The official specs have now been confirmed for the MSI Claw 8 AI+, which, unfortunately, hasn’t been given a name change. The awkwardly titled handheld will use an Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake SoC, while also boosting memory speed, battery life, and screen size compared to its predecessor.
Given how the MSI Claw A1M failed to make any positive impact in the portable market, and didn’t come close to becoming one of the best handheld gaming PCs around, it only makes sense to simply move on and try again. This new handheld is already on show at IFA 2024, but won’t be available to buy until “early 2025”.
News of a new MSI handheld was met with trepidation earlier this year, mainly because it wasn’t long after the Claw A1M launched, and was still struggling to get the basics right. A few Claw BIOS updates later, and owners of the handheld might now feel that gaming performance is better, but it’s still comfortably behind devices such as the Asus ROG Ally X.
MSI states it listened to customer feedback, as this is what has led to the changes laid out in its IFA 2024 announcements. The MSI Claw 8 AI+ will first and foremost adopt the Intel Lunar Lake Intel Core Ultra 200V APU and increase the maximum system memory to 32GB, while also moving from LPDDR5-6400 to LPDDR5x-8533 memory.
Meanwhile, the battery is increasing to an 80Wh spec, up from 53Wh, and the Claw 8 AI+ will also double up its Thunderbolt 4 ports so that two are available. Elsewhere, this new handheld will also support the M.2 2280 SSD form factor.
Finally, the screen size is increasing from seven to eight inches, but it will still be a 1,920 x 1,080, 120Hz VRR panel as opposed to upgrading to an OLED model.
While all these improvements are great, there is a broken trust from the first Claw device’s release that will be very difficult for MSI to fix. Given the oversaturated nature of the handheld market, with more big names trying to claim a share, the Claw A1M’s failures need to be addressed before this new model replaces it.
Much like Asus acknowledging the failures in its ROG Ally microSD card slot, as well as the general Asus RMA process, it’s best to acknowledge your mistakes before you move on.
However, if MSI gets it right, it’s hard to bet against the power of the Lunar Lake architecture, which will blow older handhelds like the AMD-powered Steam Deck out of the water. Granted, the Steam Deck will still likely offer a better user experience, and the much beloved OLED model as an alternative.
We’re attending IFA this year and hope to bring you a hands-on preview of the MSI Claw 8 AI+. In the meantime, check out our story on a potential Acer gaming handheld, as more brands look to enter the portable market.