Undeterred by its first foray into the handheld gaming market not being met with rave reviews,MSIis giving it another go with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld console. According to the company, thisnew version of the MSI Clawwill offer several upgrades over the original, with the most significant selling point being improved power, thanks to Lunar Lake.
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MSI haslongused Intel chipsin its gaming laptops, and it’s now extending that relationship by offering the first handheld gaming console on the market with the Lunar Lake chip. While it appears that this upgrade alone, from its previously maligned Intel Meteor Lake chip, is a heck of a selling point for the new device, MSI detailed some other new additions at Computex 2024, according toThe Verge.
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A bigger screen and other bells and whistles accompany the better chip
In addition to the new chip, the MSI Claw 8 A1+ will have a bigger screen than the current MSI Claw A1M. The jump to an eight-inch screen from a seven-inch screen won’t harm the new device when it comes to the 1080p 120Hz variable resolution so users will get a better view without losing sharpness. They will also, according to MSI be able to play quite a bit longer than they were on the current model.
The first MSI Claw handheld had a 53-watt-hour battery. However, the battery in the 8 AI+ is rivaled only by the Asus Rog Ally X for the strongest and longest-lasting battery in a PC gaming handheld, as the new model will feature 80-watt-hour battery power.
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Other revamps to the new model make it clear that MSI is looking to directly challenge more established gaming handhelds like those from Valve and Asus. The 8 AI+ also features a second USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 capabilities (which mirror Asus' device) and it will have a wall mounted charger instead of the rather large brick that accompanies the A1M. The firm also says that there will be an improved “tactile feel of the LB/RB buttons.”
Despite quite a bit of information on what the new and improved handheld will offer as far as power and playability, some very important information is still unknown. For now, there isn’t a release date for the MSI Claw 8 AI+, nor is there a price of any known window when preorders will go live. The company did say more information was coming soon, so those interested in giving some form of the Claw another shot may not have long to wait.
