Since the introduction of the Steam Deck a few years back, there has been an escalating arms race between PC manufacturers to find a foothold in the handheld space. Outside of Valve, other companies like ASUS, AMD, and Lenovo have all come forward with PC handhelds of their own, each of which has various benefits and drawbacks. However, more often than not, the differences in terms of performance and fidelity have often been somewhat negligible between devices.
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With Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme processor, however, I’m finally starting to see some sizable improvements when it comes to performance, in particular. Incorporated in the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, the Arc G3 Extreme has delivered the best gaming experience I’ve had so far on a PC handheld. Unfortunately, with such a steep cost of entry, it’s a device that only the most hardcore of users will want to consider picking up.
Rating: 4/5
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Best performance I’ve experienced on a PC handheld so far | Comes at a very steep price that is hard to overlook |
| UI runs much more smoothly compared to competitors | |
| Despite high performance, the device stays very cool with quiet fan sounds | |
| Strong battery life thanks to Endurance mode |
High Quality Gameplay With Very Few Compromises
In my time testing the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, I’ve generally been astonished by what it’s capable of. Not only is the form factor and design of the handheld itself great, but even when not playing games, it provides a smooth, streamlined experience that allows me to easily access all of my PC titles in a single location. The setup process was simple, and its Wi-Fi 7 chip let me download many games from my library in a quick fashion.
Forza Horizon 6 was one of the first games I loaded up up the device, as I wanted to see what it was capable of with a relatively newer title. While I was keeping my expectations in check, I was blown away by the jump in performance when compared to other PC handhelds I’ve used. FH6 was able to reach performance peaks of nearly 120fps with Low settings, while still being able to hit 60fps when kicking it up to the High preset. Even when toggling on ray tracing, FH6 would hold firm around 30fps, which is far better than I would have anticipated. These performance thresholds were consistent throughout as well, rarely resulting in any major dips.
This same level of consistency in performance was seen across every other game I played on the hardware as well, whether it be with newer titles or those a bit older. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which is a game that has given me fits on other PC handhelds, also fared markedly better on the MSI Claw 8 EX. Whereas the game would chug when wandering about its open-world areas, these inconsistencies were much fewer and further between on this device.
Essentially, the Arc G3 Extreme processor that is powering the MSI Claw 8 EX is everything that Intel has hyped it up to be. It’s easily the most impressive processor I’ve come across when it comes to handhelds, which says a lot given that I’ve dabbled with quite a few of these over the years. If top-notch performance is what you care about more than anything, you’re going to be hard-pressed to find a device that currently exceeds what the Arc G3 Extreme does.
Endurance Mode Preserves Battery With Little Sacrifice
While performance is the greatest thing to praise about the MSI Claw 8 EX, it does burn through the platform’s battery pretty quickly. Depending on the game, the handheld can only go about three hours when running at maximum settings without running out of juice. For those looking to get more out of the battery while compromising some performance, though, Endurance mode is a huge benefit.
Able to be toggled on from the system’s overlay menu, Endurance mode puts much less stress on the Arc G3 Extreme processor without having to completely crater its performance. This trade-off resulted in Forza Horizon 6 running closer to 30fps to 40fps, while dialing back its strain on the battery, allowing me to get closer to 5 hours out of its lifespan. While this does result in a lesser gameplay experience, the simple fact that this option is available is ideal if you’re going to be traveling or simply unable to charge the device for prolonged stretches.
No matter what settings you have turned on with the MSI Claw 8 EX, though, it stays consistently cool. Not only does the internal temp of the hardware stay surprisingly low, but the fans powering it are much quieter than those in competing handhelds. Although this might be a small factor in the grand scheme, it’s still one I appreciated the more time I spent with the Claw.
High Cost of Entry Makes It a Hard Sell
Despite having so many positive things to say about the MSI Claw 8 EX, it’s hard to overlook the lone drawback it has: its price. Even in a time when tech products are soaring in price across the board due to component shortages, the cost of the MSI Claw 8 EX is a staggering one, coming in at $1799. This is a considerably higher value than the vast majority of other PC handhelds on the market, which makes the prospect of buying one a bit more difficult, to say the least.
Essentially, this makes the MSI Claw 8 EX an incredibly niche device that is hard to recommend to the average PC gamer. If you haven’t already purchased a PC handheld and are looking to get one of the best that the market has to offer, then look no further. Otherwise, it’s hard for me to recommend picking up the Claw 8 EX since it’s retailing for roughly double that of some of its competitors.
Still, it’s exciting to know that we’ll start to see Intel’s G3 series processors appearing in more PC handhelds in the years to come. While the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is merely the first device to incorporate it, more are on the way in as early as Fall 2026. As such, if and whenever you do decide to take the plunge into the PC handheld scene, I can’t recommend enough that you get one that is powered by Intel.
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ launches today on June 23rd. A sample unit of the product was provided in advance for the purpose of this review.
