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MSI's nyeste Steam Deck-rival med Intel CPU

Translate from : MSI's nyeste Steam Deck-rival med Intel CPU

The new MSI Claw 8 AI+ has just been revealed, with the promise of a larger 8-inch screen and an upgrade to the new Intel Core Ultra 200 Lunar Lake processor. But, as we've seen after taking a closer look at the new device, there's more to it than just these changes. While the first iteration of the MSI Claw didn't do very well on reviewers' lists of the best handheld gaming desktops, it still did enough to make us curious about how an Intel-powered successor would fare against the AMD- powered Steam Decks and Asus ROG Ally

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ may have a silly name, but the design of this handheld device has become much more appealing thanks to changes to its grip and overall shape. Like the difference between the Asus ROG Ally X and the original ROG Ally, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has rounder, deeper grips that subtly curve out a bit more towards the bottom, which should make the device more comfortable to hold.

The sides also appear to be coated with rubber to improve grip, and at least the surface has a texture that should again make it more comfortable to hold. Most of the controls appear to be the same as those on the original MSI Claw, but the shoulder buttons are visibly larger and the menu buttons closer to the screen are also larger. Both changes should make it easier to reach and activate these features. Overall, the design also feels more, well, second generation.

In addition to the more rounded edges, there is also the two-tone black and cream color scheme, again with the color apparently coming from a more complex production process, where the shell will have gone through two different runs of a molding machine. The first generation product will have undergone a single run.

The screen-to-bezel ratio of the overall unit also looks better, with the 8-inch panel filling the chassis better than the 7-inch of the previous model. The screen also looks bright and vibrant, although it's hard to judge image and motion quality with just a static Windows 11 desktop background.

It's still an IPS LCD, and has good viewing angles and vibrant colors, but some will be upset that it hasn't moved to an OLED panel like the Steam Deck OLED. Sensibly, the resolution is also 1080p, instead of the slightly exaggerated 1440p screen of the Lenovo Legion Go.

According to the manufacturer, other upgrades on the MSI Claw 8 AI+ include a larger battery, a cooling system with two fans and two heatpipes, "advanced" hall-effect joysticks, and of course there will be the much faster and more efficient Intel Lunar Lake CPU as its heart. Its Xe2-based graphics should especially improve the Claw's gaming performance, as long as Intel can provide solid driver support.