5 Best MSI Claw 8 AI+ Games To Play First | Setup Essentials - video Dailymotion

Tom's Guide

Looking for the best handheld PC games for the MSI Claw 8 AI+?  @paulAntill  dives into his top games to play first on one of the best gaming handhelds of early 2025. He shares must-know tips to make the most of your new pc gaming handheld, from the best apps to install first, using the revamped MSI Center, to building and getting access to a great catalog of games without breaking the bank.

Transcript

00:00I'm going to take you through the five best PC games that you should play first if you

00:03just picked up an MSI Claw 8 AI+, and you want to take full advantage of this handheld's

00:07upgraded performance.

00:09These games not only run incredibly well on the new Claw, but showcase just how great

00:13playing these AAA titles can be on the go.

00:17From the moment I first saw it revealed to finally getting my hands on it, I've already

00:20covered this handheld a lot, so be sure to check out my full review on the channel.

00:24But let me quickly walk you through setting it up so you can get started playing some

00:27amazing games ASAP.

00:29In the box you'll find the handheld itself and its charger.

00:32You can use any USB-C charger as long as it's 45 watts or higher.

00:36If you're familiar with Windows 11, nothing here will surprise you.

00:39That said, let's be real, Windows is a real nightmare on smaller touchscreens, and even

00:43with the Claw's larger 8-inch display, Windows' tiny icons are still clunky and the touch interface

00:49makes navigation feel very frustrating.

00:51But that's where MSI Center comes in.

00:53It gets a nice facelift and acts as your game launcher and settings hub with simple navigation

00:57that makes it easier to jump into your favorite games or apps without having to wrestle with

01:02Windows as much.

01:03For your initial setup though, do yourself a favor and connect a mouse and keyboard.

01:08You'll get through the setup process much faster and with far less frustration than trying

01:13to click or type the right thing on screen.

01:15Before gaming, you're going to want to make sure to check for Windows and driver updates.

01:20Installing these can take a while and might need a few system restarts, but while all that's

01:24happening in the background, you can start downloading your apps, storefronts, and games.

01:29With all of Windows faults compared to a Steam Deck, the biggest reason you put up with it

01:33is that you can download all your favorite apps.

01:35My two basic necessities for handhelds are Chrome browser and Discord for communication.

01:40One of the great things about gaming on Windows is that you have a big selection of gaming storefronts

01:45to choose from.

01:46Steam, Uplay, Epic, Xbox, and GOG are some of the biggest and are all great to have because

01:50they run some amazing sales at times.

01:53Epic Games has been one of my favorites for years.

01:55Every week, they give out one game, completely free, no strings attached.

01:59Just check the store, claim your game, and it's yours to keep and play whenever you want.

02:03You'll usually find some smaller and indie titles, but at least once a month, I'd say

02:07there are some really big AAA games.

02:10I mean, check out some of the games that I've collected over the years, Civ 5, Tomb Raider,

02:14and even Batman.

02:15I've played these games to death and I didn't have to drop a dime on them.

02:19It's a great way to build up a solid game library with little effort.

02:22Next, if you haven't already, I'd highly recommend checking out Xbox Game Pass.

02:27It starts at just $11.99 a month and it gives you a Netflix-like library of hundreds of PC

02:32games and new game releases on day one.

02:35It has some of the biggest titles available and it's an affordable way to start playing

02:39several great games with many big titles like Indiana Jones and Black Ops 6 dropping on release day.

02:45Given how game prices keep going up and most AAA titles are like $60 to $70 each, Game Pass

02:51can pay for itself in no time.

02:53Aside from its new releases, it also has a great catalog of must-play classic games like

02:58Fallout New Vegas and Bioshock Infinite.

03:00If you've never had the chance to play these games before or you weren't sure if you wanted

03:03to drop the cash on them, here's your chance.

03:06If you upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate for $20 a month, you can also share that subscription

03:10with your Xbox if you have one and access cloud streaming, which lets you quickly jump

03:15into games by streaming them over the internet.

03:17This is a great way to play more demanding titles on less powerful hardware like these

03:21handhelds or maybe give the game a quick test and see if it's worth downloading locally.

03:25Finally, as great as The Claw is for gaming on the go, especially with its larger 80-watt-hour

03:31battery, it's also a really solid mini desktop replacement.

03:35Again, beyond gaming, you can run full Windows apps and use this as a real productivity machine.

03:41Connecting it to a really nice USB-C hub like this Razer.Chromo, which I've reviewed,

03:45is a quick way to switch up desktop setups with your peripherals and an external monitor,

03:50all connected with one USB-C cable.

03:52If you're new here, hey, thanks for watching, and if you like what you're seeing so far,

03:56consider hitting that subscribe button so you're always in the loop when we drop more

03:59handheld content.

04:01So now that you're ready to get gaming on your MSI Claw, here are five of the best

04:05games that I think you should play first.

04:07Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.

04:09The original Kingdom Come was a hidden gem in the RPG world, and the sequel looks to build

04:13on that with even better mechanics, visuals, and more refined combat.

04:17With The Claw's Intel Arc graphics and how well optimized this title is, the game runs buttery

04:21smooth while maintaining incredible detail, from dynamic lighting to highly realistic sword

04:26fights.

04:27If you're craving a deep medieval RPG, this is the perfect way to experience it on the go.

04:32Forza Horizon 5.

04:34One of the best open-world racing games ever made, Forza Horizon 5 looks incredible on the

04:38Claw 8 AI+.

04:40The game maintains high FPS even in intense weather conditions and the massive open-world races.

04:46The combination of photorealistic landscapes, detailed car models, and seamless open-world

04:51driving makes this one of the best experiences you can have on a handheld PC.

04:55And if you're an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you can jump into it right away without spending

04:59any extra cash.

05:01Whether you're cruising through Mexico's vast deserts or tearing through the city streets,

05:05Forza Horizon 5 is a showcase of just how good a racing game can look and feel on the

05:10Claw.

05:11Red Dead Redemption 2.

05:13Even years after release, Red Dead Redemption 2 still stands as one of the most immersive

05:17and visually stunning open-world games ever made.

05:20On the Claw 8 AI+, you can ride through the sprawling landscapes from dense forests, open

05:26plains, all without worrying about performance dips.

05:28The game's breathtaking lighting, detailed character animations, and massive open-world translate

05:33beautifully to the Claw's 8-inch display.

05:36Whether you're exploring the frontier on horseback, getting caught in a high-stakes gunfight, or simply

05:40sitting by a campfire watching the world pass by, Red Dead Redemption 2 on the Claw is a

05:45perfect way to experience Rockstar's western masterpiece wherever you are.

05:50Cyberpunk 2077.

05:52Cyberpunk 2077 has come a long way since its buggy launch, and On the Claw 8 AI+, is a fantastic

05:58showpiece of how powerful handheld consoles can be.

06:01Even at low to medium settings, Night City looks stunning while running smoothly, never

06:05missing a beat, even in action-packed sequences.

06:07Whether you're getting into shootouts or just cruising through neon-lit streets, this

06:11is one of the most impressive games to play on the go.

06:15And finally, if you're into fast-paced competitive shooters, Black Ops 6 is a surprising star on

06:19the Claw 8 AI+.

06:21This is a game that I was initially a little skeptical about running well on a handheld,

06:25but with the right settings, you can easily hit 60 to 70 plus frames per second, keeping

06:29gameplay smooth and responsive.

06:32Whether you're just playing through the cinematic campaign or diving into intense multiplayer

06:35matches, the Claw handles the game's chaotic explosions, high-speed gunfights, and detailed

06:40environments with surprising ease.

06:42Having a fully-fledged Call of Duty experience in the palm of your hands without needing to

06:46compromise much on visuals or performance is incredible.

06:50These games really show off the MSI Claw 8 AI+, improved hardware and what handheld gaming

06:55is really capable of.

06:57Whether this is your first handheld gaming PC or your first gaming PC altogether, give these

07:02games a try first and you'll see why the Claw 8 is one of the best ways to play AAA games

07:07on the go.

07:08We've got plenty of other great Claw and handheld content that you can check out linked below,

07:13and if there's a game that you think I should try out next, let me hear them in the comments.

07:16You can find us everywhere at Tom's Guide, and you can follow me to see what other cool

07:19tech that I'm reviewing, and until the next one, I'll catch you later.

5 Best MSI Claw 8 AI+ Games To Play First | Setup Essentials

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