MSI Unveils Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest Edition With A Key Hardware Upgrade
One of the best PC gaming handhelds on the market right now is MSI's Claw 8 AI+ (see our recent review), a premium device built around a large and vibrant 8-inch display (with variable refresh rate or VRR support) powered by Intel's Lunar Lake platform. If you're not a fan of the sandstone colorway, however, MSI has announced a new Polar Tempest Edition that looks a lot brighter. It also comes with a hardware upgrade (more on that in a moment).
You're basically looking at a tuxedo-themed device—it's mostly white on the front with some black trim, mostly black on the back with MSI's dragon logo sitting in the center, and of course a bit of RGB lighting because what doesn't have RGB these days? Not much, is the answer.
"The Polar Tempest Edition features a new color scheme and MSI’s custom-formulated polyurethane coating, evoking ice-blue crystals on a snow-white landscape," MSI explains on the device's product page.
Make of that what you will. From our vantage point, it's a cleaner looking aesthetic, though also one that could be more prone to dust and grime (clean your hands first if you've been munching on anything that leaves a dusty residue, like Cheetos).
Despite the 'polar' nomenclature, there doesn't appear to be any change to the cooling scheme. In fact, most of the hardware is identical to the model we reviewed, save for the storage—MSI's offering an optional 2TB SSD upgrade on this model, versus the 1TB that comes standard. Naturally, you could always upgrade the storage yourself on the original model, though we won't bemoan MSI offering a double-capacity SKU right out of the gate.
Otherwise, you're looking at the same assortment of specs, which includes an 8-inch FHD+ (1920x1200) touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate, up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 285V processor based on Lunar Lake, Intel Arc Graphics 140V, 32GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory (soldered), Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless connectivity, dual 2W speakers, a micro SD card reader, a 3.5mm mic/headphone combo jack, two Thunderbolt 4 ports (DisplayPort / Power Delivery 3.0), a bevy of buttons, and a 6-cell (80Whr) battery.
The trick is finding a latest-generation Claw handheld in stock. You can find lots of Claw accessories on Amazon, but the handheld itself is not in stock, either in its original form or the new Polar Tempest Edition. Hopefully that will change soon, especially with tariffs situation showing signs of calming down as the U.S. and China work on a deal.
