MSI's New Gaming Handheld Lasts Longer and Runs Better Than the Rest — but Costs $1,799
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus is a portable gaming device that runs full PC games, and according to The Verge's reviewer Sean Hollister, it is the most powerful one that "truly feels portable." His review, published August 14, 2026, also says it lasts longer on a single charge than any other handheld the publication has tested. The Verge
The device runs games at noticeably sharper image quality than the Steam Deck (Valve's popular handheld) and performs better than the Xbox Ally X and the previous MSI Claw 8. It also costs $1,799 at launch and comes with a set of drawbacks that take some shine off those achievements.
The Claw 8 EX AI Plus weighs 1.73 pounds (785g) and is more comfortable to hold than the 1.58-pound (715g) Xbox Ally X, even though it is heavier. Its 8-inch screen is sharp and smooth, able to adjust how many times per second it refreshes the image — anywhere from 48 to 120 times per second — to balance smoothness and battery life. Hollister preferred it over the Xbox Ally's smaller 7-inch screen, though the glossy surface causes noticeable glare.
Battery life is where the device really stands out. The Claw 8 EX AI Plus ran longer than any handheld The Verge has tested. The chip inside it, called the Arc G3 Extreme, is made by Intel and is the first Intel chip designed specifically for handheld gaming rather than borrowed from a laptop. Intel's design choice was to include the full set of graphics-processing components while reducing the number of general-purpose processing cores — a sensible trade for a device whose main job is displaying games. The Verge
Perhaps the most important finding in the review is not about game performance or battery life. The Verge says the Claw 8 EX AI Plus is the first Windows-based handheld that can go to sleep and wake back up reliably, picking up a game exactly where you left off. Until now, only the Steam Deck, which runs a different operating system called SteamOS, could do this consistently. Windows handhelds have long had trouble with sleep and wake — crashing, losing your game progress, or refusing to turn back on properly. If MSI and Intel have truly fixed this, it solves one of the biggest ongoing frustrations with Windows handhelds.
The review is not all positive. The device shows graphical and performance issues in some games, and general Windows annoyances remain despite the sleep-and-wake fix. At $1,799, the price is high enough that The Verge framed the review as a "Ferris Bueller Product Review" — their term for a device that is appealing and exciting but costs more than most people would comfortably spend. The Verge
It will also be hard to find at first. MSI's Anne Lee told The Verge that the US should receive limited supply sometime in August 2026. MSI's product page lists the device as the "Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM" (model CG3EMX), described as a premium handheld PC for advanced PC gamers. MSI
MSI also sells a different model called the Claw 8 AI+ A2VM, which has an 8-inch screen and an 80Whr battery. This is a separate product from the one The Verge reviewed. MSI
The broader context here is that the handheld PC market has been waiting for two things: an Intel chip that can compete with AMD's handheld chips, and a Windows device that handles sleep and wake as well as the Steam Deck does. The Claw 8 EX AI Plus appears to deliver on both, though the price keeps it firmly in the realm of serious enthusiasts. For Intel, this review is an early but meaningful sign that designing a chip specifically for handheld gaming — rather than using one built for laptops — pays off. If the performance advantage over AMD's Z2 Extreme chip holds up in wider testing, Intel has a real shot at a category where it has struggled to compete.
The open question is whether the limited August supply means a wider release is coming later, or whether the device will stay hard to find. Either way, the combination of best-in-class battery life, reliable sleep and wake on Windows, and performance that beats the Steam Deck makes the Claw 8 EX AI Plus the device to watch — even if few people will be able to buy one right away, and fewer still will spend $1,799 without thinking twice.
