MSI Claw 8 AI+ Lunar Lake Gaming Handheld Teased For A CES Debut
Do you get the feeling that MSI might be just a tad bit excited to launch its next-generation gaming handheld with Lunar Lake inside? We do, considering that's it been official for about two and a half months now. As for when it will release, it will be another couple of months, with a proper unveiling on tap for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January.
We know this because there is an early award posted on the main CES website, where the upcoming handheld has already earned a '2025 Honoree in Gaming & eSports' badge.
"The Claw 8 AI+ is the world’s first and only handheld to feature Intel’s new 'Lunar Lake' CPU with 2nd Gen Arc graphics. This gives the Claw a more powerful yet more power efficient processor. With a newer and larger 8-inch screen, gamers can now enjoy larger screen real estate for all their favorite games," the award page reads.
It's also stated that the upcoming Claw refresh will feature 48 TOPS of compute muscle in Windows 11, with the claim that it "bridges the gap between portable handheld devices and AI-assisted gaming." And finally, it's confirmed to sport a bigger batter than the current iteration, and specifically an 82Whr battery.
That's a big jump in capacity over the 52Whr battery in the current-generation Claw. According to MSI (via the CES awards page), the bigger battery combined with Lunar Lake will enable "4+ hours of gameplay for AAA titles."
Previously, MSI revealed that the Claw 8 AI+ will have a 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It also said it listened to player feedback and accordingly implemented several design changes, including a second Thunderbolt 4-supported USB-C port, revised LB/RB buttons with an enhanced tactile feel, and a new (and lighter) wall-mounted charger.
We still don't know what pricing will look like, though we expect MSI will make that clear during CES. In the meantime, you can find the current-gen Claw 8 with a Core Ultra 5 135H and 512GB SSD for $649.99 at Best Buy, along with a version sporting a Core Ultra 7 155H and 512GB SSD for $699.99, and the top SKU with a Core Ultra 7 155H and 1TB SSD for $749.99. All three models feature 16GB of RAM.
