The MSI Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest model first launched in April before being removed from MSI’s website, but has now returned with a dedicated product listing and a July 15 release date for the United States. This powerful handheld leaves the Steam Deck in the dust in most regards, but has been notably hard to purchase due to high demand and a limited initial production run.
The latest run of the Polar Tempest Edition comes with 2TB of storage and is priced at $999, versus the original Sandstorm model with 1TB of storage and an $899 price tag. In addition to a US release, fans have spotted listings in Germany, which suggest Europe will also get another release this summer. The only other difference is the white front panels (hence the Polar moniker).
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest sports an 8-inch IPS display with a 120Hz variable refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 500 nits. It’s powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 and has a whopping 32GB of RAM alongside an 80 Wh battery. Interestingly, it utilizes an Intel Arc GPU rather than the more common AMD or Nvidia GPUs found in most other handhelds.
If you’re used to playing a Steam Deck, your wrists will get a workout. The MSI Claw 8 is 795 grams compared to the 669 grams of the Steam Deck; that’s roughly 1.75 pounds in total, despite being thinner. Most of that added weight likely comes from the battery, given that it’s roughly twice the capacity of the Steam Deck.
The original MSI Claw didn’t review well and was largely overlooked in the market due to its poor performance. The Claw 8 AI+ corrected many of the mistakes from the first generation and offers a smooth gaming experience, even when playing games that can be truly demanding. This latest model provides fans a chance to get their hands on one with a fresh look and double the storage.