Hands-on with MSI's new Claw 8 EX AI+ handheld, Intel Arc G3 Extreme continues to impress

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the latest and arguably the most impressive version of MSI's gaming handheld to date, and not just because it's been upgraded to feature the new Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor. At Computex 2026, we got to go hands-on with the new Claw 8 EX AI+, playing through the opening mission of Battlefield 6's campaign, and yeah, like our hands-on with Acer's new G3 Extreme Atlas 8 handheld playing Forza Horizon 6, it's extremely impressive.

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Seeing this level of fidelity and 60+ FPS fluidity on a PC gaming handheld with in-game settings set to 'High' is pretty remarkable. It's a level of clarity that can rival modern-day consoles when viewed on a portable display, and thanks to Intel's latest Panther Lake architecture and next-gen Arc Graphics, the G3 Extreme processor takes full advantage of XeSS 3 and its AI-powered suite of Super Resolution and Multi Frame Generation (MFG) technologies.

In fact, with a more capable GPU and XeSS, handhelds with a G3 Extreme processor easily outperform handhelds with AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor and its integrated RDNA 3.5 graphics. Thankfully, the Arc G3 Extreme processor is just one part of what makes the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ an impressive handheld, as the company has gone to great lengths to deliver a premium-feeling device.

First up, the vibrant 8-inch 120Hz VRR display is fantastic, with impressive brightness. It's definitely on the larger side, which contributes to the handheld's premium nature. Outside of the display, holding the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is akin to picking up a modern premium controller, with ergonomic grips, Hall-effect sticks and triggers, and responsive face buttons. The haptic feedback or rumble also feels great, and when you add everything together, from the display to the new Arc G3 Extreme processor, playing Battlefield 6 felt as good on the new MSI Claw as it does on a PS5.

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As a Windows-based handheld, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ also benefits from the new Xbox Mode, so you never have to switch to desktop mode, with additional overlays and customization support from MSI. At the show, we got to play on the new Void Purple colorway, which is both stylish and modern.

The only real concern, which applies to basically everything new that we saw, is the price point. As impressive and stylish as the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is as a gaming handheld, we hope the current memory and storage crisis doesn't make it prohibitively expensive. However, based on what's been happening with Steam Deck pricing of late, we're not optimistic that this will arrive at an affordable price point. Still, aside from pricing, the Claw 8 EX AI+ is without a doubt one of the most impressive PC gaming handhelds coming this year.