In a nutshell: The original MSI Claw introduced Intel chips to the emerging handheld PC market but suffered from disappointing performance. Less than a year later, MSI revised the device with Intel’s latest mobile architecture, improved battery life, and made other changes. New leaks also indicate that Lenovo is preparing a budget-friendly variant of the Legion Go.
Pre-orders are now open for MSI’s Claw 7 AI+ and 8 AI+. The successors of the handheld gaming PC the company released in March are equipped with Intel’s new Core Ultra 7 258V SoC. The Verge notes that the devices begin shipping on Christmas Day, starting at $799.
MSI’s first handheld gaming PC, using Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H, ran games poorly compared to AMD Ryzen-based competitors like the Asus ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go, although subsequent driver updates brought substantial improvements. In contrast, early benchmarks indicate that the 258V might turn the tables on the ROG Ally and AMD’s new Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, expected to power a new generation of handhelds.
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The Claw AI+ devices may also experience longer battery life due to new batteries and improved energy efficiency. While the Claw 7’s 54.5Whr battery closely resembles its predecessor, the Claw 8’s is rated at 80Whr.
The Claw 8 also sports a slightly larger screen and better resolution. The Claw 7 retains the original handheld’s 7-inch 1080p 120Hz panel with added VRR support, while the Claw 8 expands to 8 inches at 1,920 x 1,200 to evoke the Steam Deck’s 16:10 aspect ratio. Both variants also add a second Thunderbolt 4 port.
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Meanwhile, details regarding Lenovo’s upcoming handheld revisions continue to leak. Prior reports indicated that the company intends to launch three new Legion Go models, likely featuring the three planned tiers of AMD’s upcoming Ryzen Z2 chip, one of which is based on the HX 370.
Last month, a leaked Lenovo BIOS update mentioned Rembrandt, the mature RDNA2-based APU architecture expected to power the most affordable Z2 chip and the upcoming budget Legion Go variant. Furthermore, sources recently provided Windows Central with an official render of the budget-focused machine.
Closely resembling the Asus ROG Ally, it features fewer back paddles and ditches the original Legion Go’s Nintendo Switch-inspired features, such as the kickstand and detachable Joy-Con-like controllers. Pricing and release details remain unclear.
