MSI's Claw 8 AI Plus May Arrive Sooner Than Expected

MSI's follow-up to the Claw handheld, the Claw 8 AI Plus, has a lot of things expected from it and gamers may be able to put it to the test sooner than expected.

Based on a CES 2025 Innovation Awards listing found by VideoCardz, the Claw 8 AI Plus may launch at the CES tradeshow in early January 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Claw underperformed and was a disappointment compared to its stiff competition, such as the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and Steam Deck. While Valve has updated the Steam Deck with an OLED variant, and Asus has refreshed the ROG Ally in the Ally X, the Claw 8 AI plus is the first proper "sequel" handheld.

So what can gamers expect from the Claw 8, and how likely is it to launch at CES next year?

Based on several sources, the Claw 8 AI Plus will feature an Intel Lunar Lake chipset with integrated Intel Arc graphics, 16GB of RAM, an 8-inch 120Hz FHD+ (1,920 x 1,200) display, a larger 80Whr battery, 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, a microSD card slot, and an audio combo jack.

Based on those who beta-tested it at IFA Berlin last September, it has been observed to have an improved joysticks with a smoother and sturdier feel, improved Hall Effect switches with better tactile feedback, and adjusted paddle placement.

While Intel's Meteor Lake also features integrated Arc graphics, the Arc iGPU in the Lunar Lake chipset shows impressive gaming performance on Medium settings and at 1080p resolution. That performance does degrade at higher graphics settings and resolutions, but it is enough to make many hopeful for how Lunar Lake gaming handhelds like the Claw 8 AI Plus.