Details of a next-generation MSI Claw handheld gaming console just leaked, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 200 'Lunar Lake' chip, a larger screen, and improved battery capacity. Hardware leaker @momomo_us posted the details on X, adding that the device will also get a Thunderbolt 4 Type-C port, improved bumper buttons, and a lighter AC adapter.
Aside from these upgrades and changes, the leaks also suggest that MSI collaborated with Bethesda to create a Fallout-themed version of the MSI Claw. This collab model will feature a 7-inch FHD screen, so we are unsure if this will just be a skin on the current MSI Claw A1M, or if it will be a more affordable version of the MSI Claw 8 AI+. But we sure hope that this version of the Claw might come with all the Fallout games pre-installed.
While we don’t have a launch or announcement date yet for the next-generation Claw, Intel's Lunar Lake CPUs are expected to come out in 24Q3, so the Claw 8 AI+ will likely be available in time for the holidays. However, the improvements on the next-generation Claw will likely give the Asus ROG Ally X a run for its money, especially as it still relies on the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme and has a smaller screen.
We also want to see how the addition of AI processing will impact gaming performance. Intel’s Lunar Lake is expected to have more than 100 TOPS in AI performance, with 45 TOPS coming from just its NPU. This is over ten times better than the current Meteor Lake CPUs in the Claw A1M, and we want to see how this additional performance could improve gameplay, if at all.
Since the Intel Core Ultra 200-series processors are also expected to arrive with the Battlemage GPU architecture, we expect the Claw 8 AI+ to have somewhat better graphic performance than the original Claw A1M. But aside from these details, we don’t have much information yet about the Claw 8 AI+ gaming handheld. Nevertheless, we’re excited to get our hands on it so we can test it out for ourselves and compare it with its competitors, namely, the Steam Deck and its many alternatives.
