me. Unless you have
07:06your arms leaning on something like an office chair, you'll quickly notice that extra weight.
07:10But besides that, another thing you might not be a big fan of is the sandy color scheme. On one hand,
07:16it is a fresh take on the sea of all black or all white gaming handhelds out there. And to me,
07:20it does give off some really cool retro vibes. But at the same time, I don't think it's exactly
07:25complimenting its gaming DNA. I'm not saying it needs to be black and red and scream gamer,
07:30but let's be honest, this tan color isn't that fun. Windows 11 allows you to do a lot more than
07:36just game on this, but it's terrible to use on a small touchscreen, especially with no peripherals
07:41connected. And like I've shared, MSI Center does a good job at helping you change important settings
07:47and jumping between your games. But for everything else, without a mouse or keyboard, you're going to
07:52have a really rough time. So if you need a new gaming handheld today, should you get the MSI Claw 8
07:57AI Plus? This is currently my favorite handheld, but it comes with some caveats. It offers an excellent
08:03combo of performance and display that has actually re-sparked my love for playing games
08:07on the go. But it's asking price is a very tough pill to swallow. It does outperform competing
08:12handhelds, but again, you can get a really solid gaming laptop for around the same price.
08:17So are you willing to take a big hit to performance just so you can game with it
08:21on the go? Maybe. But what do you think of the new MSI Claw 8 AI Plus? And who do you think this
08:26handheld is best for? Let me know in the comments. You can find us everywhere at Tom's Guide,
08:29and you can follow me to see what other cool tech I'm reviewing. And until the next one,
08:33catch you later.
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