MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: Big money for big performance

Sam Rutherford for Engadget RATING : 8.2 / 10 Pros Class leading performance Strong battery life Big bright screen Analog joysticks and shoulder buttons Upgraded rumble motors Cons Very expensive Fullscreen Xbox Experience still needs work Multi-frame generation is limited at launch D-Pad shape is hit or miss Unlike most of its rivals, MSI aligned itself with Intel instead of AMD when it made last year's Claw 8. The result was one of the most powerful PC gaming handhelds of its generation. For its latest endeavor, MSI partnered up with Team Blue again to incorporate an even beefier chip, the Arc G3 Extreme, which Intel says has been customized explicitly for portable gaming PCs. So not only is this handheld even faster, it offers smoother performance and better endurance. However, at $1,800, the new Claw 8 EX AI+ is also one of the most expensive portables from any mainstream PC manufacturer, which makes you question if the never-ending quest for higher frame rates is really worth the asking price.

Editor's Note: This review was performed using an engineering sample provided by Intel and required us to install pre-production software and drivers, so our experience may differ slightly from retail models.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget Aside from its eggplant purple exterior, the Claw 8 EX has a very straightforward layout. You get a standard assortment of face buttons, analog sticks, a D-Pad and shoulder triggers along with two customizable paddles in back. MSI incorporated the requisite RGB lighting you get on modern gaming hardware by installing two LED rings at the base of the analog sticks. A pair of two-watt speakers hide behind the front-facing grilles on each side of the display. MSI also added more pronounced, subtly textured grips that vaguely ape the size and shape of those on an Xbox Series S/X controller. This is a nice touch, especially if you like a device with full-bodied handles.