MSI Claw 8 EX AI + Review: Great Power, Amazing Price

It is covered with ports – two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, a microSD slotand a 3.5-mm audio jack. It is future proof, allowing you to upgrade the SSD (if it can be bought again), and Wi-Fi 7 support.

It’s all in a “Void Purple” shell that’s really impressive. The small screen provides a secure fit, while the Xbox-standard controls are easy to reach for most players, although the four menu buttons and the mechanism that rotates the screen may require stretching. Analog sticks (surrounded by LED lighting, naturally) and shoulder triggers are built in Hall effect sensors to be accurate and durable for a long time and provide good resistance when pressed. The chunky, angular D-pad also feels good, though its curved shape can take some getting used to, and its glossy plastic picks up microscratches easily.

Although it is use Windows 11 Under the hood, Xbox Mode takes the lead, providing a unified view of games installed from any console. The Claw doesn’t have a dedicated Xbox button, but with two buttons on the back, it’s easy to assign one. Since you can install any other client, I put the other one as a Steam menu button, useful for shortcuts when using Steam’s Big Picture Mode.

Despite the Claw’s 785-gram heft, its ergonomics and weight distribution pay off surprisingly well. It surpasses both Steam Deck and ROG Xbox Ally X, but I found it easier to use, even for longer games. Advanced haptics are also appealing, with good feedback that mimics desktop experiences.

The screen is big, but not amazing. The IPS panel offers a crisp, clear image with a brightness of up to 500 nits, but at this price, I expect OLED display so that the colors are more visible. The 120-Hz VRR creates a smooth picture, and the 16:10 aspect ratio provides a subtle yet crisp viewing experience for your games.

At first I wasn’t a fan of the screen under the “shell” of the device, but it’s a smart design, which acts as a kickstand to keep the handset upright. This is amazing if you want to connect the device to the TV port. I used it OWC Thunderbolt Go dockand although it is not as attractive or safe as sliding a Nintendo Switch 2 in its caddy, it means the Claw can easily fit into the media. Just add a game controller and you’re good to go big screen games.

Triumphal Arch

Photo: Matt Kamen

The real star of the Claw is Intel’s new Arc chip, which delivers great results. Arc G3 Extreme is built around Intel’s Panther Lake architecturewhich offers a greater increase than the Lunar Lake chips. It’s faster than any other chip in a PC, with Intel’s XeSS-Xe Super Sampling, the answer to Nvidia’s DLSS or AMD FSR-can improve performance with smart upgrades and making a frame.