MSI
MSI Claw 8 AI+
$1299
Released 2025-01
Best Handheld Gaming Pcs · head-to-head
MSI Claw 8 AI+ vs AYANEO 2S
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. AYANEO 2S is cheaper at $1139. Every spec and price links to its source.
AYANEO
AYANEO 2S
$1139Cheaper
Released 2023-05
Which is better: the MSI Claw 8 AI+ or AYANEO 2S?
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ wins 3 of the 4 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 1. The AYANEO 2S is the cheaper at $1139. Get the MSI Claw 8 AI+ for the stronger spec sheet, the AYANEO 2S to spend less.
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Key specs, head to head
The numbers that decide it, drawn to scale — longer bar wins, the accent bar is the stronger figure.
Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | MSI Claw 8 AI+ | AYANEO 2S |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $1299 | $1139 |
| Brand | MSI | AYANEO |
| Released | 2025-01 | 2023-05 |
| Chip | Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Intel Arc 140V iGPU, 8 Xe2 cores) | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U (Zen 4, 8c/16t, RDNA 3 Radeon 780M 12CU) |
| Screen (in) | 8.0 in | 7.0 in |
| Screen resolution | 1920x1200 | 1920x1200 |
| Refresh (Hz) | 120 | 60 |
| Battery (Wh) | 80 | 50.25 |
| RAM (GB) | 32 | 16 |
| Weight (g) | 795 | 667 |
| OS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Release | 2025-01 | 2023-05 |
Sources — MSI Claw 8 AI+: msi.com (verified 2026-06-15). AYANEO 2S: ayaneo.co (verified 2026-06-15).
What's the difference between the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and AYANEO 2S?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (6 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.
- Chip: MSI Claw 8 AI+ Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Intel Arc 140V iGPU, 8 Xe2 cores) vs AYANEO 2S AMD Ryzen 7 7840U (Zen 4, 8c/16t, RDNA 3 Radeon 780M 12CU)
- Screen (in): MSI Claw 8 AI+ 8.0 in vs AYANEO 2S 7.0 in
- Refresh (Hz): MSI Claw 8 AI+ 120 vs AYANEO 2S 60
- Battery (Wh): MSI Claw 8 AI+ 80 vs AYANEO 2S 50.25
- RAM (GB): MSI Claw 8 AI+ 32 vs AYANEO 2S 16
- Weight (g): MSI Claw 8 AI+ 795 vs AYANEO 2S 667
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
MSI Claw 8 AI+
Three whitelisted testers — Tom's Guide, Engadget and Notebookcheck — hands-on-tested this exact Lunar Lake (Core Ultra 7 258V) MSI Claw 8 AI+ and broadly recommend it: performance roughly 10-15% ahead of the ROG Ally X, a big bright 8-inch 120Hz screen and one of the largest 80Wh batteries in the category. All three flag the $899 price; two call Windows 11 clunky on a handheld. Excludes the newer Claw 8 EX AI+. (3 sourced reviews, 3 lab-tested.)
Praised: Strong performance, roughly 10-15% ahead of AMD rivals like the ROG Ally X; Large, bright 8-inch 120Hz IPS display (with VRR); Large 80Wh battery, among the largest in the category.
Flagged: Expensive at $899, edging into gaming-laptop territory; Windows 11 stays clunky on a handheld touchscreen; Large and heavy (1.75 lb / 793 g), can feel too big for smaller hands.
AYANEO 2S
No sourced tester review yet.