MSI Claw 8 and Claw 7 to feature Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake
The company will launch a new handheld as well as update the existing design.
MSI is all-in with their partnership with Intel. The company launched its first gaming handheld (Claw 7) powered by Intel Core Ultra 100 “Meteor Lake” CPUs in March, but the device didn’t gain the traction the company was hoping for. Just three months later, a new product was showcased at Computex: the Claw 8 AI+, which sports the Intel Core Ultra 200V “Lunar Lake” chip and is expected to have better performance, battery life, and overall experience.
MSI Director of Product Managers Clifford Chun, who was interviewed by PCWorld, confirmed that the Claw series had been in development for a long time. In fact, Intel was involved in this launch even before engineering samples were available to MSI. The company was really hoping for a large Taiwanese brand to launch Intel-based handhelds, and MSI was clearly interested.
MSI Claw 8 AI+ vs. Claw 7
- CPU: newer Intel Lunar Lake with Arc Xe2 graphics
- Memory: faster than LPDDR5-6400
- Storage: still M.2 2230
- Battery: larger 80Wh
- Screen: larger 8-inch, but still 120HZ with VRR
Source: PCWorld
The Claw 7 didn’t live up to the hype it generated at CES 2024, where the device was first presented. There were clearly issues with the drivers, which allowed MSI to claim double-digit performance gains with driver updates, but that’s mainly because the original drivers were not optimized. Furthermore, MSI was rather reluctant to provide review samples, limiting the amount of coverage it received.
The Claw 8 shouldn’t be affected by those issues anymore, and MSI has learned a lot from the initial launch. Clifford confirmed several aspects of the “8” such as larger 80Wh battery or that it will ship with faster memory (so most likely LPDDR5X-7500), but the capacity is not yet mentioned. There are no changes to the storage (so still M.2 2230 form factor), but it will be better positioned (away from the fan).
During the interview, Clifford confirmed that the company will not only launch the Claw 8, but the original Claw 7 will also be updated to Lunar Lake. There was no information about the specs, pricing, or release date, but this means that MSI is not only showcasing a successor to the Claw but also confirming that the original device will be upgraded.
Adam Patrick Murray (PCWorld): Will the original Claw get Lunar Lake?
Clifford Chun (MSI): The original one is Meteor Lake, but we wil also launch a Lunar Lake version.
MSI Claw 8 AI+ & MSI Claw 7 Fallout Edition, Source: MSI
The MSI Claw 7 could benefit from an upgrade program similar to AYANEO’s, which provides full mainboards for their handhelds with newer APUs. At the very least, MSI could lower the price of the existing model. Clifford further confirmed that MSI has no plans for AMD-based handhelds. MSI has evaluated possible 5-inch and 10-inch designs, but both were not optimal for user experience, so plans for such devices for now.
Both Claws are said to be launching alongside Intel Lunar Lake, which, according to MSI representative, should happen in September. Pricing is expected to be close/similar to Claw 7, which means something around $699 to $799.
| Handheld Gaming Consoles | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz | MSI Claw 8 AI+ A2VM 🆕 |
MSI Claw 7 A?? 🆕 |
MSI Claw A1M |
| Picture |  |
 |
 |
| SoC | Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake |
Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake |
Core Ultra 100H Meteor Lake |
| Architecture | Intel Lion Cove Intel Skymont Intel Arc Xe2-LPG |
Intel Lion Cove Intel Skymont Intel Arc Xe2-LPG |
Intel Redwood Cove Intel Crestmont Intel Arc Xe-LPG |
| External GPU | Thunderbolt 4 | Thunderbolt 4 | Thunderbolt 4 |
| Memory Capacity | ?GB LPDDR5X | 16GB LPDDR5-6400 | 16GB LPDDR5-6400 |
| Storage Capacity | TBC | 512GB | 512GB |
| Storage Type | M.2 NVMe 2230 SSD PCIe 4×4 | M.2 NVMe 2230 SSD PCIe 4×4 | M.2 NVMe 2230 SSD PCIe 4×4 |
| Display | 8″ 1920×1080 120Hz VRR | 7″ 1920×1080, 120Hz, 500 nits, VRR | 7″ 1920×1080, 120Hz, 500 nits, VRR |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 + BT 5.4 | Wi-Fi 7 + BT 5.4 | Wi-Fi 7 + BT 5.4 |
| Battery | ~80 Wh | 53 Wh, 6-Cell | 53 Wh, 6-Cell |
| Weight | TBC | ~675 g | 675 g |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | TBC | 29.4 × 11.7 × 2.1 cm 11.6 × 4.6 × 0.8 in |
29.4 × 11.7 × 2.1 cm 11.6 × 4.6 × 0.8 in |
| Default OS | Windows 11 | Windows 11 | Windows 11 |
| Retail Launch Price | ~$699-$799 (said to be similar to Claw 7) |
TBC | $799/€949 (155HU+1TB) $749/€849 (155H+512GB) $699 (135H+512GB) |
| Release Date | Around September 2024 | Around September 2024 | March 2024 |
Source:
(PCWorld) MSI Talks Claw Launch Learnings & Claw 8 AI+ Announcement (1,424 views)
