MSI Claw 8 AI+ is a new handheld gaming PC: 3 ways it may beat Steam Deck

Will the new MSI Claw 8 AI+ snatch the Steam Deck's crown with its sharpened talons?

Unveiled at Computex 2024, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the sequel to the first-generation MSI Claw, which was billed as the first handheld gaming device to be powered by an Intel Core Ultra processor from the Meteor Lake lineup. For the uninitiated, these processors were featured in the first wave of "AI laptops" that hit the market late last year, including the Dell XPS 13 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

The OG MSI Claw caught our eye, in part, for having a slight edge over the Steam Deck for its AI performance. (AI is often used in gaming as a way to squeeze out more frame rates by reducing the graphics workload on the GPU and utilizing deep learning to upscale the visuals.)

However, it looks like the MSI Claw 8 AI+, as evidenced by its name, is taking AI one step further to elevate gamers' experience with handheld gaming PCs.

How does the MSI Claw 8 AI+ compare to Steam Deck?

Let's compare the MSI 8 AI+ to the Steam Deck OLED.

Firstly, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ will be equipped with the not-yet-released Intel Core Ultra chip from the upcoming Lunar Lake lineup, which will reportedly deliver gen-over-gen improvements to AI processing. Conversely, the Steam Deck OLED is packed with a custom chip from AMD — and it's expected to get smoked in the frames-per-second race against MSI Claw 8 AI+'s Lunar Lake processor.

• MSI Claw 8 AI+ - not-yet-specified "Lunar Lake" processor

• Steam Deck OLED - custom AMD APU

However, it's worth noting that the OG MSI Claw, also packed with an Intel Core Ultra chip, boasted great performance, too. But according to our sister site PCMag, it failed to live up to expectations when it was put to the test. The question is, will the MSI Claw 8 AI+ kick of a much-needed redemption arc? Only time will tell.

Secondly, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ will have a larger screen at 8 inches, which is slightly larger than the display on the Steam Deck OLED.

• MSI Claw 8 AI+ - 8-inch display

• Steam Deck OLED - 7.4-inch display

It's also worth noting that the Claw 8 AI+ also has a larger display compared to its 7-inch predecessor.

And finally, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ comes equipped with a second Thunderbolt 4, allowing you to pair it with an eGPU or a docking station. (The Steam Deck has a USB-C port, but it does not support Thunderbolt 4.)

According to The Verge, the new MSI Claw will have an 80-watt-hour battery, which joins the Asus ROG Ally X in having the largest battery in a handheld gaming PC.

That's all we know so far about MSI's new handheld gaming PC. Unfortunately, MSI didn't share any pictures of the Claw 8 AI+ with Mashable. MSI is also releasing a new Fallout version of the original MSI Claw, which we do have a picture of — see below.

This MSI Claw 8 AI+ announcement comes shortly after Asus unveiled its Asus ROG Ally X. However, unlike the MSI Claw 8 AI+, which has significant changes, the ROG Ally X is a light refresh with iterative tweaks.