At Computex 2026 back in May, MSI announced its latest x86 handheld with the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. This represented a complete shift in design philosophy, while also coming in as one of the first handhelds to be powered by Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme processor. Today, we’ve learned that another configuration of the Claw 8 EX AI+ is on the way, as a listing has appeared on EXCaliberPC (via VideoCardz).
Instead of being powered by the Arc G3 Extreme, this new variant will make use of the standard Arc G3 SoC, paired with the Arc B370 iGPU. This combination will also include 512GB of storage (down from 1TB), but also comes in a new “Luminous Blue” colorway. Unfortunately, the EXCaliberPC listing doesn’t include a render of the Claw, but I’m just hoping it looks as good as the “Void Purple” found on the existing Claw.
Beyond that, the rest of the specs for this new Claw 8 EX AI+ remain the same, and you can check out the full spec sheet below. With this move to the standard G3/B370 combination, MSI is able to bring down the price a bit, with EXCaliberPC’s listing showing a $1,499 retail price. That’s $300 less than the MSRP for the G3 Extreme/B390 version, which may be a bit more palatable for some.
| Display | |
| Screen Size | 8-inch IPS |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920 x 1200 |
| Pixel Density | 283.02 PPI |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz (VRR) |
| Hardware | |
| Processor | Intel Arc G3 |
| GPU | Intel Arc B370 |
| RAM | 32GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | |
| Internal | 512GB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen 4×4 |
| External | microSD Express |
| Battery | |
| Capacity | 80Wh |
| Connectivity | |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6.0 |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, microSD Express, 3.5mm Audio Jack |
| Physical | |
| Dimensions | 286 x 130 x 25mm |
| Weight | 785g |
The bigger question here is whether you’ll actually be able to even buy this new variant of the Claw 8 EX AI+. Ever since it’s release back in June, the Claw has been out of stock at pretty much every available retailer. Personally, I’ve had in-stock notifications set up for Best Buy, and haven’t been pinged once after the initial wave of stock was depleted.
Frankly, it’s a shame, as the Claw has garnered much praise from reviewers and those who managed to actually get their hands on one. Perhaps it has something to do with the rising component costs, or maybe MSI didn’t anticipate demand correctly. No matter the reason, I’m at least somewhat happy to see another variant being released, provided that I’ll actually be able to get one.
