Key Takeaways
- Intel’s Core Ultra 200V chips offer significant performance gains in gaming, challenging AMD and Qualcomm.
- MSI’s Claw 8 AI+ gaming handheld equipped with the 200V chip may rival top competitors in performance.
- The Claw 8 AI+ promises improved performance, a brighter screen, better cooling, and premium features for gaming.
Intel made bold claims during IFA 2024 when launching the Core Ultra 200V mobile chips, boasting significant performance gains over competing hardware from AMD and Qualcomm. Days later, MSI revealed that the Claw 8 AI+ gaming handheld will come equipped with said 200V chip and its ‘Battlemage’ Xe2 embedded GPU.
The Claw 8 AI+ marks a clear upgrade to the disappointing MSI Claw 8, and could challenge existing handheld gaming heavyweights, including the ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go, in both performance and battery life (via TechRadar).
Intel’s latest attempt at GPU superiority
Lunar Lake to surpass underwhelming Meteor Lake performance
Source: Intel
It’s no secret that Intel’s been fighting an uphill battle in the GPU space. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (of the Meteor Lake family) inside the original MSI Claw faced both performance and basic compatibility issues, with at least part of the blame falling on Intel’s still-developing driver expertise. Jim Johnson, Intel Senior Vice President, offered up internal testing numbers indicating Lunar Lake’s major advantages compared to AMD, the reigning leader in portable x86 gaming.
Internal benchmarks are anything but definitive, yet the latest Core Ultra Mobile series does show promise. In addition to a claimed 30% generational performance increase, Intel materials show the same 30% improvement in efficiency under load. That’s on top of the vastly wider compatibility the chip’s X86 architecture carries compared to the ARM chips that Qualcomm delivers. With lower power draw comes better thermal management, paving the way for Intel-powered gaming consoles that could run with the best.
MSI’s handheld gaming do-over
If Intel’s claims resemble reality, the Claw 8 AI+ could shake things up
Source: MSI
Most of the new chips will make their way into laptops, but MSI is wasting no time replacing the oft-derided MSI Claw handheld released in Q1 2024. Low frame rates, stuttering, glitches, and poor legacy support plagued the original slate, causing MSI to scramble for a new generation. Manufacturer performance claims always come with a grain of salt, but if Lunar Lake lands anywhere near where Intel claims, Valve and Asus may have a problem on their hands.
Aside from improved performance and (hopefully) legacy support, the Claw 8 AI+ sports several other important features. A brighter screen, more effective cooler, and premium Hall Effect thumbsticks flesh out what aims to be the year’s best gaming handheld. What remains to be seen is whether MSI can nail down the software aspect and overcome the challenges of portable gaming on Windows 11.
MSI representatives indicated a likely January 2025 launch date. There is currently no pricing data available, although it will likely sit somewhere in the $800 range, near the ROG Ally X.
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