Months after MSI’s first gaming handheld was met with a damning reception, we got our hands on the follow-up, the MSI Claw 8 AI+, at IFA 2024. While the performance seems much improved on the original, I’m still unsure whether this is the Steam Deck competitor it wants to be. Still, let’s start with the positives.
While Valve’s market-leading handheld gaming PC and most big-name Steam Deck alternatives utilize AMD processors, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has an Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake CPU. The Intel tech in the original Claw didn’t quite live up to expectations, but after spending a little time with the upcoming version, it seems a lot better, with no performance quibbles and super smooth visuals.
Speaking of visuals, the Claw 8 AI+’s 8-inch display is bigger than the original and looks all the better for it. One of my few quibbles with the Steam Deck and the ASUS ROG Ally X is that I’d love something slightly bigger than the 7 inches on offer, especially for games with intricate text like Baldur’s Gate 3. This larger screen could be a big selling point for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ when the brand launches it, with signs pointing to an early 2025 release.
Unfortunately, while the enhanced performance and graphics are a big improvement, the Claw 8 AI+ might have a different issue from its predecessor. For me, it just feels too big. A lot of the best portable gaming consoles are chunky, but this thing is chunky and tall, and I struggled to wrap even my relatively massive hands around the thing. Weirder still is that this giant form factor makes the analog sticks feel peculiarly small, even though they’re not dissimilar to the Steam Deck or even the Nintendo Switch in size.
Another issue for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is that the handheld market is only getting more congested, with two other Windows 11-based handhelds, the TECNO Pocket Go and Acer Nitro Blaze 7, also on show at IFA 2024. All of these options have something to offer, though the AR twist of the TECNO makes it the most exciting for me, but Valve could always throw a spanner in the works by announcing a Steam Deck 2 release date between now and the start of 2025. We’re not really expecting it, but we weren’t expecting the original before Valve introduced it to the world in early 2022 either. Whatever happens, we’ll have to get our hands on the MSI when it arrives to really put it to the test.