MSI's Claw 8 and Claw 7 AI+ Intel Arc 'Battlemage' gaming handhelds impress at CES 2025

MSI is launching its second-generation MSI Claw gaming handhelds: the new MSI Claw 8 AI+ and MSI Claw 7 AI+ gaming handhelds running Windows 11 and powered by the latest mobile Intel Core Ultra 7 processors. The only real difference comes in the visual look, as the 8 and 7 refer to the screen sizes for each handheld - 8-inch or 7-inch.

3

The new MSI Claw 8 AI+ and MSI Claw 7 AI+ gaming handhelds.

Both feature FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 16:10 IPS displays with full touchscreen support and a VRR-capable 120 Hz refresh rate. Underneath the hood, you'll find an integrated Intel Arc 140V GPU with second-generation Battlemage architecture. Compared to first-gen arc gaming performance, it is significantly improved with broader game support and Intel XeSS for AI-powered upscaling and frame generation.

At CES 2025, we went hands-on with both Claw devices, playing Sonic Generations and Cyberpunk 2077. They're comfortable and responsive, and the display is bright and vibrant.

3

MSI Claw 7 AI+.

As mentioned in the introduction, the big difference is the screen size, with the 7-inch model representing the more compact offering. Both sport 32GB of fast LPDDR5x-8533 memory, which is a step up from many competing handhelds, and the MSI Claw 8+ includes a large capacity 80Whr battery for extended gaming sessions.

Both include 2 x Thunderbolt 4 ports with fast 40Gbps transfer speeds. As they're also Copilot+ PCs, you can even dock the MSI Claw 8 or 7 AI+ and use it for productivity in between gaming sessions. With most PC gaming handhelds on the market, like the ROG Ally and Legion Go, sporting AMD Ryzen hardware, the new MSI Claw 8 AI+ and MSI Claw 7 AI+ stand out thanks to their excellent efficiency and performance.