MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Outperforms the ROG Xbox Ally X but Costs $1,800

    The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ went on sale on June 23, 2026, and stands out as a high-performance handheld gaming console. The model is equipped with an Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip, a 12-core Intel Arc B390 graphics processor, and 32 GB of LPDDR5X-8533 RAM. It is the first handheld gaming console to feature the Intel Arc G3 Extreme platform. The device costs $1,799.99, £1,399.99, or 2,849 Australian dollars.    The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ features an 8-inch IPS touchscreen with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels, brightness of 500 nits, and a variable refresh rate of 120 Hz. The 786 g device has a 1 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD, two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, a microSD Express card slot, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The Hall-effect analog sticks and triggers are designed for a longer service life, while RGB lighting has been added around the controls.    In performance tests, the device scored 3,544 in 3DMark Port Royal, 12,358 in Fire Strike, and 6,534 in Time Spy. These results are 76%, 35%, and 62% higher, respectively, than those of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X. Cyberpunk 2077 achieved 43 fps at Ultra graphics settings, while Total War Warhammer 3 averaged 81.3 fps at the same setting. Doom The Dark Ages and Clair Obscur Expedition 33 held steady at 60 fps.    In real-world gaming tests, Baldur’s Gate 3 achieved about 38 fps at Ultra graphics settings. Although The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion Remastered reached 60 fps in some scenes, the frame rate dropped significantly in denser areas. Battery life was 1 hour and 40 minutes in the PCMark 10 gaming battery test. The lack of a built-in trackpad makes it necessary to use the touchscreen or a separate mouse in some Windows and Steam games that require a cursor.    Its price forces the Claw 8 EX AI+ to compete with midrange gaming laptops rather than handheld consoles. For example, the $1,999.99 Alienware 16X Aurora showed a noticeable advantage by scoring 13,594 in Time Spy and 31,480 in Fire Strike. Although the MSI model offers a more compact and comfortable design, its narrow fingerprint scanner and lack of built-in mouse controls reduce ease of use. Therefore, despite its high performance, the price remains the device's main drawback.