MSI’s Claw 8 EX AI+ is now the expensive end of the Windows gaming handheld argument: $1,800 at Best Buy for a portable PC built around Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme graphics. In a WIRED review, Matt Kamen gave the device a 7 out of 10, praising its performance and hardware while calling out the price and the usual Windows-on-a-handheld mess.
The number is hard to ignore. WIRED notes that the Claw 8 EX AI+ costs far more than Asus’ ROG Xbox Ally X, which launched at $1,000, and also tops the original $1,350 launch price of Lenovo’s Legion Go 2. An MSI spokesperson told WIRED the price reflects “component and production cost considerations.” WIRED links that pressure to broader component shortages and price increases tied to demand from the AI buildout.
Intel gives MSI real handheld horsepower
The Claw 8 EX AI+ uses Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme chip, based on the company’s Panther Lake architecture, according to WIRED. The handheld also includes 32 GB of LPDDR5x memory, 1 TB of SSD storage, an 8-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS touchscreen with a 120 Hz variable refresh rate, and an 80 Wh battery.
MSI fitted the device with two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, a microSD slot, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 7 support, and an upgradeable SSD. The control layout follows the Xbox standard, with Hall effect analog sticks and triggers, rear buttons that can be mapped to functions such as Xbox or Steam menus, and advanced haptics. WIRED found the 785-gram handheld heavier than the Steam Deck and ROG Xbox Ally X, but more comfortable over longer sessions because of its grip and weight distribution.
Performance was the bright spot. WIRED reported that Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered ran at 90 to 120 frames per second in handheld mode at 1920 x 1200 with high settings and Intel’s XeSS enabled. Docked to a 4K OLED TV, the same game held 60 fps at 4K, according to the review.
Other games were less tidy. WIRED saw Crimson Desert run at about 65 fps without XeSS and above 100 fps with it. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight was more erratic, ranging from roughly 100 fps with XeSS enabled down to 20 fps during driving sections, and falling to an unplayable 5 fps when docked. Kamen attributed that last collapse partly to the game’s apparent optimization problems.
Battery life depends on how hard you push it
The Claw’s 80 Wh battery did not turn high-end PC games into all-day handheld sessions. WIRED found demanding games could empty the device in about 90 minutes. MSI’s power profiles help, especially Endurance Mode, which caps output at 30 fps by default and disables XeSS. WIRED said that mode pushed Lego Batman beyond four hours and less demanding games including Vampire Survivors, Dave the Diver, and Cassette Beasts beyond eight hours.
The display drew a more qualified response. WIRED described the IPS screen as sharp and bright up to 500 nits, with the 120 Hz variable refresh helping smoothness, but said an OLED panel would be a fair expectation at this price. The review also noted a useful physical trick: the lower screen edge lets the device stand vertically when connected to a dock.
The main drag is software. The Claw runs Windows 11, with Xbox Mode as the front-end layer. WIRED said that brings broad PC compatibility, mod support, and ordinary desktop use when attached to a monitor, but also repeated updates from Windows, apps, stores, game clients, and games themselves.
MSI’s own Claw Center M interface did not solve the problem in WIRED’s testing. The review says its launcher can show installed games and system controls in a console-like view, but the dedicated button sometimes flashed the app and returned to the prior screen, interfered with controls, or required a restart. Because the launcher behaves as an overlay, moving through it can also move the cursor in the app underneath.
WIRED’s bottom line is blunt enough: the Claw 8 EX AI+ has some of the strongest performance available in a handheld PC, but at $1,800 it needed fewer rough edges. MSI built a fast machine. Microsoft and MSI’s software layers still make buyers do unpaid systems administration before playing games.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
