Yesterday, MSI (via Lowyat.net) provided a peek at an official comparison slide between its existing MSI Claw and upcoming MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld gaming devices. However, the brand didn't allow journalists present to share the Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake CPU that the Claw 8 AI+ will utilize.
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ will compete with the Asus ROG Ally X. Though notably, the ROG Ally and ROG Ally X use the same AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU, unlike the MSI Claw 8 AI+ upgrading from Meteor Lake to a yet-unnamed Lunar Lake CPU. The MSI Claw 8 AI+ was initially revealed at Computex 2024 alongside a Fallout 4-themed variant of the Claw. However, at that time, we didn't get any information on the Claw 8 AI+'s pricing or release date, and MSI still hasn't provided those details until next month.
Since MSI has saved that information for a proper reveal next month, there's a chance that the official announcement and full release may not be very far apart— likely before the end of the year. If the upgraded internals take the Asus ROG Ally X's performance crown atop the current handheld gaming market, that would put the MSI Claw 8 AI+ in a perfect position heading into 2025 and the holiday season.
The MSI slide doesn't provide new information, and the exact Core Ultra 200V CPU model was omitted. We've known since Computex that the MSI Claw 8 AI+ would leverage an 80 Whr battery, a slightly larger 8-inch 120 Hz IPS screen with the same overall spec, and add an extra Thunderbolt port.
None of the hardware information is new— and until we know the specific Lunar Lake CPU in use, we can't attest to the actual value here. Still, early benchmarks indicate at least comparable iGPU performance. Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 9 models of the MSI Claw 8 AI+ will likely be the best option for eventual buyers.
With any luck for MSI, the price-to-performance balance for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ will be better than the original MSI Claw. The MSI Claw isn't necessarily a bad handheld. Still, the cheaper pricing of the entry-level Steam Deck, the better display of the Steam Deck OLED, and the superior performance of Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X leave it in a precarious market position.
MSI's next-generation handheld availability and pricing will be unveiled in September. The official announcement will likely be September 3 since that's the day that Intel will launch the chipmaker's Core Ultra Lunar Lake processors.
