Cached at:
07/15/26, 04:19 PM
# MSI’s Latest Claw Handheld Might Be the Pinnacle of Portable Gaming Power
Source: [https://www.wired.com/review/msi-claw-8-ex-ai/](https://www.wired.com/review/msi-claw-8-ex-ai/)
It’s practically covered in ports—two Thunderbolt 4 USB\-C, a[microSD slot](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-micro-sd-cards/), and even a 3\.5\-mm audio jack\. It’s relatively future\-proof, allowing you to upgrade the SSD \(if they’re ever affordable again\), with[Wi\-Fi 7 support](https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-wi-fi-7/)\.
It’s all crammed into a “Void Purple” shell that impresses with a premium feel\. An etched micro\-texture offers a secure grip, while the Xbox\-standard control layout is within easy reach for most players, although the four menu and system buttons flanking the screen may require a stretch\. Analog sticks \(encircled with LED light halos, naturally\) and shoulder triggers are built with[Hall effect sensors](https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-hall-effect/)for improved accuracy and long\-term resilience and offer a nice degree of resistance when pressed\. The chunky, angular D\-pad feels great too, although its concave shape may take a moment to get used to, and its glossy plastic picks up microscratches easily\.
Although it’s[running Windows 11](https://www.wired.com/story/only-microsoft-can-save-windows-gaming-handhelds/)under the hood, the full\-screen Xbox Mode takes the lead, giving a unified view of games installed from any storefront\. The Claw lacks a dedicated Xbox system button, but with two mappable rear grip buttons, it’s easy enough to assign one\. Given that you can install any other client, I set the other as a Steam menu button, useful for shortcuts when running Steam’s Big Picture Mode\.
Despite the Claw’s 785\-gram heft, its ergonomics and weight distribution compensate wonderfully\. It outweighs both the[Steam Deck](https://www.wired.com/review/valve-steam-deck-oled/)and the ROG Xbox Ally X, but I found it much more comfortable to use, even for protracted play sessions\. Advanced haptics also impress, with a nice sense of feedback accurately representing on\-screen action\.
The screen is great, but not*amazing*\. The IPS panel delivers a crisp, clear image with brightness up to 500 nits, but at this price, I’d hope for an[OLED panel](https://www.wired.com/story/lcd-ips-oled-and-quantum-dots-all-the-confusing-display-terms-explained/)to make colors really pop\. That 120\-Hz VRR ensures a smooth image at least, and the 16:10 aspect ratio gives a subtle but noticeable bit more real estate to your games\.
I wasn’t initially a fan of the screen extending below the “shell” of the unit, but it's a clever design, serving as a kickstand to let the handheld stand vertically\. This is surprisingly useful if you want to connect the device to an output dock for TV play\. I used an[OWC Thunderbolt Go dock](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-laptop-docking-stations/), and while it's not as elegant or secure as sliding a[Nintendo Switch 2](https://www.wired.com/review/nintendo-switch-2/)into its caddy, it means the Claw can fit neatly into a media unit\. Just pair a game controller and you’re good for[big\-screen gaming](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-gaming-monitors/)\.
## Arc de Triomphe
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Photograph: Matt Kamen
The real star of the Claw is Intel’s new Arc chipset, which delivers phenomenal results\. The Arc G3 Extreme is built around[Intel’s Panther Lake architecture](https://www.wired.com/story/intel-panther-lake-core-ultra-series-3-review/), which offers a massive performance increase over the preceding Lunar Lake chips\. It’s significantly faster than pretty much any other chip in a PC handheld, and Intel’s XeSS—Xe Super Sampling, its answer to[Nvidia’s DLSS](https://www.wired.com/story/gamers-hate-nvidia-dlss-5-developers-arent-crazy-about-it-either/)or[AMD’s FSR](https://www.amd.com/en/products/graphics/technologies/fidelityfx/super-resolution.html)—can improve performance further with smart upscaling and[frame generation](https://www.wired.com/story/nvidias-rtx-50-series-laptop-gpu/)\.