MSI’s Claw 8 EX AI+ was far from the only handheld gaming PC on display at Computex 2026, but it was certainly my pick for the one to watch.
In its gorgeous, vibrant Void Purple colorway, it’s a treat for the eyes, and marked improvements to ergonomics and performance make for an exciting proposition when it releases later this year in June.
Over the week, I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the new handheld across a variety of games, including Hogwarts Legacy, F1 25, and Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and it suffices to say I’m impressed. With Intel’s new Arc G3 chip in tow, the future looks bright for the Claw 8 EX AI+, provided MSI can stick the landing on pricing… but that’s a big if.
The next generation is here
Intel’s mobile chipset is the backbone of several new handhelds (including the Acer Predator Atlas 8) announced at Computex, offering up to 14 CPU cores, and an Arc B390 integrated GPU with 12Xe cores — specs that really pay off in performance.
When reviewing the recently released Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, my Steam Deck was practically wheezing during densely populated or fast-moving sequences, even on the lowest settings. You may laugh, but as I noted in my review, it’s a surprisingly visually impressive game, and it was only when trying it out on the MSI 8 Claw EX AI+ that I was really able to appreciate what a difference the more powerful hardware makes. Movement was wonderfully fluid, and judging by my brief time with the handhelds and comments from Intel, you can expect improvements to battery life, too.
The performance boost largely comes from the frame rate-boosting XeSS 3 Multi-Frame generation tech that the Intel Arc iGPU can tap into, resulting in liquid-smooth gameplay even under pressure. We didn’t get to run our usual collection of benchmarks on the MSI 8 Claw EX AI+ h, but I’m eager to see how the numbers stack up once we have a model in our hands for longer testing.
I’ve been hanging on to my original Steam Deck for dear life, and had hoped it would be able to see me through for at least another year or two (read: cope), but having tried the MSI 8 Claw EX AI+ there’s no doubt I’ll be missing out if I don’t hop on this next wave of devices.
Like a glove
Speaking of hands, the Claw 8 EX AI+ sees noteworthy improvements in the ergonomics department. Following suit from the the Asus ROG Ally Xbox X’s controller-esque textured grips, this drastic design overhaul also brings drift-resistant Hall-effect sticks and triggers and a more clicky, satisfying D-Pad.
I have quite small hands, and I find they get fatigued really quickly while playing on my Steam Deck (and even my Nintendo Switch 2…) but the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ was noticeably more comfortable to hold. I didn’t get the chance to play it in bed as I do at home — that would have been a pretty weird thing to do in a demo space — but I hope even with my elbows propped up, it’ll still be pretty easy on the wrists.
MSI has clearly paid attention to user feedback, as haptics now feel more immersive and offer greater depth, with what MSI describes as a “high-end linear motor” simulating the on-screen action, versus the weaker rumble in previous models.
The Void Purple colorway may not be for everyone — nor will the RGB lighting-encircled joysticks, but I personally thought it toed the line between svelte tech and gamer aesthetic quite well.
It’s a slight shame that the touchscreen display didn’t see any real upgrades — but still, its 120Hz 8-inch VRR specs are nothing to sniff at, and it’s plenty bright and beautiful for gaming on the go.
Enough to move the needle?
Considering the previous model, the MSI Claw 8 AI+, only hit the market in 2025, I was a little skeptical when I heard a new variant would be arriving so soon — plus with still-unconfirmed pricing rumored to be in the realms of $1,500, it was looking like a hard sell right up until the point I had it in my hands.
Price hikes are one thing; even the Steam Deck OLED can’t claim affordability following an almost 50% price hike a few weeks ago (thanks, RAMmageddeon), while Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 Ryzen Z3 Extreme 2TB also got a similar astronomical price hike back in April. Who knows how much this will launch at, let alone whether that pricing will be sustainable in the near future.
We’ll have to wait and see when June arrives what the future looks like for PC gaming handheld pricing — and in my case, perhaps Steam Deck resale value, because I could well be front in line to score MSI’s powerful and performant PC handheld.
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josephine.watson@futurenet.com (Josephine Watson)
