New ‘Polar Tempest’ MSI Claw 8 AI+ doubles the storage space of previous model
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The MSI Claw handheld now has a new look, as MSI has stealthily introduced a brand new version of the Claw 8 AI+, which adds the option for more storage space along with a bright white color scheme dubbed ‘Polar Tempest'.
Unlike its rivals, MSI has largely been relying on word-of-mouth and a few select influencers to promote its handheld. Despite this, there has been no official announcement, press release, or marketing campaign to accompany the opening of pre-orders for the Polar Tempest edition of the MSI Claw; instead, it just quietly appeared on the MSI website.
The MSI Claw is one of the few gaming handhelds that doesn't use an AMD-based platform and instead uses Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V processor. It also comes equipped with a hefty 80 WHr battery and can manage good performance even when set to sip power on a 17W power profile. The kind of battery life ROG Ally and Legion Go users have been DIY-upgrading to enjoy.
MSI Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest offers up to 2TB of storage
The battery and storage situation are worth noting in particular. Internal storage on the MSI Claw Polar Tempest goes up to 2TB, a significant difference. Comparing the original Claw 8 AI+ specs with the new Polar Tempest model, we can see that this is double the previous entry’s 1TB storage. Otherwise, the internal specs are the same.
Looking over to another upcoming handheld, the Nintendo Switch 2 can only offer a 5220mAh battery, which is roughly 20 WHr, a significant drop in play time by comparison. In addition, the Switch 2 only has 256 GB of internal storage, which is likely to quickly be swallowed up by larger games.
The base model of the MSI Claw Polar Tempest starts at $900 and is planned to begin shipping to customers from July 15, over a month after the Switch 2. Pre-orders and further information can be found on the MSI website.
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