MSI releases Claw 8 EX AI+, a handheld console powered by Intel Arc G3, which will go on sale in June

[ Gearbest Technology News]Recently, MSI released the new handheld Claw 8 EX AI+ in Taiwan, China, and announced that it will be launched in the global market from June 23. The product is equipped with Intel Arc G3 Extreme SoC, designed with 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, equipped with an 8-inch 1920×1200 resolution, 120Hz touch screen, and 80Whr battery.

According to reports, Claw 8 EX AI+ continues the compatibility advantage of the x86 platform, can run existing PC games, and is pre-installed with an application player that can run Android games. MSI said that this product is developed based on the Claw 8 AI+ previously equipped with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 platform, and has been enhanced in terms of performance, grip feel and upgrade convenience.

To unleash the performance of Arc G3 Extreme, MSI redesigned the internal cooling solution, including increasing wind pressure and improving airflow paths. Officials said that the device can still maintain a stable temperature when running 100 consecutive Cinebench R23 tests. The operation part has also been adjusted, including optimizing the layout of the joysticks, buttons and direction keys, improving the grip angle, and adding subtle textures to the palm rest contact area to reduce slipping.

In terms of vibration system, the new machine uses linear motors to improve vibration accuracy while reducing noise and power consumption. MSI also mentioned that combined with new AI models, motor control chips and software algorithms, the device can achieve more delicate tactile feedback. The storage part has been upgraded to an M.2 2280 specification NVMe SSD that supports PCIe 4.0. Users can open the back cover and replace it by themselves, but only products with main components on one side are supported.

Intel said that Arc G3 is built on the Core Ultra Series 3 platform and is optimized for devices such as handheld consoles that have high requirements on power consumption, heat dissipation, battery life and ergonomics. It improves game frame rates by adopting high-energy-efficiency cores and allocating more power to the GPU, combined with AI-based XeSS technology.

The demonstration session showed that after the device is connected to a 4K external monitor, it can run games with the help of AI upscaling technology, and can be used as a desktop PC with a keyboard, mouse and multiple monitors. Claw 8 EX AI+ is configured with 32GB LPDDR5X memory and 1TB SSD, and is priced at US$1,500. The domestic launch time and price have not yet been announced.