Amazon (via VideoCardz) has listed the upcoming MSI Claw 8 AI+ gaming handheld for $899 with specifications, including the CPU and RAM options. This will be the first gaming handheld to feature Intel Lunar Lake CPUs. MSI will also release the refresh MSI Claw 7 AI+ with an earlier shipping date.
The listing confirms that the Claw 8 AI+ will use the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, and another source confirms it will have a variant with the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V. The new gaming handheld will also have two LPDDR5X-8553 memory options: 16GB and 32GB.
The Ultra 7 285V has a clock speed of 2.2 GHz up to 4.8 GHz. Both variations will have 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 SSD for internal storage with a micro SDHC card for expansion. The CPU choices confirm using Arc 14V graphics that feature eight Xe2 cores. The display is slightly larger at an 8-inch touchscreen display with the same 120Hz refresh rate, 500 nits brightness, and 1920 x 1200 resolution.
The batteries are also upgraded to 80 Wh. For I/O, there are two Thunderbolt 4/ USB 4 ports for charging and docking with add-ons or an eGPU. MSI Claw 8 AI+ uses Windows 11 as the default operating system. MSI will release the Claw 8 AI+ on December 25, with the highest configuration priced at US$899.
The upgraded MSI Claw 7 AI+ will also have the Intel Ultra 7-258V CPU and 32GB RAM but with 512GB storage, a 7-inch 1080p display, and a 53Wh battery. These will begin shipping on December 1. For a US$100 difference, you are getting a bit larger vertical resolution with an additional inch, a larger battery, and double the internal storage. Due to the upgrade, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is slightly bigger than the Claw 7 and its successor, Claw 7 AI+.
These are the comparisons between the MSI Claw handhelds:
Initially, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ was expected to launch in early 2025 with no specified date, but now it will begin shipping out a few days before CES 2025.
Earlier, we mentioned that the successor to the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus Ally X may sport an AMD Ryzen Z2 or Z2 Extreme CPU, but that's expected to be released in 2025. AMD claims that its Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, which will use Radeon 890M graphics, is 75% faster than Intel Core Ultra 7 285 for gaming—giving a good reason to wait until both options are released. Reviews are evaluating the difference in performance, battery life, and other factors.
We will soon see a plethora of offerings from respective gaming handheld makers, starting next month, offering either the Intel Lunar Lake or the AMD Z2 series of APUs. Regarding performance, battery life, and experience when using these devices, we'll just have to wait for a while to get the whole picture.
