The official specs have now been confirmed for the MSI Claw 8 AI+, which, sadly, hasn’t been given a reputation change. The awkwardly titled handheld will use an Intel Core Extremely 200V Lunar Lake SoC, whereas additionally boosting reminiscence pace, battery life, and display screen dimension in comparison with its predecessor.
Given how the MSI Claw A1M didn’t make any constructive impression within the moveable market, and didn’t come near turning into among the finest handheld gaming PCs round, it solely is smart to easily transfer on and take a look at once more. This new handheld is already on present at IFA 2024, however gained’t be that can be purchased till “early 2025”.
Information of a brand new MSI handheld was met with trepidation earlier this yr, primarily as a result of it wasn’t lengthy after the Claw A1M launched, and was nonetheless struggling to get the fundamentals proper. Just a few Claw BIOS updates later, and house owners of the hand-held would possibly now really feel that gaming efficiency is best, but it surely’s nonetheless comfortably behind gadgets comparable to the Asus ROG Ally X.
MSI states it listened to buyer suggestions, as that is what has led to the adjustments specified by its IFA 2024 bulletins. The MSI Claw 8 AI+ will at the start undertake the Intel Lunar Lake Intel Core Extremely 200V APU and enhance the utmost system reminiscence to 32GB, whereas additionally shifting from LPDDR5-6400 to LPDDR5x-8533 reminiscence.
In the meantime, the battery is rising to an 80Wh spec, up from 53Wh, and the Claw 8 AI+ can even double up its Thunderbolt 4 ports in order that two can be found. Elsewhere, this new handheld can even help the M.2 2280 SSD kind issue.
Lastly, the display screen dimension is rising from seven to eight inches, however it can nonetheless be a 1,920 x 1,080, 120Hz VRR panel versus upgrading to an OLED mannequin.
Whereas all these enhancements are nice, there’s a damaged belief from the primary Claw gadget’s launch that might be very tough for MSI to repair. Given the oversaturated nature of the hand-held market, with extra large names making an attempt to assert a share, the Claw A1M’s failures must be addressed earlier than this new mannequin replaces it.
Very like Asus acknowledging the failures in its ROG Ally microSD card slot, in addition to the normal Asus RMA course of, it’s greatest to acknowledge your errors earlier than you progress on.
Nonetheless, if MSI will get it proper, it’s laborious to guess in opposition to the facility of the Lunar Lake structure, which can blow older handhelds just like the AMD-powered Steam Deck out of the water. Granted, the Steam Deck will nonetheless seemingly provide a greater person expertise, and the a lot beloved OLED mannequin as a substitute.
We’re attending IFA this yr and hope to convey you a hands-on preview of the MSI Claw 8 AI+. Within the meantime, take a look at our story on a possible Acer gaming handheld, as extra manufacturers look to enter the moveable market.
