What up gamers Its your boy… The new portable gaming system has been tested on our bench…(msi claw 8 ai+)
The first Claw was unable to leave a trace due to a glitch in the software driver issues and a mediocre performance…
The new version comes with a larger screen a longer battery life a brand new Intel Lunar Lake processor as well as improved software.
But it also introduces issues that are new to the system Its bigger size makes it difficult to carry for long periods of time and its power limit is not enough for its cost.
Its Claw 8 AI+ is the more comprehensive and powerful device than the predecessor however the ROG Ally X and Steam Deck are superior handhelds as well as a similar priced gaming laptop can still provide the most power for your money…
In this regard the ROG AllyX retains its position as its position as the Editors Choice Award for gaming handhelds… (msi claw 8 ai+)
Configurations Core Ultra 7 Claws Its Way In
In our previous hand son report one of the main improvements of Claw 8 AI+ Claw 8 AI+ is Intels Core Ultra 7 258V which is an eight core chip that has an artificial neural processing unit (NPU) that is rated at 47 Total Operations Per Second (TOPS). (msi claw 8 ai+)
1TB of solidstate drives as well as 32GB of memory can support the new processor as do the Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics….
As this isnt a laptop you shouldnt be expecting many different configurations or options to customize it This is the sole eight inch Claw eight AIand configuration…..
MSI has also announced an updated 7inch Claw priced at $799.99 and comes with only 512GB of storage but it shares the rest of the latest features on the 8 inch console….
The decision to go with an Core Ultra 7 processor may make heads turn considering the many options available and the fact that Lunar Lake hasnt made the most convincing case in the realm of gaming.
While its processing capabilities wont be the top of the line but the CPU is focused on efficiency which can make a handheld device last longer. (msi claw 8 ai+)
The processors neural unit is designed for AI tasks is the inspiration behind its Claw 8 AI+ name.
Design A Larger Handheld for Better and Worse
The two most notable modifications from the original Claw is the design and color.
Claw 8 AI+ Claw 8 AI+ comes in a graybeige tone not the most exciting color but it is distinctive within the PC space.
The beige only extends to the handle whereas the sides and bottom are all black.
So even beige can be more exciting. Asus the allwhite ROG Ally was the only exception to this rule however its Ally X successor switched to a black appearance.
Similar to the Ally Claw the Claw comes with ringed LEDs circling the joysticks for a little of glam and even more subtilly the face buttons have a customizable light.(msi claw 8 ai+)
The next screen is the larger.
The first Claw was a 7inch 1920by1080 resolution display with 120Hz refresh rate as well as Claw 8 AI+ Claw 8 AI+ boosts it up the resolution to 1920 by 1200.
With the new diagonal size of 8 inches its an aspect ratio of 1610 instead of 169.
The bigger screen definitely helps make it Claw easier to play on. Its spacious its sharp and fights the limitations of gaming on a device that is inherently smaller.(msi claw 8 ai+)
When I play games I can have plenty of space for a handheld device. Its obviously not as big as the desktop or laptop monitor however it doesnt feel restricted.
MSI Claw 8 AI+ & M Software
In our initial review of the Claw and my colleague was able to identify several issues with the application at launch.
The Windowsbased devices have the problem of using an OS that is primarily desktopcentric using tiny touch screens along with control buttons.(msi claw 8 ai+)
The ability to install and run the complete Windows version of Epic Games Store or the Xbox application (to play Game Pass locally rather than streaming it) is among the major advantages of these devices.
However youll need to connect to it via a tiny Windows interface and not with the familiar tilelike interface of Steam OS.
In the end every manufacturer has created their own application to fill the lack of user friendly features using Steam OS.
MSIs first version the Center M software on the Claws first version was remarkably glitchy and uninspiring. Additionally driver issues affected the review time much more painful.
Without going into the details of how each menu structure is laid out for each menu it is clear that the Center M experience on the Claw 8 AI+ is far superior.
The hardware button located on the lefthand side of the screen will open the Center M regardless of where you are on the device.
It also provides immediate access to all your games (all in one location and in a smaller screen and user friendly menu) as well as the performance tuning settings.
If you dont see a game in the library You can add the game manually by locating the .exe file on your device.
Graphics and Gaming Tests
We test the systems graphics using a variety of animations or gaming simulations derived from the UL 3DMark testing suite. (msi claw 8 ai+)
Wild Life (1440p) uses the Vulkan graphics API to determine GPU speed.
The Light subtest of Steel Nomads test focuses on the APIs that are most commonly used in game development such as Metal or DirectX 12 to assess game geometry and particle effects.
We then turn to Solar Bay to measure ray tracking performance in a computer generated environment.
Our gaming tests in realworld settings come from benchmarks in the game in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Cyberpunk 2077 along with F1 2024.
These three gamesall benchmarked at the systems full HD (1080p or 1200p native) resolutionrepresent competitive shooter openworld and simulation games respectively.
If the screen can handle greater resolution we repeat the tests using whats the QHD equivalent of either 1440p or 1500p.
Each game is played at two sets of graphics settings for each resolution. (msi claw 8 ai+)
We test this Call of Duty benchmark at the minimum graphics presetwhich is aimed at maximizing frame rates in order to check refresh rates on displayand then using the Extreme preset.
Weve developed our Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark settings intend to maximize the performance of PCs thus we use our Ultra graphics preset and then with the full on Ray Tracing Overdrive preset without DLSS FSR or XeSS.
In the end F1 represents our DLSS effectiveness test (or FSR on AMD systems and XeSS when using supported Intel systems) showing the GPUs ability to boost frame rates using scaling technologies.
Battery Test
We test each batterys endurance by playing a locally saved video in 720p (the OpenSource Blender film Tears of Steel) with display brightness set at 50% and the volume of the audio at 100 percent.
Make sure that your battery has been fully charged prior the test and with the keyboard backlighting and WiFi turned off.(msi claw 8 ai+)
Its Claw 8 AI+ performed very impressively during our battery test enduring 21 hours in our video overview.
The 80WHr battery is a major factor in this and is another advantage of the bigger chassis but the use of the Claw to play games and computing is a significant distinction.
If youre looking to watch videos browse your desktop or surf the internet this gadget is a great source of power.
However I did an additional test during gaming and observed the battery drain out much more quickly. I played Cyberpunk using Steam Deck.
Steam Deck visual preset using the devices high performance instead of endurance mode a realistic setting for comfortable gaming with the Claws charge up feature. And it only lasted 1 half an hour.
Its definitely shorter but still not bad for gaming in the car and Cyberpunk is among the most powerhungry games available.
Laptops can suffer similar battery drain in gaming compared to video streaming or work. Similar to rate of frames the more light the game is the better Claws battery will be able to handle it.
Personal suggestion This Claw Cuts Deeper But Not Quite Enough
The new color scheme for the body as well as the bigger screen as well as the power increase are all welcomed.
The device is wellbuilt and runs games without a hitch (as as you decrease certain settings) and is able to last for a decent amount of time. If the device you are using speaks to you itll perform the task.(msi claw 8 ai+)
However the ergonomics have some room for improvement and the performance could use some improvement and the price is now in the laptop category.
We still prefer the Editors Choice award holding Asus ROG Ally X and Steam Deck among handhelds and if youre not hellbent on a handheld your dollar will still go further with a gaming laptop.
About the author
I m leo a gamer enthusiast based in the heart of Los Angeles. With a passion for reviewing killer games Ive got a couple of years under my belt bringing visions to life with style and flair.. Catch me chillin at 3215 Overland Ave Los Angeles California(CA), 90034.
Source
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/msi-claw-8-ai-plus
https://www.msi.com/Handheld/Claw-8-AI-Plus-A2VMX
Image credits
Featured image by pcmag.com (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)