MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Hits 180 FPS at 1200p as Intel Arc G3 Powers Handheld Leap

5 articles · Updated · Tom's Guide · Jun 1

180 FPS at 1200p with ray tracing was achieved in early hands-on testing of MSI’s Claw 8 EX AI+, with XeSS 3 frame generation driving performance that the reviewer said outpaced AMD-based handhelds.
Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme chip pairs a 14-core CPU with a 12-core Xe3 iGPU and runs across 17W to 45W power modes, while MSI’s dual-fan, dual-pipe cooling claims 5W more thermal headroom and 25% higher fan pressure.
4K docked play also looked viable: F1 25 ran at 90 FPS using XeSS 3 performance mode, and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports support a mini-PC setup for heavier multitasking.
8-inch hardware upgrades include a 1920x1200 48-120Hz IPS display, 80Wh battery, Hall effect triggers and sticks, redesigned grips, and new HD haptics aimed at richer tactile feedback.
MSI has not finalized pricing, but the report said the company is targeting about $1,500, below earlier $2,000 speculation as memory costs keep the handheld market volatile.

At $1,500, can MSI's Claw handheld truly deliver a desktop-class gaming experience, or is its performance just hype?

Does the Claw's 'AI PC' brain signal a new era for handhelds or is it simply a marketing gimmick?