We've been waiting for a MSI Claw 8 AI+ launch date for some time now, but it now looks like we're getting not one, but two. Popping up briefly for pre-order on Amazon earlier this week, MSI's new Intel-powered gaming handheld looks set for a December release, with a smaller 7-inch version potentially being released this weekend.
The first attempt by MSI to break into the Intel Lunar Lake APUs, will be better received by gamers this time around.
Details are still unclear, but it looks like Amazon may have jumped the gun a little by listing the MSI Claw 8 AI+ so quickly. With the product now showing as unavailable on Amazon, a CES 2025 trade show just a week later.
MSI has already confirmed Steam Deck OLED. It also comes with an 8-inch LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate, along with an 80Wh battery.
If Christmas Day seems so far away, then you might be lucky, as another new MSI Claw model has also appeared for pre-order on Amazon – this time, with what Amazon has listed as a December 1 launch date. Judging from the Amazon listing, the MSI Claw 7 AI+ shares many of the same specs as the 8 AI+, including the same Core Ultra 7 285V APU and Intel Arc GPU, as well as 32GB of RAM.
There isn't a listing for a 16GB version, but given the bigger and more expensive 8 AI+ appears to offer it, we'll assume that a 16GB version is likely to appear here, too. The only major difference between these versions, apart from some minor design variations, is the display size – it's 7-inch, rather than 8-inch.
The release date for these new handhelds hasn't been confirmed by MSI just yet, but that hasn't stopped entrepreneurial Reddit s from snapping up the devices. In a recent post on the r/msiclaw subreddit, news about these new MSI Claw handhelds appearing on Amazon led to several pre-orders, which may explain the early stock issues.
MSI hasn't confirmed the December 25 release date for the MSI Claw 8 AI+, but if the listing is right, at least we have an idea of how much it will cost. Before it hit Reddit and became unavailable, Amazon was pricing the MSI Claw 8 AI+ for $899.99. You can't pre-order it yourself for the moment, but you can check out the Amazon page in the meantime using this link.
According to Amazon, the MSI Claw 7 AI+ will be $100 cheaper than the 8-inch model, costing $799.99. You can grab it for pre-order, while stocks last, from Amazon using this link here. However, as we mentioned, the December 1 release date hasn't been directly confirmed by MSI, so it could still be subject to changes (or just be flat-out wrong).
Don't worry if you can't get your hands on one, though. Check out our Asus ROG Ally X review next to hear our thoughts on a very decent alternative.