What The MSI Claw 8 AI+ gaming handheld's hardware is good, but its software still needs some fine-tuning

One of the best gaming handhelds currently available is MSI's new Claw 8 AI+, but at $899.99, it's not cheap either. Its hardware is good, but MSI really needs to improve its software.
 Andreas Osthoff, published on 03/11/2025, translated by Daisy Dickson AI Arc Gaming Handheld Lunar Lake Microsoft Review Snippet Thunderbolt Touchscreen Wi-Fi 7 Windows
 When MSI launched the first generation of the Claw gaming handheld last year, its choice of processor was particularly surprising.  In contrast to almost all other manufacturers, it used a Meteor Lake processor from Intel, which is known to require more power than AMD chips in order to work as well.  In the fastest mode, the processor was allowed to consume 43 watts continuously.  This is of course an impressive amount of power for the cooling unit to take care of inside such a compact device, but this isn't really the point of a device whose aim is to be as efficient as possible.  In addition, the fans were almost always present, and when gaming, they got pretty loud. MSI's new Claw 8 AI+ still uses Intel processors, but it now uses a Lunar Lake processor, which is made to be as efficient as possible. Although the processor performance itself is somewhat lower in absolute terms, the iGPU delivers very good performance values even with low power limits and its overall gaming performance is simply very good.  In our gaming tests, for instance, the new Claw 8 AI+ was 25% faster than the original Claw, which had power limits of 45/43 watts. It also performs better in games than the ROG Ally X with the older AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme (Zen 4) processor. The GPD Pocket 4 with the current Zen 5 SoC is slightly faster, but its price is significantly higher and it isn't a classic gaming handheld.
 The fan's increased performance does not come at the expense of its lower noise emissions, which have actually decreased overall as a result of its improved efficiency. However, we noticed during our test that the fan speed regularly fluctuates between two values despite the constant TDP, which is a little annoying.  The slower AI mode also experiences these fluctuations, albeit at a slightly lower level. However, this brings us to the next point, as the device's energy profiles are a bit confusing and the AI engine produced significantly weaker results during our test.  In manual mode, there are three TDP settings (8, 17, and 30 watts), so there isn't really a "manual mode." Overall, the basic software is good, but there are still lags and its range of features can't keep up with Armoury Crate SE software from Asus. MSI needs to improve on this and also optimize the fan's behavior.Apart from its processor, the device's new case including its larger screen of course makes a massive difference.  Especially in comparison with the ROG Ally X, you can clearly see that the handheld is significantly larger overall and also around 100 grams heavier.  Nevertheless, it still feels good to hold, especially if you are already used to devices like the ROG Ally X—and its 8-inch screen is noticeably bigger.  You'll simply have to decide for yourself whether you prefer a larger screen or a more compact case.  Even though its response times are slightly slower than on the previous model, the screen itself is still an IPS panel with a brightness of 500 nits, a refresh rate of 120 Hz, and VRR. It is suitable for gaming. The compact M.2 2230 SSD can be easily replaced and MSI has additionally installed a significantly larger 80 Wh battery (previously 53 Wh), which enables very long runtimes.  Naturally, it depends on the performance mode you use when gaming. In the fastest mode, our test ended after around 01:45 hours, but with using the AI engine (17 watts), for example, 3.5 hours were made possible.
 Another sticking point is its price of $899.99.  Although this is justified in our eyes for the hardware on offer, it is likely to act as a deterrent for many potential buyers.  The Steam Deck is popular not only because it is simple to use thanks to Steam OS but also because it is relatively inexpensive. The ROG Ally's first generation is still selling well. Whether the new Claw 8 AI+ will be successful despite its good performance is therefore not yet certain.  All further information and benchmark results for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ are available in our detailed review.