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MSI Claw 8 AI+
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ isn't just the brand's newest Claw, it's the biggest, featuring a meaty 8-inch display. On top of that, you get a powerful Intel Core Ultra chip, tons of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage alongside luxuries like Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
Pros Intel Core Ultra chip Big battery and display 120Hz display
Cons Expensive
$900 at MSI
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Steam Deck OLED
Valve's Steam Deck can be kitted out with an impressive OLED display, features the accessible SteamOS, and can have up to 1TB of storage. Plus, you can get the base model for cheap, too. If you want a great entry point into gaming handhelds, the Steam Deck is a great choice.
Pros Easy-to-use SteamOS Affordable OLED display option
Cons Limited power
$649 at Steam
For mobile gaming, a gaming laptop or a top-notch tablet can be worth consideration, but in 2024, mobile gaming is squarely in the domain of gaming handhelds. But should you pick up a new handheld like the MSI Claw 8 AI+ or stick with a reliable pick like the Steam Deck?
Luckily, we're here to help with the ultimate MSI Claw 8 AI+ vs Steam Deck comparison.
Price, availability, and specs
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ arrives in January
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is up for pre-order right now, and it launches in January. It'll cost you $900, and there's only one model to pick up as of now. If you want a Claw but are looking to save money, though, you can consider the smaller Claw 7 AI+ that retails for $800.
Valve's Steam Deck is up for sale now, and it'll cost you up to $649 for the top-tier model, while the base model (without an OLED display) will only cost $399. Differences between the models are limited outside of display size, refresh rate, storage capacity, and Wi-Fi chip.
MSI Claw 8 AI+Steam Deck OLEDDimensions11.7 x 4.9 x 0.94 inches11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9 inches (298mm x 117mm x 49mm)Weight1.75 lbs1.41 pounds (640 grams)ChipsetIntel® Core™ Ultra 7 processor 258VCustom AMD Zen 2 APU (4 cores/8 threads, up to 3.5GHz boost)RAM32GB LPDDR5x-8533 16GB LPDDR5 6400MT/sStorageUp to 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD Easy Access512GB or 1TB NVMe SSD, microSD card slotWireless ConnectivityWi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth v5.4Wi-Fi 6E & Bluetooth 5.3Display8" FHD+ (1920 x 1200), 120Hz, IPS-Level Touchscreen7.4-inch OLED 1280 x 800 touchscreen, up to 90HzGraphicsIntel® Arc™ 140V GPUAMD RDNA 2 Radeon GraphicsPorts2 USB-C/Thunderbolt, 1 SD card reader, 1 3.5mm jack1x USB-C (with DisplayPort support), 3.5mm combo audio jack, microSD card slotBattery6-Cell 80 Battery (Whr)50Wh
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Design and display
OLED vs IPS
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In general, these two handhelds have a similar design, but there are some differences. The Claw is styled more like a traditional controller with the joysticks above and below the face buttons and D-pad, whereas the Deck has those to the side. The Deck also has a chunkier look.
The dimensions of these devices are pretty much a match, aside from thickness. The Steam Deck is about twice as thick as the MSI Claw, which gives it a boxier feel as compared to the Claw. However, the Claw is actually the heavier handheld, coming in at 1.75 lbs vs 1.48 lbs.
With displays, the Claw has a larger 8-inch screen compared to the Deck's 7.4-inch. The Claw also has a significantly higher resolution (1920 x 1200 vs. 1280 x 800) as well as a higher refresh rate (120Hz vs. 90Hz), but the Deck can have an OLED panel when the Claw features IPS tech.
Thanks to a thinner, sleeker design, bigger display, better refresh rate, and higher resolution, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is our overall top pick for design and display. Still, the OLED tech on the Deck certainly makes for richer contrast and deeper blacks over the Claw's IPS panel.
Winner: MSI Claw 8 AI+
Hardware and performance
An Intel vs AMD showdown
These two portable computers have up to 1TB of storage, but otherwise, they've got different CPUs, graphics, RAM capacities, and different feature sets.
For the Claw, you're looking at 32GB of RAM as well as an Intel Core Ultra 258V chip alongside Intel Arc graphics. MSI promises the 8 AI+ has "113% higher peak FPS and an average 20% higher FPS under identical power conditions" vs. competitor handhelds. You're also getting Intel XeSS upscaling tech on the Claw, which is slated to increase frame rates over rendering at native resolution.
The Deck's CPU has half the cores of the Claw's chip, and it comes with just 16GB of RAM. The Deck doesn't support XeSS but has FSR, which is AMD's upscaling solution. We'll have to test out the Claw to get the complete picture of its performance, but with a more modern chip, more cores, and twice the RAM, we'd expect some noticeable performance improvements.
MSI's Claw harnesses the power of AI via Copilot+ support, but perhaps even more importantly, the Claw runs Windows 11. The Deck runs SteamOS. SteamOS enjoys wide compatibility with Steam's library, but the Claw can play Steam games as well as games across every other launcher without any tweaking. SteamOS may be user-friendly, but the Claw can play more games out-of-the-box.
Altogether, with more RAM, a more powerful chip, AI tech, and broad compatibility with all the various game launchers out there, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the winner when it comes to hardware and performance, even if the Steam Deck isn't a bad choice by any means.
Winner: MSI Claw 8 AI+
Battery life
50Whr vs 80Whr batteries
Battery life is something we'll have to test, but there are some takeaways based on specs.
The Claw has an 80Whr battery, while the Deck has a 50Whr battery. Although, the Claw does have more cores and supports higher resolutions and refresh rates. Running games at the same resolution and frame rate on both devices will likely mean better battery life on the Claw, thanks to its bigger battery, but we'll have to do our testing to figure out the specifics.
That all said, a significantly bigger battery is impossible to overlook with battery life, so the winner, for now, is the MSI Claw. Either way, don't expect a day-long battery life with either device.
Winner: MSI Claw 8 AI+
Overall winner: MSI Claw 8 AI+
Hard to beat the latest and greatest
Thanks to a sleek design, high-resolution display, a 120Hz refresh rate, powerful Intel chip, lots of RAM, AI tech, running Windows, and a big battery, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is our overall top choice of gaming handheld, but that doesn't mean the Deck isn't worth buying.
For one, the Claw simply can't compete with the Deck's OLED display, and the Deck's base model is less than half the cost of the Claw, so if you're looking to save money, the choice is easy. Plus, you may not need all the power of the Claw, depending on what games you play.
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Winner
MSI Claw 8 AI+
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ isn't just the brand's newest Claw, it's the biggest, featuring a meaty 8-inch display. On top of that, you get a powerful Intel Core Ultra chip, tons of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage alongside luxuries like Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
$900 at MSI
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Runner-up
Steam Deck OLED
Valve's Steam Deck can be kitted out with an impressive OLED display, features the accessible SteamOS, and can have up to 1TB of storage. Plus, you can get the base model for cheap, too. If you want a great entry point into gaming handhelds, the Steam Deck is a great choice.
$649 at Steam