It's Gripping! Hands On With MSI's Claw 8 AI+ Gaming Handheld With 'Lunar Lake'

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We first saw the new-and-improved MSI Claw 8 AI+ at Computex 2024 in June, but it was stuck behind glass and not yet touchable, never mind playable. Fast-forward to our meeting with MSI a few weeks ago leading into CES 2025, where I got to go hands on with the device, which is available starting today.

As we reported in June, the new model's main selling point is Intel’s "Lunar Lake" processing, but that’s not the only change. A number of physical and design improvements have been made over the original Claw, which we (and other reviewers, too) found fell short in a bunch of areas.

The Claw 8 AI+ is on shelves today for $899, while a smaller 7-inch option is available for $799. The video at the top of this article shows my rundown of the new features, but read on for additional details.

Get Your Claws on 'Lunar Lake'

Intel's Core Ultra 200V series of mobile processors, aka "Lunar Lake," hasn’t exactly set the world on fire since its launch, so those who follow chips closely may raise an eyebrow at its inclusion as a key benefit here. But Lunar Lake makes perfect sense in a device like this one. While Lunar Lake’s top-end and productivity-PC processing chops may not have set any records, the platform excels at efficiency, a boon for a handheld device like this.

The particular chip in this system is the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, an eight-core, eight-thread CPU with a neural processing unit (NPU) rated at 47 peak total operations per second (TOPS). The NPU is part of the reason for the "AI" now in the name of the Claw. A cool 32GB of memory and a 1TB solid-state drive support the new processor and its Arc 140V integrated graphics. Naturally, we’ll have to wait until we can benchmark the machine ourselves to see just how quick this new chip is in this chassis.

One on-paper improvement is that the Claw's main storage drive, an NVMe Type-2230 (30mm-long) SSD, is now more easily accessible if you want to upgrade it. Like Asus with its ROG Ally handhelds, MSI found that many users wanted to upgrade the stock storage, so the new model makes this more straightforward. The drive now sits above the cooling system, so you don't need to remove many parts to swap the drive.

As a portable, always-on-battery system, the new Claw and its 80-watt-hour battery (now matching the Asus ROG Ally X) should be able to support longer gaming sessions. MSI estimates more than four hours of gameplay time (in endurance mode), though this will vary greatly in either direction depending on what games you’re playing.

MSI also estimates roughly 28 hours of video playback time, which may not be your primary use of the Claw by any stretch, but it’s a helpful marker given that this is, in fact, a Windows 11 machine. The different performance modes available in the software will impact battery life and performance. I look forward to testing the differences—decent software can make or break these handheld PCs.

Design Updates: Building a Better Handheld

In addition to the improved guts, MSI gave the Claw’s design a facelift. We reviewed some of these updates in our initial coverage, but now I get to handle the new system firsthand.

What immediately stands out is the new beige "Sandstorm" color. Our team and I responded well to seeing this for the first time; it's a pleasant addition and stands out from the usual all-black chassis on these systems.

It’s unusual to say that about something neutral like tan or beige, but it’s refreshing in a sea of black slabs. Asus, for example, dropped the all-white look from the original Ally for all-black with the Ally X, so MSI's beige handles are a welcome middle ground. The back of the device is still black, but the handles add some sophistication.

MSI bumped the original's 7-inch panel to 8 inches, but it’s still a full HD (1080p) 120Hz screen. You'll also find a 7-inch version of the new model I mentioned—a $799 smaller version with a 512GB drive and all-black exterior, but it shares the rest of MSI's latest features.

Despite the larger frame, the Claw 8 AI+ feels surprisingly light in my hands for its size. It’s a bit large overall, which may feel a touch clumsy for some, but it’s not heavy for long sessions. Even if you feel slightly awkward holding the bigger unit, the 8-inch screen feels like a treat. I wouldn't call the 7-inch screens on most other devices small, but I appreciate the additional space, and the picture quality is still sharp. Handheld gaming is inherently a concession on this front, and not feeling cramped goes a long way.

The newly updated chassis now includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports along the top, providing more versatility. These join a microSD card reader and audio jack, while the power button features a built-in fingerprint sensor.

The two most important remaining updates are improved inputs. MSI redesigned the bumper switches on both shoulders to be top-actuated rather than side-actuated, which delivers better-feeling and smoother feedback when pressed. The shoulder buttons now feel responsive and consistent, even if you press more toward the edge of the bumper.

The other upgrade is to the directional pad, which is now more concave, with more clearly defined directions.

Other sweet features include the joystick RGB (compatible with MSI's Mystic Light lighting-control software), MSI’s AI Engine for changing application behavior, Wi-Fi 7 support, and improved cooling, with two fans and two heat pipes to keep the Claw running.

While I didn’t have much time to mess with the software, the Game Page library has received updates for more efficient game management. The software is where the original Claw let us down, though even that model received some improvements later through updates. My initial reaction to the updated UI is that it's noticeably cleaner, and flipping through your library and launching games seems more accessible.

Check back to PCMag for a full review of the Claw 8 AI+ once we have bench-tested and spent more time with it.